Share this article:
Print

Harris tossed, Wake Forest stuns No. 17 Gonzaga, 77-75

Click here for a free download of the latest Adobe Flash Player.

by Associated Press

Posted on December 5, 2009 at 6:21 PM

Updated Sunday, Dec 6 at 9:03 AM

******

SPOKANE (AP) --  C.J. Harris scored 19 points and Wake Forest upset No. 17 Gonzaga 77-75 on Saturday in a physical matchup that featured several technicals and the game-changing ejection of Gonzaga's second-leading scorer and top rebounder.

Freshman reserve Ari Stewart scored 17 for Wake Forest (5-2), which was coming off consecutive losses.

Matt Bouldin scored 22 for Gonzaga (6-2), which had won five in a row.

Gonzaga was in control 31-22 late in the first half, when a flagrant foul by freshman Elias Harris on Chas McFarland led to his ejection and a seven-point swing that brought Wake Forest back to life.

Gonzaga was leading 38-36 early in the second when Wake Forest went on a 19-3 run, including consecutive 3-pointers by Stewart.

McFarland, Wake's 7-foot center, fouled out with 5:35 left and Wake Forest leading 68-61. After a 3-pointer, Bouldin sank two free throws to cut Gonzaga's deficit to 68-66 with 4:03 left.

The teams traded baskets until Al-Farouq Aminu's stuff gave Wake Forest a 76-73 lead with just over a minute left. Gonzaga's Steven Gray missed a 3-pointer to tie and Aminu was fouled on the other end. But he missed both free throws and Gonzaga rebounded with 30 seconds left. Gray was fouled as he launched a 3-pointer with 8 seconds left.

Gray sank his first but missed the next two. Stewart rebounded and was fouled with 5.8 seconds left. He sank one for a 77-74 lead, but missed the second. Bouldin rebounded for Gonzaga but was immediately fouled to avoid a 3-point basket that would have tied the game. Bouldin made one with 3.7 seconds left and deliberately missed the second for the final score.

Gonzaga appeared to be coasting in the first when C.J. Harris was fouled by Bouldin while shooting a 3-pointer. Harris hit McFarland in the throat with an elbow as the two were fighting for rebounding position. McFarland was knocked to the ground, but stayed in the game. Harris - Gonzaga's second-leading scorer at 14 points per game and leading rebounder at eight - was ejected for the flagrant foul.

Harris made four of the five free throws to cut Gonzaga's lead to 31-26 with just over two minutes left. Wake Forest also got possession back, and Stewart sank a 3-pointer to complete a seven-point swing.

Stewart's long 3-pointer at the buzzer gave Wake Forest a 34-33 halftime lead.

Gonzaga is 65-4 in the McCarthey Athletic Center since the building opened in 2004. They had to rally from a 15-point deficit to beat Washington State at home earlier this week.

This is the first meeting between the teams, who have signed to play four times. This is only Wake Forest's second game in the state of Washington. They beat Washington in 1977.

Gonzaga is 10-5 versus ACC teams.

Share this article:
Print

To add a comment, please register or login.

Leave your comment
1000 characters remaining

Submit

We welcome your comments on this story's topic. Off-topic comments, personal attacks, and inappropriate language may be flagged and removed, and comment privileges blocked, per our Terms of Service. Thanks for keeping the comments space respectful.

Privacy Policy

HTML is not allowed.

You have indicated this comment should be removed.

Close

The comment has been submitted for review. Thank you .

bluemax_36 said on December 5, 2009 at 9:18 PM

To say that Harris and McFarland were fighting for a rebound is, at best, charitable. I'm a long-time Gonzaga basketball fan. I watched the ESPN rerun of the violation repeatedly, and there is no mistaking that it was deliberate. As a fan, I have to say that Harris' play has been at the edge throughout the season. Coach Few needs to take clear, firm action with respect to this incident. Not to do so implies tolerance of behavior that reflects poorly on Coach Few, the Bulldog team, and Gonzaga University. A slap on the wrist will not do in this case. There needs to be a clear message that such behavior while representing Gonzaga and its community will not be tolerated.

tmcas said on December 5, 2009 at 10:05 PM

Basketball is not a soft sport. An early season loss is no big deal........just getting prepped for our March run. This team is making a statement and making it loud and clear. This isn't your old Gonzaga finesse team. These guys are not afraid to bang with the big boys. No loss is good.........but this is as close as you can get to it. Teams now recognize Gonzaga as a Big East type school.......power play around the rim and not backing down. I love it!

tb12345 said on December 7, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Big East type school. Wow cant stop laughing at that one. I used to really like Gonzaga, but more and more they are just goons. Way to go Wake Forest!

bigdogrunswild said on January 7, 2010 at 10:32 PM

Gonzaga 1 and done.