Wake Forest Keeps the Season Alive, Captures Big Overtime Victory
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In a game where the ACC's Most Improved Player, Juke Harris, only scored 10 points and shot 3-18 from the floor, you would probably expect Wake Forest not to fare well. However, seven Demon Deacons scored in double figures to propel the Deacs to a thrilling victory.
Forty minutes were not enough to decide this one. Wake Forest held a four-point halftime lead, but Virginia Tech came out ready to play in the second half, and this one was back-and-forth the entire second half. Let's go through some of the keys to capturing victory for the Deacs.
Balanced Offense
Despite Juke Harris' struggles, the Deacs had their most balanced offensive game of the season, as seven Demon Deacons scored in double-figures. In fact, out of all eight players who logged minutes tonight, every one scored above seven points.
Myles Colvin led the way offensively with 18 points on an impressive 5-7 from the field. Sebastain Akins did a terrific job as tonight's starting point guard, scoring 14 points and leading the offense in clutch time.
Mekhi Mason and Tre'Von Spillers each had 13 points. Mason was 2-4 from beyond the arc, but fouled out in overtime. Spillers was a defensive anchor, in addition to his offense, notching two steals and two big blocks.
Cooper Schwieger and Juke Harris both had 10 points, while individually going 4-4 from the free throw line.
Nate Calmese finally returned from the injury he suffered against Boston College. He still struggled moving laterally with the injury, but scored 10 points on a perfect 4-4 shooting in just 14 minutes of gametime. His offensive abilities are definitely an advantage for this team.
Coming up Clutch in Overtime
The Demon Deacons have had some rough close calls this season. They were 0-2 in games that went to overtime going into the matchup, which included a heartbreaking loss against Michigan. However, Wake made plays when it mattered most with their season on the line in this one.
Myles Colvin led the way in OT. He scored a quick two and then knocked down a transition three to take a five-point lead right away in overtime. He also made two clutch free throws to help ice it away, finishing with seven overtime points.
Despite his individual struggles, Juke Harris made a fall-away jumper with just 1:37 to go in overtime to put Wake up three.
Sebastian Akins matched Colvin with seven points in overtime. With 57 seconds to go, Akins hit a runner in the lane while getting fouled. He also made the free throw to cap off the three-point play and put Wake Forest up by two possessions.
After having so many close calls this season, it was great to see this team come up clutch at the end with everything on the line. It was even more satisfying to see big plays coming from so many different guys. This really felt like it embodied the "strength in numbers" mantra that Steve Forbes unveiled for this team at ACC Media Days in October, and it came at exactly the right moment.
What's Next?
As is the case with all these conference tournaments, the Deacs have a tight turnaround. They will play the #5-seeded Clemson Tigers tomorrow at 9:30 p.m. The game will cap off day two of the ACC Tournament in Charlotte. Let's see if Wake can keep the momentum going and go on a run in Charlotte.
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.