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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) -- This wasn't what Wake Forest coach
Skip Prosser had in mind headed into the bulk of the Atlantic Coast
Conference schedule.
Darius Songaila had 19 points and Josh Howard added 16 to lead
Wake Forest (No. 24 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP)to a 67-52 victory over Richmond on Wednesday
night, but the Demon Deacons turned the ball over 21 times and had
their coach slamming water cups to the floor.
"It gets frustrating because sometimes we don't play
aggressively and we don't play confidently," said Prosser, whose
team plays nine of its next 10 games in the ACC. "We're just going
to keep playing and trying to find the guys who won't throw the
ball to the other guys."
Songaila scored 15 points in the first half and Howard had 10 in
the second as Wake Forest (10-3) improved to 8-0 at home this
season. The Demon Deacons have won five of six and 23 straight at
home against nonconference opponents.
Richmond (6-7), which has lost six of nine, took 34 of its 66
shots from 3-point range. The Spiders made just six from beyond the
arc and shot less than 40 percent (30) from the field for the
seventh time this season.
"This (poor shooting) has plagued us all year long," Richmond
coach John Beilein said. "We just can't seem to put the ball in
the basket. I thought we got good looks, but the shots just
wouldn't fall."
Reggie Brown led Richmond with 19 points and Scott Ungerer added
12.
Wake Forest opened with an 8-2 run, but didn't find its rhythm
until late in the first half.
The Demon Deacons had seven turnovers -- most on weak passes -- in
the first 10 minutes, including one pass by Howard that sailed two
rows into the crowd. Prosser became so frustrated at one point that
he threw a cup down on the floor, delaying the game for nearly a
minute as the ice cubes were cleaned up.
Richmond used a 14-4 run to take a 23-19 lead midway through the
first half, but Songaila had seven straight points during a 15-3
run that put Wake Forest up 10 with just over two minutes left. The
Demon Deacons shot 14-of-25 in taking a 42-31 halftime lead.
Prosser beat up on the water cups again early in the second half
_ slamming one into another and dropping both on the floor -- after
the Demon Deacons had five turnovers in the first six minutes.
"Maybe we're a little bit too relaxed with the ball at times,"
Songaila said. "They had that 1-3-1 defense at halfcourt and it
gave us some problems. We just couldn't seem to execute our
offense."
Songaila, who attempted six shots for the second straight game,
was 11-for-13 from the free throw line -- Wake Forest's only free
throws -- and had nine rebounds.
Howard was 7-for-13 from the field and had 12 rebounds.
Richmond cut the lead to 46-40 with 13:23 left, but Howard had a
jumper, a dunk over Tony Dobbins and a tip-in to put Wake Forest up
54-40 with 9:41 left.
"I was pleased with the way we were able to stick with them for
most of the game," Beilein said. "I thought our defense did a
good job of forcing turnovers, but it's hard to win when the shots
don't go down."
Wake Forest has won 10 straight over Richmond. | 
