Wake Forest University
Xavier
Demon Deacons Fall at No. 17 Xavier, 69-65
12/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
CINCINNATI, Ohio - John Collins recorded his sixth-consecutive double-double, but Wake Forest fell to No. 17 Xavier 69-65 on Saturday in the sixth annual Skip Prosser Classic.
Collins recorded 12 points and led all players with 12 rebounds to tally his seventh double-double of the season.
Bryant Crawford scored a game-high 20 points and added six assists for the Demon Deacons (8-3). Brandon Childress and Sam Japhet-Mathias combined for 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench for the Deacs.
In another close game for Deacs, Collins netted a layup with 26 seconds left to bring the score within one at 66-65. Wake Forest's upset bid of the 17th-ranked Musketeers (9-2) fell short as Xavier sealed the game from the free throw line. Trevon Bluiett went 3-for-4 at the charity stripe in the closing seconds to cap the four-point victory.
Xavier jumped to an early 13-6 lead in the first half, but the Demon Deacons climbed back into the contest as an Austin Arians 3-pointer with 12:27 remaining in the first half evened the score 15-all. The two teams battled through much of the first half and Wake Forest was able to take a slim 38-37 margin into halftime.
The Deacs were unable to put away Xavier in the second half due to a cold half of shooting. After shooting 42.9 percent (15-of-35) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, Wake Forest shot 29.4 percent from the field (10-of-34) to close the game. For the game, the Demon Deacons shot 36.2 percent from the field, their second-lowest field goal percentage of the season.
Wake Forest dominated the offensive glass, outrebounding Xavier 15-6 on the offensive side of the ball. The Deacs also held statistical advantages in assists (15-12), steals (10-8) and turned the ball over less (15-10).
The Demon Deacons return to action Thursday, Dec. 22 against LSU. Tip-off is set for 9 p.m. at LJVM Coliseum and the game can be watched on ESPNU.
