Long-Range Win for Wake Forest

Third-ranked Wake Forest broke the ice Sunday after a preseason filled with high rankings and hype.

“My biggest challenge has been keeping these guys’ minds sharp--I don’t think I’ve done a very good job of it,” Wake Forest Coach Dave Odom said, after his team’s 92-63 season-opening victory over Virginia Military Institute at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Jerry Braswell made a career-high five three-pointers as Wake Forest, with VMI (1-1) packing a variety of zones around Tim Duncan, showing its outside prowess early on.

Braswell, showing no ill effects from a broken left foot sustained in September, made three consecutive long-range shots in the game’s first five minutes, and finished five for seven from behind the arc for 17 points--15 in the first half.

Duncan got going in the second half and finished with 18 points, 15 rebounds and four blocked shots.

OTHER GAMES

Chris Crawford scored a career-high 23 points before leaving with 6 1/2 minutes remaining and taller, stronger and deeper Marquette trounced Wisconsin Milwaukee, 82-55, at Milwaukee. . . . Pat Garrity scored 26 points and freshmen David Lalazarian and Keith Friel added 12 points apiece to lead Notre Dame to a 73-66 victory over Monmouth (N.J) in its season opener at South Bend, Ind. . . . Chad Austin scored 26 points and Brad Miller added 19 at West Lafayette, Ind., as Purdue won its season opener, 86-63, over Idaho. . . . Kwan Johnson scored 23 points, 21 in the second half for New Orleans in a 78-55 victory over Tulane in the Sugar Bowl Classic at New Orleans. . . . Marmet Williams’ put-back rebound with six seconds left gave San Jose State a 66-64 nonconference victory over St. Mary’s at Moraga. . . . Jamel Thomas scored 19 to lead Providence (2-1) to a 82-58 win over Southern Illinois (1-2) and a third-place finish in the Top of the World Classic in Fairbanks, Alaska. . . . Brandon Wharton scored 24 points and Tennessee opened its third season under Kevin O’Neill with an 85-63 victory over Morehead State (0-1) in Knoxville, Tenn.