Wake Forest got huge contributions from its freshmen as the Deacs rallied from a sizable first half deficit to beat Gonzaga 77 to 75. Newcomers C.J. Harris and Ari Stewart made up for a disappointing game by Al-Farouq Aminu by tallying 19 and 17 points, respectively. Stewart nailed all four of his three point attempts, including one to give the Deacs the lead at the end of the first half, while Harris made 13 out of 15 free throws.
The turning point of the game was without a doubt when Elias Harris of Gonzaga forearmed center Chas McFarland in the throat while C.J. Harris was fouled shooting a three. As a result, Wake scored seven points on one possession and Elias Harris was ejected from the game.
This is a huge win for Wake Forest after struggling in losses against William & Mary and in the second half against Purdue. Furthermore, this is only Gonzaga's 4th loss at their home court since it opened in 2004.
The Zags were led by their star Matt Bouldin, who had 22 points, and surprise Bol Kong who made four big threes off the bench. The Deacs were also aided by a great all-around performance by Ish Smith, who led Wake Forest in rebounds (9), assists (8), steals (1) and blocks (1)
Wake Forest has exam week off and will face the Elon Phoenix next Sunday.
