Wake Forest Basketball Runs Past Charleston Southern at Home
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The Wake Forest Demon Deacons raced out in front of Charleston Southern on Tuesday night at the Joel and were able to retain control throughout the game. The Deacs had five guys score in double figures.
The freshman twins, Gallagher and Gavin Placide, combined to score 26 points and grab 16 boards. Guard Kevair Kennedy had 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting, along with two assists. Isaac Carr chipped in with 15 as well in what was a nice rebound game for him after Vanderbilt. Jamari McDowell continues to get up to speed, as he scored 11 points.
Let's get into some big things that stuck out from this one:
Improved Shooting
One of the key factors behind the Deacs' success was their ability to shoot from three significantly better than they did against Vanderbilt. The volume improved, and they had a lot more guys step up and hit shots from behind the arc. Wake shot 39% from beyond the arc as a team, making ten threes.
These ten threes were made by seven Wake players, which is a good sign that multiple guys can get involved from beyond the arc. The Placide brothers combined to go 4-for-5 from the three-point line. This is something that would be a big boost to the team going forward in stretching the floor on opposing defenses.
.@Gav1placide steal ➡️ @KevairKennedy bucket 🪣 pic.twitter.com/5kW2rUtw28
— Wake Forest Men's Basketball (@WakeMBB) November 11, 2026
Creating Chaos
Similar to the Deacs' first home game against Maryland Eastern Shore, Wake was able to create havoc defensively and force turnovers. They forced 23 turnovers tonight and had a very impressive 31 points off turnovers. The Deacs were certainly able to take advantage of the Buccaneers' mistakes.
Of these turnovers, 12 of them were steals that Wake forced defensively, again showing the activity of the guards in creating ball pressure. On the interior, the Deacs blocked three shots, which is similar to the strong rim defense we have seen so far. The Deacs' defense has certainly been impressive through three games and is something positive to watch going forward.
What's Next?
This win kicked off the Deacs' four-game homestand. They will be back in action at the Joel on Saturday at 4 pm against Southern Utah. This is a nice, softer stretch in Wake's schedule where they get to make adjustments and work out some kinks before traveling to the Bahamas over Thanksgiving to play in the Battle 4 Atlantis. Hopefully, these next couple of games will allow Wake to round into form even further as they look to capture some key non-conference victories later on.
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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.