Big run in second half sends Wake Forest past App State, into second round of NIT
Wake Forest is heading to the second round of the NIT Tournament.
The Demon Deacons put on a furious second-half kick to beat Appalachian State 87-76 Wednesday at home.
“I thought we got off to a really great start,” Wake Forest coach Steve Forbes said. “I thought we showed great toughness and resiliency for the entire game. We led wire-to-wire. They made a couple runs but we answered right back.”
It was the 22nd meeting between the schools that are just 89 miles apart. Wake Forest improved to 22-0 all-time in the series.
App State (27-7) trailed by as many as 13 in the first half and was down nine at halftime.
“They made a bunch of plays,” App State coach Dustin Kerns said. “And credit them. They executed. We had a tough time defending them and their players made big shots.”
In the second half, though, the Mountaineers made a game of it. They got some transition baskets and a big 3-pointer from former Davidson Day star C.J. Huntley to trim the lead to 1 with just over 13 minutes to play.
But after that, it was all Wake Forest, which got 83 points from four players — redshirt sophomore Kevin Miller, who had a career-high 31 points, Cameron Hildreth (19), Efton Reid (17) and All-ACC first-team guard Hunter Sallis (16).
“I was proud of them,” Forbes said. “(App State) made a great run. The crowd was into it and we got it back under control, on defense and offense.”
Up 49-48, the Deacons (21-13) ran off on a 20-5 run, capped by deep 3-pointer from Miller. That gave Wake Forest a 68-53 lead and enough of a cushion to earn a second-round game against Georgia. That game will be played Sunday at 4 p.m. at Joel Coliseum.
Georgia (18-16) beat Wake Forest 80-77, in Athens, back in November.
“You realize how long ago that game was,” Forbes said. “The next day, Ole Miss played Georgia in football. We’re just a different team. We weren’t in a good place at that point. They beat us....I think we need to keep doing the things we’re doing: defend, play hard, share the ball. Pretty simple game sometimes when you do those kinds of things.”
Three Who Mattered
Kevin Miller, Wake Forest: Miller was 9-of-14 from the field, 3 of 5 from 3-point range, and he made all 10 of his free throws en route to the 31 points. He had three assists, two rebounds and two steals as well.
Efton Reid, Wake Forest: Reid finished with 17 points and a game-high 12 rebounds, plus three assists.
Terence Harcum, Appalachian State: Harcum, a junior guard, led the Mountaineers with 14 points. He also had three rebounds and three assists. Teammate Tre’Von Spiller had a double-double (12 points, 10 rebounds).
Notes
▪ Wake Forest made its second postseason appearance under coach Steve Forbes, in his fourth season. The Deacons made it to the quarterfinals of the NIT in 2022.
▪ Second round NIT games will be played Saturday and Sunday. Quarterfinals are March 26-27. ESPN and ESPN2 will televise the semifinals at 7 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on April 2. The championship game will air on ESPN at 7 p.m. on April 4.
▪ Wake Forest improved to 48-6 at home since the start of the 2021-22 season. In the current season, the Deacons are 17-1 at home. That’s the most single-season home wins for the Deacons since the 2021-22 season when Wake Forest was 18-2.
▪ App State made its second NIT appearance and its first since 2007. The Mountaineers are 2-7 all-time in postseason play.
▪ App State attempted eight free throws, compared to 31 for Wake Forest.
“I expected to play in the NIT and it not feel like a guarantee game, but it felt like one,” Kerns said, “and I’m not afraid to say that. Thirty one free throws to eight. I’m just disappointed because our guys had a special season. I thought we earned the opportunity to be on this floor, but (the officials will) have to be evaluated. Maybe there’s a reason why they’re officiating in the NIT instead of the NCAA Tournament.”
▪ The Mountaineers’ 27 wins is a new program record. App State clinched an outright league title for the first time in 45 years, with a school-record 16 Sun Belt conference wins.
▪ Wednesday was the final game for App State’s Donovan Gregory, a fifth-year guard from Charlotte who won a state championship at Carmel Christian School in Matthews. Gregory, the all-time winningest player in program history, finished with 10 points, three rebounds and two assists on 3-of-8 shooting.
They said it
“We talked about playing in April. Nobody said anything about not playing (in the NIT). That wasn’t even in the plan. These guys want to play. We want to coach. They don’t want the season to be over. I didn’t have to motivate them. They’re good players. They want to play.” — Wake Forest’s Forbes on getting his team ready for the NIT after not making the NCAA Tournament.
