After a disappointing close loss against No. 6 Michigan earlier this week, it was clear from the jump that the Demon Deacons were determined to get back on track this Sunday at home against UMass Lowell.
The first half ended with Wake leading 48-38, with Tre’Von Spillers leading the Demon Deacons. To close out the half, Purdue transfer Myles Colvin nailed a shot from beyond half court as time expired, giving the team extra momentum going into the half. However, UMass Lowell was able to hold their own against the heavily favored Wake Forest.
After the start of the second half, the Demon Deacons extended their lead up to 13 before going on an 18-0 run, blowing the game open. The run was led by Washington State transfer Nate Calmese, who scored 10 during the outbreak. With just under 13 minutes left in the game, the Demon Deacons now had a commanding 76-45 lead.
“A lot of guys had good games,” Coach Steve Forbes said. “I thought Nate played a really good floor game. He had 15 points, seven assists, and no turnovers.”
Wake Forest eventually finished the job and won by a final score of 109-75, which included a whopping 61 points in the second half. Returning players Juke Harris and Tre’Von Spillers led the team in scoring with 21 points each on very efficient shooting. Double-digit scoring games from Colvin, Calmese and Omaha Biliew helped the cause. UMass Lowell was led by JJ Massaquoi, a freshman guard who scored 26 points off the bench for the River Hawks.
“We played the right way offensively,” coach Steve Forbes said. “We shot the three well. We shot free throws well. When we do that, we’re going to be a pretty good team.”
The stat that stood out for the Demon Deacons was the four fast break points allowed, a great improvement from their last game in which they gave up 23. They outscored the River Hawks in this category by 13 points. In addition, Wake Forest was significantly better at rebounding the ball, limiting UMass Lowell to 30 rebounds as opposed to the 50 surrendered to Michigan. Limiting the second-chance points and fast-break points was the key to success for the Deacons.
Wake Forest will look to carry their momentum to Thursday in the Bahamas, where they will play No. 11 Texas Tech. They will seek to stop National Player of the Year candidate JT Toppin and star sophomore Christian Anderson.
