How a Pair of Deacs Stepped Up In Wake Forest's Win Over Virginia Tech
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The 13-day losing streak that started after Wake Forest's crushing defeat to Vanderbilt has ended. The Demon Deacons came out victorious over the Virginia Tech Hokies at the Joel on Saturday. This makes the Deacs 10-5 overall and 1-1 in ACC play. Nothing was easy about grinding out that first ACC win, but they were able to get it done.
The Deacs quickly jumped out to a 14-4 lead in this one. Their defense ignited their offense all game, and especially at the start. They forced 19 Virginia Tech turnovers and scored 19 points off those forced turnovers. The three-point shot was again not falling for Wake, shooting 29% from three, but they capitalized around the rim, shooting 14-17 in layups and dunks, a much higher percentage than against NC State.
Calmese and Spillers Score Team's Final Points To Secure the Win
Two players stepped up massively for the Deacs. Nate Calmese and Tre'Von Spillers had all of Wake's final six made field goals, as well as the last four made free throws. Calmese played his best game as a Deac by far. He scored 25 points to go along with seven assists and was getting into the paint at will. He hit a clutch three-pointer with six seconds left to put Wake in front.
Spillers had been struggling against Power Five competition this season, but certainly not in this one. He had 15 points to go along with a block and two steals. Hopefully, this game can propel him to play a leading role the rest of the way through the season.
Another Demon Deacon also played some promising minutes in this one. Cooper Schwieger played most of the second half in place of Omaha Biliew, who got injured in the first half and did not return. Schwieger showed off his range, hitting both of the two threes he attempted. He also had his best rebounding game, finishing with three big offensive rebounds. This should be a confidence builder for him as well.
This win really helped steady the ship for Wake and allowed them to start the new year off right. It's always nice to get that first ACC win early. This will go down as a Quad 2 victory as Virginia Tech is flirting with an NCAA Tournament spot themselves.
What's Next for the Demon Deacons?
There is no time to rest now, though. A very strong Miami team comes to the Joel on Wednesday, and then the Deacs have big road games ahead against rivals North Carolina and Duke. This is a great step in the right direction, and hopefully the Deacs can continue to build momentum.
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Justin is a student at Wake Forest University. He is from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and aspiring finance major interested everything sports. In his freshman year, Justin completed an internship with the Wake Forest Ticketing Department where he gained some valuable insight into the sales and operations aspects of collegiate athletics. Before working with Wake Forest On SI, Justin was a contributing writer for Wake Forest’s student publication The Old Gold and Black. Currently, Justin serves as a student manager on the Wake Forest Men’s Tennis team. In his free time Justin enjoys spending time with his family and friends on the golf course and traveling.