Wake stays perfect, meets UTEP today

Teague's monster dunk highlights victory in 76 Classic

ANAHEIM, CALIF. -- Jeff Teague's elevated dunk will make the highlight reels, but Wake Forest made the more routine shots necessary down the stretch to continue their perfect start.

Harvey Hale had a key rebound and made four free throws in the final 24.8 seconds as Wake (4-0) held off Cal State Fullerton, 75-69, in the 76 Classic at the Anaheim Convention Center on Thursday, setting up today's semifinal matchup against UTEP.

Teague gave Wake a 15-point lead, 48-33, on a reserve layup with 14:42 remaining, but Fullerton, relying on 3-point shooting, got within three points twice in the final three minutes.

The Demon Deacons put it away by making seven of 11 free throws in the final 2:50 after hitting only eight of their first 18.

"We played hard. We kept our composure," Wake coach Dino Gaudio said. "We did what we needed to do.

"Despite not shooting our free throws well, we made big ones down the stretch to keep the margin where it was."

Teague led Wake with 24 points, and Chas McFarland and Al-Faroug Aminu had 14 points apiece. James Johnson, saddled with early foul trouble, had eight points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Teague gave the Demon Deacons a 35-27 lead with 1:18 remaining in the first half when he threw down a slam over Fullerton defender Gerard Anderson, who was called for a blocking foul on the play.

"You have to go hard to the hole," Teague said. "You have to make that dunk because guys will try to block shots."

Teammates rushed to Teague, and McFarland started humming the "da-duh-da, da-duh-da" ESPN theme.

"The talent that Wake Forest has -- we won't see that again," said Fullerton coach Bob Burton, whose team is coming off a 20-win season and made the NCAA Tournament last year.

Senior guard Josh Akognon led Fullerton with 24 points, but it took him 25 shots to do it against the defense of Wake stopper L.D. Williams.