Wake Forest Clinches Narrow Victory Against Florida State
In a thrilling encounter on Saturday night, Wake Forest clinched a narrow 69-68 victory against Florida State, marking their first road win in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) for the current season. Nate Calmese emerged as the hero for the Demon Deacons, scoring 18 points, including a pivotal jumper with just 6.8 seconds remaining in the game.
Comeback and Key Performances
The Demon Deacons, who found themselves trailing 65-54 with a little over four minutes left on the clock, mounted a significant comeback, fueled by an 11-4 scoring run. With only 24 seconds to play, they managed to close the gap to 68-67. Following Calmese’s decisive floater, Florida State called a timeout to strategize but could not capitalize, as Robert McCray V‘s potential game-winning shot ricocheted off the front of the rim.
Calmese, who ended the game shooting 8-of-19, was well-supported by teammates Juke Harris and Myles Colvin, each contributing 15 points to the effort. In contrast, Florida State, struggling this season with a 0-5 conference record, saw Chauncey Wiggins lead their scoring with 15 points. McCray also had 12 points and five assists but faced challenges with 11 turnovers during the match. Meanwhile, Thomas Bassong added 11 points for the Seminoles.
Game Highlights
Florida State had a strong finish to the first half, scoring the last four points to head into halftime with a slim 34-31 lead. Martin Somerville was instrumental for the Seminoles, contributing seven of his nine points before the break, while Calmese led Wake Forest in the first half with 10 points.
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, Wake Forest will host Southern Methodist University (SMU) on Tuesday, while Florida State will face off against Miami on the same day. With this victory, Wake Forest improves to an overall record of 11-7 and a 2-3 mark within the ACC, while Florida State’s struggles continue as they drop to 7-11 overall.
