WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP)—Trent Strickland waited three years for this.
The senior scored a career-high 25 points to lead No. 24 Wake Forest past Appalachian State 91-78 on Friday night, the latest sign that the career reserve is blossoming into his role as a go-to guy for the Demon Deacons.
Strickland went 8-for-11 from the field and hit all seven free throws as the Demon Deacons (5-1) extended the nation’s fifth-longest home winning streak with their 20th straight victory. Justin Gray added 19 points, helping his team win its 50th nonconference home game in 51 tries and remain unbeaten against the Mountaineers (2-1).
Strickland did a little of everything, finishing with three rebounds and two assists while knocking down a pair of 3-pointers in 36 energy-filled minutes— a far cry from the days of spending more minutes sitting next to coach Skip Prosser than playing for him.
It’s a welcome sight for a team that has to replace a trio of talented seniors and all-American point guard Chris Paul from last season.
“I think he knew once Chris left and we lost all those other guys, he had to step to the forefront,” Gray said. “He knew we were counting on him stepping up to the challenge and playing well for us.”
Strickland, an athletic 6-foot-5 swingman, averaged 5.5 points and started just eight of 92 career games in his first three seasons. But he came into Friday averaging 16.4 points and 10 rebounds, including a 16-point, 16-rebound effort in the double-overtime win against Texas Tech.
“I couldn’t ask for much more from Trent Strickland right now,” Prosser said.
Strickland hit his first seven shots against the Mountaineers, the last a 3-pointer that bounced high in the air off the rim and dropped in for a 69-52 lead with 12:45 left in the game. He even spent time chasing D.J. Thompson, Appalachian State’s 5-foot-8 point guard, who came in averaging 25 points.
Strickland—the son of two preachers—credited his improved study of the game and a change in priorities for his better play.
“I was putting basketball and everything else before God, and when you do that, God’s not going to reward you like you want to be rewarded,” Strickland said. “I really truly believe in my heart that’s the reason I’m playing so well.
“You have to mature and that’s what I’ve been trying to do. I probably have studied the game more this year than I ever did.”
Wake Forest had won the previous 18 meetings by an average margin of 22 points, and it appeared that form would hold. The Demon Deacons shot 64 percent to build a 16-point halftime lead and led by 21 shortly after the break, but they couldn’t put away the pesky Mountaineers until the final 5 minutes.
A big reason why was Thompson, who scored several baskets by beating defenders in transition or off the dribble and hit five 3-pointers. He finished with 20 points, five rebounds and six assists.
Unlike Strickland, Thompson didn’t get a lot of help from his teammates. Both P.L. Henderson and Nathan Cranford scored only three of 11 points after the break, while Eduardo Bermudez finished with 10.
Meanwhile, Gray also had eight assists and his own 10-0 run in the first half that restored a double-digit lead. Eric Williams had 14 points and 10 rebounds, and Kyle Visser added 11 points and nine boards.
“We didn’t give up,” Thompson said. “Nobody gave up and we kept playing hard. We were just trying to keep it close.”
Wake Forest controlled the first 20 minutes with its offense, but failed to put the game away early due to poor free-throw shooting and spotty defense. The Demon Deacons shot just 11-for-20 from the line and allowed the Mountaineers to score on nine of 12 possessions midway through the half, cutting an 11-point deficit to 30-28 on a free throw by Henderson.
With his team leading by five, Gray single-handedly increased the lead with his 90-second, 10-point run. He knocked down a pair of jumpers and a 3-pointer, then closed with a pull-up 3 in transition after a turnover for a 45-30 lead with 3:53 left in the half.
That lead grew to 64-43 on an inside score from Williams, but the Mountaineers kept chipping away. They got as close as 80-70 on a pair of free throws from Thompson, but Wake Forest answered with two free throws from Strickland and a 3-pointer from Harvey Hale that pushed the margin back to 15 with 3 1/2 minutes left.
