Triangle high school basketball game of the week: Wake Forest stuns Wakefield

Alex Bass
·3 min read

Wake Forest second-year coach Greg Ackles acknowledged Friday that he’s still learning about the Cougars’ storied basketball history, which oozes from the school’s Larry C. Lindsey Gymnasium.

This season’s Wake Forest team added its own contribution to program lore Friday with a 69-63 Northern Athletic 4A Conference opening game win over Wakefield.

Wakefield’s Jamal Norris (5) drives to the basket between Wake Forest’s Jaden Valentine (0) and A.J. Smalls (5) during the first half. The Wakefield Wolverines and the Wake Forest Cougars met in a conference basketball game in Wake Forest, NC on January 14, 2022.
Wakefield’s Jamal Norris (5) drives to the basket between Wake Forest’s Jaden Valentine (0) and A.J. Smalls (5) during the first half. The Wakefield Wolverines and the Wake Forest Cougars met in a conference basketball game in Wake Forest, NC on January 14, 2022.

The outcome marked the Cougars’ first win over the rival Wolverines since December 16, 2016.

“That was a total team effort,” Ackles said. “We made mistakes. You’ve got to play hard to beat them. We fought through some things. We were able to get some timely rebounds.”

Wake Forest (10-3), which won its 10th straight game, led 21-18 after the first quarter, and maintained a lead for the remainder of the game. The Cougars’ timely rebounding set up a Nigel Lucas three-pointer that gave the Cougars their first double-digit lead (31-20) inside the second quarter’s five-minute mark.

Wake Forest held a four-point (36-32) halftime advantage thanks to a present-day reminder of a past Cougar. Cem Oztamur netted his four game points among his team’s first two second quarter baskets. The rangy, 6-foot-5 Oztamur bears a resemblance and shares a jersey number (11) with previous program standout Bryan Nieman (Class of 2002), who went on to play at N.C. State.

Nieman was a junior on the school’s last (Tri-Eight 4A) conference championship team, a group that also included 6-foot-9 classmate Eric Williams, during the 2000-01 season. Twenty years ago, Williams was named a McDonalds All-American before heading to Wake Forest University.

A reminder of that 2000-01 conference championship looms large over visiting teams. The milestone’s recognition banner is displayed on a wall squarely above the visitors’ bench. The talk Friday, though, was the host Cougars’ signature outcome.

“We beat a top five team,” Wake Forest’s Dashaun Grant said. “Somebody’s got to look. Their eyes are open now. Box out, dive on the ground for balls, just keep the defense going — energy, that’s what we go off.”

Lucas (18 points) and Grant (17) were among three Cougars in double-figures. A.J. Smalls was the other, with 12. Jaevian Alston added nine.

Wakefield (12-2) remained within striking distance much of the game. Wake Forest, though, reeled off the fourth quarter’s first seven points (five by Lucas) for a 14-point lead (57-43). Jaxon Brown made the Wolverines’ first fourth quarter field goal with 2:30 remaining.

Elijah Preddy (15 points) and Jamal Norris (10) paced the Wakefield offense. The Wolverines missed eight foul shots in the final stanza.

“They had great energy the way they pushed that ball offensively. To be honest, they just out-toughed us all night,” Wakefield coach Garrett Stevens said. “They just came up with timely shots or timely plays, and beat us to 50-50 balls and things like that.”