Wake Forest's Rally Falls Short at Petersen Events Center
In a closely contested matchup, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons faced a narrow defeat against the Pittsburgh Panthers with a final score of 72-77. The Demon Deacons now stand with an additional loss to their record, while the Panthers add another victory. Despite a strong first half lead by Wake Forest at 37-27, the Panthers surged in the second half to outscore them 50-35.
The game was held at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh, where 7,769 fans witnessed an intense battle that saw seven ties and only one lead change throughout its duration. The Demon Deacons showed resilience and determination but ultimately could not maintain their first-half momentum against a surging home team.
Wake Forest demonstrated efficient shooting from inside the arc with an impressive 58 percent on two-point attempts. Their overall field goal percentage stood at 47 percent as they made 28 out of their total 60 attempts from the field. From beyond the arc, however, they struggled slightly with just six three-pointers made from twenty-two attempts resulting in a modest three-point percentage of 27 percent.
Free throws were one area where Wake Forest excelled; they capitalized on these opportunities by sinking ten out of twelve shots for an excellent free throw percentage of approximately 83 percent. In terms of ball movement and creating scoring opportunities, Wake Forest managed nine assists over the course of play.
Defensively speaking, Wake Forest was active around the rim with five blocks and four steals contributing to their defensive efforts. They also dominated on rebounds pulling down thirty-five compared to Pittsburgh's twenty-nine which included securing nine offensive boards leading to nine second-chance points.
However, turnovers proved costly for Wake Forest as they gave up possession fifteen times which allowed Pittsburgh to score fourteen points off those turnovers. Additionally, despite having more personal fouls than Pittsburgh (19 compared to Pitt's fourteen), only one player was fouled out during this intense conference game.
Looking ahead for fans of The Demon Deacons is another chance for victory when they host Syracuse Orange at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem on February third at seven forty-five PM Eastern Time. This upcoming game will be broadcast nationally on The CW network where supporters can tune in and cheer for their team as they seek redemption after this hard-fought contest.