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This was a late game, and I really don’t have anything to good to say about what we just watched, so this one is going to be pretty quick. The Deacs were absolutely outclassed on their home court by the SMU Mustangs, who dominated Wake to the tune of 91-79. The final score really doesn’t even show how bad this one was—SMU didn’t score in the final 2:42 of the game after taking out their starters, while Wake finished on 8-0 run because Juke Harris and Tre’Von Spillers were still in the game.
To me, this game really changed on a sequence with about 3 minutes left in the first half. With Wake trailing by 5 points, BJ Edwards stole a Myles Colvin pass, while at the same time running into Nate Calmese, injuring him. Edwards hit a 3-pointer to give SMU an 8 point lead, and Calmese had to exit the game. Calmese did return in the second half, but it seemed pretty clear that he was not 100%—he finished the second half 0-2 and did not score in 12 minutes.
Even with a hindered Calmese, the Wake Forest offense was not the problem in this game. The Deacs finished the game with 79 points and assisted on 20 of their 28 made baskets, they outscored SMU in the paint 32 to 24, and they only turned the ball over 11 times. It was the defensive end that lost Wake this game—the Deacs simply could not get a stop when they needed it. The Mustangs finished the game shooting 50% from the floor, 50% from beyond the arc, and outrebounded Wake 40-28. The Deacs continued to play the aggressive trapping defense they have used all season, and it just doesn’t work against teams like SMU, Vandy, or Oklahoma that pass the ball well and have a ton of shooters on the roster. Every time Wake doubled on a ball screen, in the post, or helping in the gap on a drive, the Mustangs found an open man and ended up with a layup or a wide open 3-pointer.
SMU finished the game with 23 assists and had 8 players make at least 1 3-pointer. Wake is undersized in the front court so they kind of have to play more…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/wake-forest-blown-home-smu-073939311.html
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Publish date : 2026-01-21 07:39:00
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