Wake's Early Success Enough To Top No. 10 Temple, 77-72
Deacs defense forces poor shooting by Owls in first half.
Dec. 4, 1999
Box Score
By DAVID DROSCHAK
AP Sports Writer
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Robert O'Kelley scored 19 of his 22 points in the
first half and reserve Craig Dawson added 16 as unbeaten Wake Forest hung on to
beat No. 10 Temple 77-72 Saturday.
Temple coach John Chaney just sat on the bench most of the opening 20
minutes with head in hand as O'Kelley and the Demon Deacons (5-0) put on a
basketball clinic against his team, building a 26-point lead.
But the Owls (2-2), behind a career-high 33 points from Mark Karcher, threw
a late score into Wake Forest, which opened 5-0 for the third time in the last
four seasons under coach Dave Odom.
Karcher's points came on a career-high 33 shots.
The Owls, playing their third straight game without injured point guard Pepe
Sanchez (ankle), were an offensive nightmare, starting the game 1-for-18 from
the field to fall behind big early. At one point, Temple missed 15 straight
shots.
Meanwhile, Wake Forest shot 53 percent, made all 10 of its foul shots and
committed only one turnover in a near perfect opening half.
O'Kelley, a 6-foot-1 junior guard, scored eight of Wake Forest's first 10
points to shred Temple's zone. That was before the Demon Deacons went on a 23-4
run, scoring 15 points in a span of 2:53 for a 33-9 lead eight minutes before
the half.
Temple came into the game last in the Atlantic 10 in shooting at 37 percent,
and a 5-for-31 opening 20 minutes didn't help.
The Owls, with just 21 turnovers in their first three games, wilted under
Wake Forest's pressure defense and gave the ball away seven times in the
disastrous first half.
Wake Forest started the second half 1-for-10 as Temple got within 15, but
the 48-22 halftime score was too much for the Owls to overcome.
O'Kelley was 7-for-10 from the field in the first half with four 3-pointers,
but shot just four times in the second half - missing all four.
Karcher's previous best point total was 25 against Florida State in 1998.
