Wake Forest Strikes to 2-0 with Victory over Morehead State

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a profession night time for sophomore Juke Harris, the Wake Forest males’s basketball workforce (2-0, 0-0 ACC) secured an 81-65 victory over Morehead State (1-1, 0-0 OVC) on Friday night time inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Salisbury, N.C., native recorded new career-highs in each factors and rebounds, ending Friday’s sport with 29 factors and 9 rebounds whereas taking pictures 10-for-15 (66.7 p.c) from the sphere. Harris additionally added two steals, a block, and an help, together with a team-high three three-pointers, all of which got here within the second half.

Graduate ahead Tre’Von Spillers added 16 factors and 10 rebounds, marking the Charleston, S.C., native’s 18th profession double-double. Spillers has now totaled 261 complete rebounds as a Demon Deacon, which ranks fifth through the Steve Forbes period.

Coming off the bench, sophomore guard Sebastian Akins completed his second sport in a Wake Forest uniform with 15 factors, 5 assists and a career-high seven rebounds. The Concord, N.C., native grew to become the seventh totally different Demon Deacon to complete with a 15/7/5 statline and first since Hunter Sallis did so on Feb. 15, 2025. He additionally added a team-high three steals on the night time.

As a workforce, the Demon Deacons recorded 53 rebounds, which is tied for probably the most through the Forbes period. Additionally, the Deacs dominated the offensive glass, totaling 23 offensive rebounds, probably the most below Forbes and tied for the Twelfth-most in program historical past since offensive rebounding grew to become an official statistic (1986-87).

Defensively, Wake Forest pressured 19 turnovers, tied for the seventh most below Forbes and the second-consecutive sport with 18-or-more. Additionally, the Deacs’ 37 pressured turnovers this season ranks tied for probably the most within the ACC and tenth within the nation on the conclusion of the sport .

How It Happened

• After Morehead State jumped out to a 4-0 lead, Harris grabbed the primary factors of the sport for the Deacs on a put again layup.
  
  • The Salisbury, N.C., native added a quick break layup on the subsequent possession to tie the sport.

• The Eagles went on a fast 6-0 run to make it 10-4 with 16:31 within the first half.
• Mekhi Mason linked on a four-point play to chop the Morehead State lead down to a few.
• Spillers added his first bucket of the night time to make it 14-11 with 13:45 remaining within the half.
  • After blocking a shot on the opposite finish, Harris added a layup in transition two possessions later, chopping the deficit down to 1.

• Wake Forest went on an prolonged 17-3 run over a 5:13 time span to take an 11-point lead.
  • Following the under-12 timeout, Colvin made a pair of free throws to make it a one-point sport.
  • The Deacs took the lead for the primary time after Harris transformed an and-one off an help from Spillers.
  • Marion hit his first three-pointer of the sport on the subsequent journey down the courtroom to offer the Deacs a 21-19 lead.
  • Harris made one other putback layup to increase the result in 4.
  • Harris added one other layup on the subsequent possession to maneuver into double-figures and make it a six-point sport.
  • Calmese added a pair of free throws to make it 27-19 with 8:24 left within the half.
  • Harris transformed certainly one of his two free throw makes an attempt following a media timeout.
  • Biliew recorded his first two factors of the night time on the line to offer the Deacs a 30-19 benefit.

• Following a brief 6-1 run by Morehead State, Spillers hit a hook shot within the paint because the Deacs reclaimed an eight-point lead.
  • Akins added his first basket of the night time with an extended vary effort to place Wake Forest again up by 11 and power a timeout with 3:56 left within the first half.

• After the Morehead State timeout, Akins picked up a unfastened ball earlier than ending it on the opposite finish to increase the result in 13 factors.
• Akins hit a deep three-pointer on the buzzer to offer Wake Forest a 44-31 lead on the half.
  • Harris led all scorers with 15 factors to associate with his seven first half rebounds.

• After Morehead State reduce the lead all the way down to eight with a 7-2 run, Akins hit a step again jumper to maneuver into double figures and put Wake Forest again up by 10.
• Spillers grabbed his first factors of the second half with a ferocious, quick break dunk off the feed from Harris to make it 50-41.
  • Harris hit a three-pointer on the subsequent journey to offer the Demon Deacons a 12-point lead.
  • Spillers moved into double-figures after one other quick break dunk, giving Wake Forest a 55-41 benefit and forcing a Morehead State timeout with 15:46 remaining.

• Harris set a brand new career-high after including one other slam in transition to place the Deacs up by 16.
• Marion cut up two defenders earlier than ending on the rim to make it 59-44.
  • Harris linked on his second three-pointer of the night on the subsequent possession, extending the result in 18 factors.

