Coming off a demoralizing blowout loss against the Duke Blue Devils last weekend, the Wake Forest men’s basketball team looked to turn a corner against the University of Pittsburgh, another ACC rival, on Tuesday. Needless to say, their hopes of returning to the win column were futile as the Panthers defeated the Demon Deacons 68-64 in overtime.
Things started as usual for the Deacs. Thanks to some quick field goals and a 3-pointer from Nate Calmese, Wake Forest took an early 7-0 lead. Even after Pitt made a slight comeback to take a 10-9 lead, the Demon Deacons kept the pedal to the metal.
Less than 10 minutes into the first half, Wake Forest took their largest lead of the game, 12 points, thanks to a converted mid-range jumper by Juke Harris. However, like in the Duke matchup last Saturday, the Deacs’ turnovers and inability to control the boards gave the Panthers a chance to establish their game.
Even with the Demon Deacons leading by six at the half, it seemed clear that Pitt was starting to find their groove. While Wake Forest maintained a lead for the better part of the half, the Panthers kept their nose to the grindstone and battled all the way to the end. With just over 90 seconds left in the contest and Wake Forest holding a serviceable 4-point lead, the Pitt offense bore down and created enough chaos to force overtime.
“I thought [Pitt] played a lot more aggressive in the second half,” Coach Steve Forbes said following the game. “They had a better pace on offense. They got on us on the glass. They turned us over. Those were big plays for them.”
While the Deacons held their own for the majority of the last five minutes, costly mistakes on defense and questionable shot decisions led to their downfall.
Wake Forest is all too familiar with their other major issue in the matchup: offensive rebounds. Because most ACC teams outsize Wake Forest, garnering those extra boards is far more challenging for this small squad – a problem evident on Tuesday. The Demon Deacons allowed the Panthers to snag 16 offensive rebounds, including eight from freshman Roman Siulepa, contrary to Wake Forest’s total of nine.
“I knew coming into the game, offensive rebounding was going to be an issue, because it’s been an issue for us all year long,” Forbes said. “It’s disappointing to go on the road and have almost half their points come from second chances and on turnovers.”
Even the most brutal Demon Deacon losses of this season have included some bright spots to write home about. But not from this game. The offense was sloppy. The defense was mediocre. And the competition fans saw in years past was missing.
Wake Forest’s current track is concerning. If things don’t resolve in the near future, a change in management could be on the horizon.
