Deacs Fall On Desperation 3-Pointer At Buzzer
Georgia comes back to upset Wake Forest, 68-67.
Dec. 11, 1999
Box Score
By TOM SALADINO
AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA - Adrian Jones threw up a prayer, and it was answered.
Jones hit an off-balance, desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer Saturday,
lifting Georgia to a 68-67 victory that saddled No. 18 Wake Forest with its
first loss.
Jones' 25-footer from the right side came only 3.7 seconds after Wake
Forest's Broderick Hicks had driven down the middle for a layup and 67-65 Demon
Deacons lead.
"I threw it up like a Hail Mary," said Jones, who jumped up and down,
threw both hands in the air as the ball dropped cleanly through the net and
then raced three-quarters of the way down the court before being mobbed by his
teammates and jostled to the floor.
"That was a miracle shot that just happened to go in," he said. "It felt
good. I was falling down. Once I slipped, I had to take the shot. I was going
to take it all the way (to the basket), but when I slipped, I kind of threw it
up and it happened to go in."
Jones, who also had two key defensive plays in the final minutes, scored 14
of his 18 points in the second half as Georgia (5-3) came back from a 13-point
second-half deficit to win its fifth in a row and send Wake Forest (5-1) to its
first loss of the season.
The Demon Deacons were in front 57-44 with 8:47 left on a 3-point basket by
Robert O'Kelley, who led Wake Forest with 17 points.
"They were all but in the grave," said Wake Forest coach Dave Odom. "When
you have someone in the position to finish them off, you have to make the
plays. You're supposed to be able to time-manage the clock and get to the free
throw line."
But Wake didn't and Georgia took advantage.
The Bulldogs' D.A. Layne scored 11 of his game-high 19 points during the
stretch run. Jones added six, and Anthony Evans, who also had 18 points, added
five for 22 of Georgia's final 24 points.
Wake Forest still led at 65-60 after a pair of free throws by O'Kelley with
1:54 left, but Layne hit two free throws before Jones forced a Wake Forest
turnover and Evans scored on a layup with 1:02 left to get the Bulldogs within
65-64.
Jones then blocked an O'Kelley shot with 42 seconds left and Layne made one
of two free throws with 8.8 seconds left to tie it at 65.
Wake Forest, which hadn't played due to final exams since beating No. 19
Temple 77-72 a week ago, also got 14 points from Darius Songaila.
Wake Forest took a 32-29 halftime lead on a 3-point basket by O'Kelley at
the buzzer. He led the Demon Deacons with 10 points.
Georgia's frontcourt has been depleted by injuries to two top reserves. The
Bulldogs lost center Robb Dryden and forward Badi Oliver earlier this week with
foot fractures. Both will be out at least four weeks.
