Wake Forest’s exhibition finale had a little bit of everything Thursday night: a strong early push, a second-half climb, and just enough momentum late to make South Carolina sweat before the Gamecocks closed the door on a 78-69 win at the Rock Hill Sports & Event Center.
The Demon Deacons never quit on the night. Down 16 with less than five minutes left, they ripped off an 11-0 run and cut the margin to five in the final three minutes.
That burst came on the back of turnovers, transition chances and a defense that finally started to force the issue. But South Carolina steadied itself in time to finish off the exhibition victory.
Wake Forest now turns to the regular season, opening Monday, Nov. 2 against Maryland Eastern Shore at LJVM Coliseum.
Even in defeat, the Deacs had plenty working in their favor. They scored 36 points in the paint, piled up 30 fast-break points and came away with nine steals. Wake Forest also shot 42.6 percent from the field, making 23 of 54 attempts.
Gavin Placide led the way with 21 points, and he did it with a clean sheet from the floor: 6 of 6 shooting. He also added four rebounds, two steals and a block.
Justin Ray finished with 14 points on 5 of 10 shooting and hit two threes. Lukas Bojovic added eight points and two steals, while Isaac Carr and Gallagher Placide scored seven apiece.
Gallagher also contributed two steals and two blocks. Across Wake Forest’s two exhibition games, the Placide twins combined for 55 points.
Wake Forest came out with energy and a quick rhythm. Ray opened the scoring with a fast-break jumper, and after a pair of Gavin Placide free throws and a Ray three-pointer, the Deacs had a 7-4 lead. Ray added two more free throws, Antonio Dorn finished inside, and Wake Forest moved ahead 11-8.
South Carolina answered with a 9-0 run to take control, but Wake Forest kept punching back. Kennedy responded with a driving layup, then Gavin Placide scored inside and followed with a dunk. Ray then buried a transition three to pull the Deacs within 22-21 with 6:44 left in the first half.
The Gamecocks nudged the margin back to five, but Wake Forest stayed close. Kennedy finished a layup, Dorn hit free throws and Nyeri scored inside to get the Deacs within one at 28-27. The teams traded baskets the rest of the way, until South Carolina closed the half with four straight free throws for a 39-34 lead.
Ray was the hottest scorer on the floor through 20 minutes, putting up 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting with two threes. Gavin Placide was perfect in the half, going 3 for 3 for 10 points.
South Carolina came out of the break with a quick strike, drilling back-to-back threes to stretch the lead to 45-34. Wake Forest answered through Gavin Placide, who converted two free throws after a turnover and then finished a fast-break dunk to trim the gap to seven.
Bojovic then settled in, knocking down a pull-up jumper and two free throws to make it 50-42 with a little more than 15 minutes left. The Gamecocks pushed the lead to 17 midway through the second half, but six quick points from Carr and Placide kept Wake Forest within striking distance.
The late rally began with Wake Forest still down 16 and under five minutes to play. Gavin Placide split two free throws, then Bojovic jumped a South Carolina pass and scored in transition to make it 69-56 with 4:33 left.
After the Gamecocks answered with a three, Bojovic hit two free throws. Carr followed with a driving layup, and Gallagher Placide converted a turnover into a fast-break basket to cut it to 72-62 with 3:02 remaining.
Then came the biggest push of the night. Carr picked off a Necas pass, Gallagher Placide finished a layup and added the free throw, and Wake Forest was suddenly within seven at 72-65. Moments later, Gallagher Placide stole the ball again and dunked it home to finish the 11-0 surge, forcing a South Carolina timeout with 2:48 left.
That was as close as the Deacs would get.
“We have to do a better job of playing through physicality.”
In Other News...
Wake Forest Awaits Two Crucial Injury Decisions Before Game Day
Wake Forest heads into game day with a couple of important injury situations still hanging over the roster, as wide receiver Carlos Hernandez and EDGE Langston Hardy are both listed as questionable. Hernandezs status matters because he was hurt in the middle of the Akron game, while Hardy has been working through a knee issue after being seen with a small brace on his left knee against NC State. Defensive tackle Kadear Demebele is listed as probable, but Tyler Walton and Jack Hines remain unavailable.
For a Demon Deacons team trying to manage its depth on both sides of the ball, those late-week decisions could shape how the staff approaches the matchup. Cal has its own uncertainty, with quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele and safety Kingston Lopa questionable but trending toward availability after concussions, and running back Adam Mohammed also in question after missing two games, so both sides are waiting on a few key health updates before Saturday settles in. [Read more 🡒]