• After a media timeout, Harris hit one other deep ball to carry him to 26 factors for the sport.
• After a number of offensive rebounds, Schweiger recorded his first two factors as a Demon Deacon to make it 67-49 with 9:37 left to play.
• Following an 8-0 run by the Eagles, Spillers put the Deacs again up by 12 after one other driving dunk.
• Harris added two extra from the road to make it 71-59 with 4:46 left within the sport.
• Akins and Spillers linked on an alley-oop to increase the result in 14.
• The Deacs turned protection into offense as Akins transformed on a layup after recording a steal alternatively, giving Wake Forest a 76-61 lead.
• Spillers recorded a driving layup to make it 79-63 with below a minute left within the sport.
  • Akins added one other basket to place the Demon Deacons up by 18.

• Wake Forest defeated Morehead State, 81-65.

Stats of the Game

• The Demon Deacons dominated the glass, grabbing 53 complete rebounds Friday night time and tying probably the most within the Steve Forbes period (Jan. 4, 2022 vs. Florida State).
  
  • Wake Forest additionally hauled in 23 offensive rebounds in opposition to the Eagles, probably the most below Forbes and tied for the Twelfth most in program historical past since offensive rebounds have been recorded (1986-87).
  • The second-chance alternatives have been generated throughout the board, with seven Deacs’ ending with a number of offensive rebounds, together with three with three-or-more (Cross, Marion, Spillers).

• For the second-consecutive sport to open the season, sophomore guard Juke Harris set a career-high in scoring as completed the competition with 29 factors along with a career-high 9 rebounds, one shy of his first collegiate double-double.
  • This is simply the third sport below Forbes {that a} participant completed with 29 factors and 9 rebounds, becoming a member of Andrew Carr (March 24, 2024) and Jake LaRavia (Jan. 22, 2022).
  • This marked probably the most factors by a Demon Deacon since Hunter Sallis had 30 within the in opposition to Stanford final season (1/15/2025).
  • 15 of his 29 factors got here within the first half as he helped the Deacs construct a 13-point lead going into the break.
  • This is the one hundred and twenty fifth 20-point efficiency below Forbes.

Key Moment 

• After trailing early within the sport, the Demon Deacons went on an prolonged 17-3 run over a 5:13 time span to take an 11-point lead.
  
  • The run was highlighted by eight factors from sophomore Juke Harris, together with a number of robust finishes on the rim.
  • Redshirt sophomore Marqus Marion gave the Deacs the lead for good together with his lone three-pointer of the sport with 9:56 remaining to make it 21-19.

Coach’s Comments
“I thought it was really important tonight to talk to our players after the game about the life of Lawrence Joel. You know, we wore the green shirts today to honor the military because Veterans Day is next week, and we’re not going to be here. And so I just thought it was really important for them to understand and know about the person whose name is on the building. And so we spent some time there talking about that.

“As far as the sport is anxious, I did not assume we acquired off to an excellent begin. I assumed that our turnovers have been a significant concern. I do not really feel that we defended rather well. Our offense brought about our protection points in transition. We turned them over 19 instances. I assumed we did a extremely good job of guarding the ball in opposition to their actually quick tempo. We put a whole lot of emphasis on that. We had 9 kills. We stored them out of the lane. Our points have been our offense. Our offense turned their protection into offense, after which it was arduous. It’s arduous to protect if you’re in deprived protection. But I assumed defensively we have been fairly good. 

Offensive rebounds received the sport for us. We’ve put a whole lot of emphasis on that since June. It’s one thing we actually needed to enhance on this yr with our rebound path and our crash price. We attempt to have a crash price of 75 p.c and I will not know that until tomorrow. I attempt to have a blockout price of 75 p.c, which I will not know till we watch the movie. I assumed we did a extremely good job of that. It put us in place to win. 

“I thought our decision making on the drive in the lane was not good. I thought we just made passes and weren’t there, but should have been kickouts for easy plays. The decision making in transition was not good. Now it’s been pretty good, but tonight it wasn’t. I didn’t think we were very strong with the ball off the dribble. We got stripped and ripped a lot, and we didn’t finish at the rim. We were 19-for-39 at the rim. That’s not good. And so these are things we got to get better at. 

“Juke [Harris] performed excellent. He performed nice. I imply, he was everywhere in the rebounding. He gave up a pair rebounds early. Got mad. He acquired at it. I assumed Sebastian [Akins] was actually good off the bench. I assumed he acquired going defensively, not due to his offense early. He acquired some. He had some power defensively. I assumed Marcus [Marion] had some actually good minutes for us. Jaylen Cross got here in at six rebounds in 5 minutes. Maybe a few of these have been his misses. I used to be pleased with them. Tre’Von [Spillers] had a double-double. But, we did have some guys who did not play nicely and did not present up. We want these guys to do higher. I mentioned that after the sport that we’re 2-0, and we’ll take that. We acquired some issues to work on earlier than we play a giant sport on Tuesday in Detroit in opposition to Michigan.” – head coach Steve Forbes

Up Next

Wake Forest will journey away from Winston-Salem the primary time this season for a Tuesday night impartial web site showdown with No. 7 Michigan in Detroit. 

The second sport of the Deacon-Wolverine Challenge will tip at 6:30 p.m. and air nationally on FS1.