WINSTON-SALEM, NC — The No. 14 Wake Forest Demon Deacons (18-7, 10-4 ACC) returned home Wednesday night but suffered a tough 72-70 loss to Florida State (15-9, 6-7 ACC) in a tightly contested ACC matchup.
Game Recap
Key Performers:
- Cameron Hildreth (Senior) – 22 points, 4th straight 20+ point game
- Hunter Sallis (Senior) – 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
- Efton Reid III (Senior) – 10 rebounds, 8 points
- Tre’Von Spillers (Senior) – 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks
- Juke Harris (Freshman) – 7 rebounds off the bench
First Half Highlights
- Wake Forest goes on a 14-0 run to take a 24-13 lead.
- Hildreth scores 10 first-half points, including two clutch three-pointers.
- Reid throws down a powerful dunk to close the half with Wake Forest leading 35-21.
Second Half Summary
- Florida State starts the half on a 9-0 run, cutting the Wake Forest lead.
- Hildreth fights through contact for an and-one, restoring a double-digit lead at 47-37.
- Spillers reaches double figures for the 7th time in ACC play.
- Reid slams home a dunk with 24 seconds left, putting Wake Forest ahead 69-67.
- Florida State nails a clutch three-pointer, taking a 72-70 lead.
- Wake Forest misses potential game-winning free throws, sealing the loss.
Coach Steve Forbes’ Reaction
“That was a really bad loss. Probably the worst I’ve had here. We have nobody to blame but ourselves. We gave up 51 points in the second half. We had no urgency to defend.”
“Even with all the mistakes, we were still up two with 24 seconds left. We told our guys not to allow an open three, but we left the shooter wide open. We had a chance at the end, but we missed free throws.”
Game Stats & Takeaways
Key Stats:
- Wake Forest outscored Florida State 40-32 in the paint.
- Wake shot 47.3% from the floor, while Florida State capitalized late.
- Florida State scored 18 points in the final four minutes to complete the comeback.
Looking Ahead
The Demon Deacons will look to bounce back in their next ACC matchup as they aim to strengthen their NCAA Tournament resume.
