Moore's double-double leads Wake Forest past Army 109-80 (Dec 08, 2017)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Wake Forest is finally streaking in the right direction this season.
Doral Moore scored a career-high 20 points and added 11 rebounds, and the Demon Deacons beat Army 109-80 on Friday night.
Keyshawn Woods added 22 points, Brandon Childress finished with a career-best 17 and Mitchell Wilbekin's 17 points matched a career high.
The Demon Deacons (6-4) won their fifth straight, matching their longest winning streak in four seasons under Danny Manning. It's a significant reversal for an NCAA Tournament team from last season that opened this year with three consecutive - and surprising - losses.
''This is definitely a win that you feel good about, but we still have to continue to work to get better,'' Manning said.
Wake Forest used a 30-6 run in which it scored 14 straight points in about 90 seconds to break the game open, after Army closed to 73-68 midway through the second half on Alex King's free throw.
Jordan Fox had 21 points, and Matthew Wilson and King added 14 each for the Black Knights (5-4).
Terrence Thompson added 12 points and Bryant Crawford scored 11, reaching double figures for the 35th straight game.
BIG PICTURE
Army: The Black Knights are midway through a difficult eight-game stretch without a home game, and won't play at West Point again until January. They shot 43 percent and hit 13 3-pointers - 10 in the first half - but didn't have an answer inside for Moore.
''We wanted to keep them out of the paint as much as we possibly could. We were worried about their ability to get to the basket, specifically their big guys around the rim,'' Army coach Jimmy Allen said. ''We played a couple of possessions of zone which kind of threw them a little bit. Once they got comfortable in the zone, that became the difference in the game. They got comfortable and they started knocking down some shots, and they were able to beat us on the glass.''
Wake Forest: That 0-3 start to the season is starting to seem like a distant memory to the Demon Deacons, who have picked up three lopsided victories - over Richmond, Charlotte and now Army - in a seven-day span. According to the school, 43 teams in Division I lost their first three games and Wake Forest is one of only four presently with a winning record.
KEY STATS
Wake Forest is shooting nearly 55 percent overall and hitting nearly 44 percent of its 3-pointers during its five-game winning streak. ... The Demon Deacons' 21 assists were a season high. Crawford had nine, matching a season best, while Childress finished one shy of a career high with eight.
ON THE GLASS
Wake Forest held a 43-27 rebounding advantage - a lopsided figure reminiscent of when current Atlanta Hawks rookie John Collins was in the lane a year ago. ''This is the first time we rebounded as a team - we gang-rebounded,'' Manning said.
HANGING A HUNDRED
Wake Forest's 109 points were a season high, and this was the first time this season the Demon Deacons have cracked the century mark. Their 50 points in the first half were their most in any half all season - until they scored 59 in the second half. It was the second-highest-scoring game for them under Manning, finishing one shy of the 110 they scored against LSU last season.
UP NEXT
Army: Plays at St. Francis (N.Y.) on Tuesday night.
Wake Forest: After a nine-day break for final exams, the Demon Deacons play at Coastal Carolina on Dec. 18.
