Men’s Basketball Suffers Upset at the Hands of Wake Forest

January 9, 1999

By PETE IACOBELLI AP Sports Writer

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) – Robert O’Kelley scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half and Wake Forest’s young players held on through a wild final minute to defeat No. 21 Clemson 64-61 Saturday.

The Tigers cut an eight-point lead to 60-59 with 26.9 seconds left. But Wake’s Craig Dawson – one of four freshman on the floor in crunch time – made four free throws to seal the victory for the Demon Deacons (11-4, 2-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).

Terrell McIntyre, who had a game-high 24 points, front-rimmed a 40-footer at the buzzer for Clemson (12-4, 1-2).

O’Kelley, a sophomore, was wild and inconsistent in the first half, going 1-of-6 from the field. But he got better after the break with four 3-pointers, including a four-point play.

O’Kelley’s first two 3s got the lead back for Wake Forest. His third came as he made a shot while Johnny Miller fouled him.

O’Kelly’s free throw put the Deacons ahead 38-33 with 12:18 to go. Then the game turned crazy.

Wake Forest never led by more than five points down the stretch and looked ready to fold when O’Kelley and Darius Songaila, the team’s top two scorers, fouled out in the last minute.

Freshman Ervin Murray hit a 3-pointer, Wake’s fifth of the half, after Clemson’s Andrius Jurkunas cut the lead to 52-50 with a long-distance basket.

Darius Songaila converted a pass from O’Kelley, in the point guard’s only assist of the game, for a 59-54 lead with 1:17 remaining.

In the closing moments, freshman Josh Shoemaker made one of two foul shots and Dawson swished through the next four to give Wake Forest its second straight victory after consecutive losses to Arkansas and Utah.

Neither team got much going in the first half. Wake Forest’s top two scorers, O’Kelley and Songaila, were a combined 2-of-8 for four points.

Clemson’s Harold Jamison, who has averaged 17 points the past five games, got two early fouls and had only two baskets.

The Tigers broke loose from a 16-16 tie on Jurkunas’ five points and led 25-19.

The Deacons shot horribly during a 1-of-7 stretch that lasted almost seven minutes. Dawson’s 3-pointer ended the streak and cut Clemson’s lead to 25-22 at the half.