Wednesday, January 7
Winston-Salem, N.C.
7 p.m.
Wake Forest University
10-6,1-2ACC
77
vs
81
Miami
13-2,2-0ACC
1
2
F
Miami (FL)
39
42
81
Wake Forest
38
39
77
Wake Forest Drops Back-and-Forth Contest Against Miami
1/7/2026 10:08:00 PM | Men's Basketball
The Deacs turn their attention to a second Big Four matchup of the season this Saturday at No. 17 North Carolina.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest men's basketball team (10-6, 1-2 ACC) dropped a home ACC contest to Miami (13-2, 2-0 ACC) on Wednesday night at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum by a final of 81-77.
Sophomore guard Juke Harris led the Demon Deacons with 28 points as he went 9-of-15 (60.0 percent) from the field, including going 4-of-8 from three-point range. The Salisbury, N.C., native also added two rebounds, an assist, three steals and a block. He has now scored 20-or-more points six times this season.
Coming off of a season-best scoring performance against Virginia Tech, senior guard Nate Calmese continued to make plays on the offensive end as he totaled 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting while also recording four assists and two rebounds. The Gilbert, Ariz., native did most of his damage from beyond the arc as he connected on 3-of-4 shots from distance.
Junior guard Myles Colvin added 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals while playing 37 minutes. Meanwhile, senior forward Tre'Von Spillers tallied four points and a team-best eight rebounds to go along with four assists.
Additionally, with his field goal in the first half, junior forward Cooper Schwieger eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Offensively, the Deacs had their best three-point shooting game of the season as they went 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from range. Overall, the Demon Deacons shot the ball at a 51.9 percent clip, connecting on 28 of their 54 field goal attempts.
How It Happened
Stat of the Game
Coach's Comments
"Coming into the game, I felt like there were some really key things we had to do to win. One was guarding the ball off the dribble. They get about 46 points a game in the paint. I know the stat says they have 42, but that doesn't count all the times they drove in there and got fouled and went to the free-throw line. So, it was even more than that. We had a hard time keeping [Tre] Donaldson and [Tru] Washington out of there. They're really good downhill drivers scoring in transition.
"You know, we got disorganized a couple times that hurt us late, and that was another key. Miami likes to get in the paint, early in transition. Offensive rebounds, obviously, were huge. We only held them to three of those in the first half. They had 10 in the second – they got like 45 percent of their misses, and then their losses. When you get more chances–and you get way more free attempts–you're almost doubling up your makes to our attempts. It's a hard way to win the game.
"I thought the game changed with about five minutes left in the game. We had a five-point lead. Got an offensive rebound. We work every day on shotgun, where we kick it out, pass, pass, pass. We ended up throwing up a not very good shot in the lane. They came down and missed in transition. We didn't get the rebound, and they scored. I think they won an 11-0 run there. Then, late in the game, we can't get the ball inbounds against not much pressure on a made free throw. We went to the wrong side, made a casual pass and a casual attempt to catch it, and they got the ball. Then, they get an offensive rebound and score, and we still have a chance to tie and miss a couple free throws. So, it was a hard fought game. I think Miami's got a good basketball team again. It's a hard loss at home, especially in the league. Now, we have to go get one on the road." - head coach Steve Forbes
Up Next
Wake Forest will travel to Chapel Hill for its second road ACC game of the year on Saturday night, facing No. 17 North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Tip-off if scheduled for 6 p.m. and the contest will air nationally on the ACC Network.
Sophomore guard Juke Harris led the Demon Deacons with 28 points as he went 9-of-15 (60.0 percent) from the field, including going 4-of-8 from three-point range. The Salisbury, N.C., native also added two rebounds, an assist, three steals and a block. He has now scored 20-or-more points six times this season.
Coming off of a season-best scoring performance against Virginia Tech, senior guard Nate Calmese continued to make plays on the offensive end as he totaled 19 points on 8-of-13 shooting while also recording four assists and two rebounds. The Gilbert, Ariz., native did most of his damage from beyond the arc as he connected on 3-of-4 shots from distance.
Junior guard Myles Colvin added 13 points, three rebounds, three assists and three steals while playing 37 minutes. Meanwhile, senior forward Tre'Von Spillers tallied four points and a team-best eight rebounds to go along with four assists.
Additionally, with his field goal in the first half, junior forward Cooper Schwieger eclipsed the 1,000-point mark for his career.
Offensively, the Deacs had their best three-point shooting game of the season as they went 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) from range. Overall, the Demon Deacons shot the ball at a 51.9 percent clip, connecting on 28 of their 54 field goal attempts.
How It Happened
- After forcing a turnover on Miami's opening possession, senior guard Nate Calmese drilled a three-pointer to open the game.
- Wake Forest went on a 9-2 run over a 1:36 span to take a 12-6 lead.
- The Demon Deacons reclaimed the lead after junior guard Myles Colvin hit a fastbreak three off the assist by sophomore guard Juke Harris.
- The Indianapolis native added a layup in transition moments later to make it a three-point game.
- Calmese buried a deep three to extend the lead to six points and force a Miami timeout.
- Following a short spurt by the Hurricanes, Calmese knocked down his third triple of the afternoon to move the Demon Deacons back up by five.
- Senior forward Tre'Von Spillers added his first points of the game with a jumper at the 13:06 mark in the first half.
