Key Stats from Wake Forest's 72-70 loss to LSU
For the second-straight game, Wake Forest entered halftime with at least a seven-point lead, yet couldn’t pull off the win in a 72-70 defeat to LSU.
Read below for the key stats from the game.
Wake Forest led by as much as 20
Saturday was another game of runs for Wake Forest. Trailing by five early in the game, the Deacs embarked on a 27-4 run. At the end of the first half, though, Wake Forest let LSU back into the game on a 14-2 stretch to make a once 20-point lead only eight at half.
In the second half, LSU scored 11-straight points to tie the game and took the lead late with seven unanswered.
READ: Wake Forest squanders 20-point lead in 72-70 loss to LSU
LSU’s KJ Williams scored 35 points
Wake Forest was highly successful at shielding one of LSU’s biggest threats — guard Adam Miller only scored three points on 1/10 shooting from the field. But, the Deacs failed to cover the second part of the Tigers’ dangerous duo.
Williams dominated the Deacs in all facets of the game, scoring nearly half of LSU’s 72 points, and boxing out inside for 10 rebounds. Williams shot a solid 14/21 from the field, but excelled from behind the three-point line, connecting on seven of his nine attempts. Williams was especially vital to begin the second half, making three-straight shots for eight points to nullify Wake Forest’s lead.
The Deacs outrebounded LSU 39-30
Despite losing Andrew Carr for most of the game with foul trouble, Wake Forest outrebounded LSU by nine. Matthew Marsh led the way with 11, while Cameron Hildreth pitched in eight. Regardless, the Deacs critically gave up nine offensive rebounds, allowing the Tigers to add 14 second-chance points. LSU also secured two offensive rebounds off missed free throws to extend possessions late in the game.
Wake Forest turned the ball over 15 times
LSU thoroughly defeated Wake Forest in the turnover battle, giving the ball up seven times to the Deacs’ 15. Hildreth and Carr led the team with four turnovers, while Tyree Appleby had three of his own. LSU scored 21 of their 72 points (29%) on stolen possessions.
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The Deacs shot 0-8 from three in the second half
Though Wake Forest started hot from the field, hitting eight of their first 10 shots, the team never got it going from behind the three-point line. In the first half, the team finished 5/16 from three, a decent rate, but in the second half, Wake Forest failed to make a single shot from behind the arc. The Deacs missed their final 13 three-point attempts in the game.
Damari Monsanto, the hot-and-cold sharpshooter from deep, took all 10 of his shots from three, converting on just two. Guard Daivien Williamson missed all three of his attempts, and big-men Bobi Klintman and Zach Keller combined for an 0/4 outing.
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Essex is the lead football writer and a managing editor for Deacons Daily. Essex served as the Sports Editor for the Old Gold & Black for two years, in addition to roles as a beat and feature writer.