Entering today’s game on a five-game losing streak, Wake Forest Men’s Basketball was looking to turn its season around by stacking wins. Wake Forest faced the Louisville Cardinals, one of the top teams in the ACC and the country’s No. 24 team. The Demon Deacons knew they needed an all-around performance to change the trajectory of their season.
Not too long after the game tipped off, the Deacons fell into an early 10-point hole thanks to offensive stagnation. What could have turned into a blowout early was mitigated as Wake kept the Louisville lead at around 10 for the majority of the first half. The first half ended with Louisville leading by a score of 43-34.
However, the Deacons made some much-needed adjustments in the second half, crawling back into the game with their improved defense and increased intensity. At one point, the Cardinals led 54-39 early in the second half. Despite the lead, Louisville struggled to stop Wake Forest’s offense, specifically star forward Juke Harris, who finished the game with 25 points and 11 rebounds. Fellow forward Omaha Biliew added 14 points on efficient shooting.
With 5:19 remaining in the game, Juke Harris converted a huge 3-point play that tied the game at 78. In the final four minutes, when they needed baskets the most, Wake mightily struggled on offense, missing their last 11 shots. The team’s inability to close games reared its ugly head once again. Unfortunately, the loss of clutch shot-making point guard Nate Calmese takes away the threat of a second scorer, making it harder to get good shots in crunch time.
The efforts of Louisville cannot be ignored. Second-year coach Pat Kelsey is building something special in Kentucky. The Cardinals had six players finish with double-digit scoring games, including junior forward from Berlin, Sananda Fru, who scored 17. J’Vonne Hadley also added 15 points, with Khani Rooths giving 13 points off the bench.
Despite today’s loss, the Deacons competed quite well across many important categories. They matched Louisville in the number of rebounds and forced more turnovers. The biggest difference was shooting percentage, with Louisville shooting 53% from the field and 40% from three, compared with Wake’s 43% and 32%.
The Deacons now fall to 11-12 on the season and just 2-8 in ACC play, tied for second-to-last in the conference. Many fans have blamed head coach Steve Forbes, who has struggled to help the Deacons close out games and secure tight wins this season. While many question if Forbes is the right man for the job, he has dealt with a lot of adversity this season with a tough schedule in a really competitive ACC.
Wake’s next game is away at Georgia Tech this Wednesday, Feb. 11. The Yellow Jackets are tied for second-to-last in the conference with the Deacons, making this game a great opportunity for a bounce-back win after a tough losing skid. If the Demon Deacons look to compete in the ACC tournament and continue further, they will need to start stacking wins this Wednesday.