- Colvin connected on a deep three-pointer to make it 20-15 with 10:55 remaining in the first half.
- The Deacs added another basket in transition to go up by five, as Colvin finished with an emphatic dunk following a steal by junior forward Omaha Biliew.
- After the Hurricanes tied the game, junior forward Cooper Schwieger gave Wake Forest the lead back with a jumper in the lane.
- The basket gave the Overland Park, Kan., native his 1000th career point.
- Senior guard Mekhi Mason knocked down a turnaround jumper to cut the Miami lead down to one.
- Harris recorded his first field goal of the game, as his three-pointer at the 5:52 mark to make it 30-29.
- Spillers added a pair of free throws to give Wake Forest a one-point advantage.
- Mason drilled a three a couple of possessions later to make it a four-point game.
- Harris blew past his defender before finishing with a tough layup to make it 36-33 with 3:21 left in the half.
- The Demon Deacons extended their lead to five points as Calmese added a layup coming out of the final media timeout of the half.
- Wake Forest headed into halftime trailing Miami, 39-38.
- Calmese led the Deacs with 11 points in the first half.
- Colvin also notched 10 points in the half.
- Calmese hit a floater in the lane to move the Demon Deacons within one coming out of halftime.
- Colvin tied the game at 43-43 with a three from the corner at the 17:50 mark in the second half.
- Calmese added a floater on the next possession to tie the game once again.
- Wake Forest reclaimed the lead as Harris knocked down a three to make it 48-47.
- Calmese recorded another floater to put the Demon Deacons back up by one with 13:07 remaining.
- Harris drained a three-pointer to tie the game at 53-53 following a timeout.
- Sophomore Sebastian Akins swished two from the line as the Deacs tied the game once again.
- Harris gave the Demon Deacons the lead after converting an and-one on the next trip down the court.
- After the Hurricanes took the lead, Akins hit a driving layup to cut the deficit down to one.
- Wake Forest grabbed a five-point lead off the backs of a 10-2 run.
- Harris made it 63-62 after sinking two from the line following a media timeout.
- The Salisbury, N.C., native added a powerful slam moments later to keep it a one point game with 7:22 left to play.
- Akins hit a fadeaway jumper to give Wake Forest the lead on the next possession.
- Calmese added a stepback jumper of his own to push the lead to 68-65.
- Harris connected on a tough jumper in the paint on the next trip down the court.
- Harris made it 63-62 after sinking two from the line following a media timeout.
- After Miami took the lead with a 10-0 run, the Demon Deacons responded with five points over an 11-second span to tie the game at 75-75.
- Harris knocked down a jumper from the free throw line to cut the deficit down to three points.
- Harris drained a three-pointer from the wing following a steal by Mason off the inbounds pass, forcing the Hurricanes to call timeout.
- Wake Forest grabbed a one-point lead with 58.7 seconds remaining after Harris sank both of his free throw attempts.
- The Demon Deacons fell, 81-77.
Stat of the Game
- Wake Forest recorded its best three-point shooting game of the season, as they connected on 11-of-21 (52.4 percent) attempts from beyond the arc, including going 7-of-10 in the first half.
- Overall, the Demon Deacons shot the ball at a 51.9 percent clip.
Coach's Comments
"Coming into the game, I felt like there were some really key things we had to do to win. One was guarding the ball off the dribble. They get about 46 points a game in the paint. I know the stat says they have 42, but that doesn't count all the times they drove in there and got fouled and went to the free-throw line. So, it was even more than that. We had a hard time keeping [Tre] Donaldson and [Tru] Washington out of there. They're really good downhill drivers scoring in transition.
"You know, we got disorganized a couple times that hurt us late, and that was another key. Miami likes to get in the paint, early in transition. Offensive rebounds, obviously, were huge. We only held them to three of those in the first half. They had 10 in the second – they got like 45 percent of their misses, and then their losses. When you get more chances–and you get way more free attempts–you're almost doubling up your makes to our attempts. It's a hard way to win the game.
"I thought the game changed with about five minutes left in the game. We had a five-point lead. Got an offensive rebound. We work every day on shotgun, where we kick it out, pass, pass, pass. We ended up throwing up a not very good shot in the lane. They came down and missed in transition. We didn't get the rebound, and they scored. I think they won an 11-0 run there. Then, late in the game, we can't get the ball inbounds against not much pressure on a made free throw. We went to the wrong side, made a casual pass and a casual attempt to catch it, and they got the ball. Then, they get an offensive rebound and score, and we still have a chance to tie and miss a couple free throws. So, it was a hard fought game. I think Miami's got a good basketball team again. It's a hard loss at home, especially in the league. Now, we have to go get one on the road." - head coach Steve Forbes
Up Next
Wake Forest will travel to Chapel Hill for its second road ACC game of the year on Saturday night, facing No. 17 North Carolina at the Dean E. Smith Center.
Tip-off if scheduled for 6 p.m. and the contest will air nationally on the ACC Network.
Team Stats
UM
WF
FG%
.500
.519
3FG%
.222
.524
FT%
.767
.714
RB
37
20
TO
13
12
STL
6
10
Game Leaders
Pts
28
FGM
9
3FGM
4
FTM
6
Pts
19
FGM
8
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
13
FGM
5
3FGM
3
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
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