Lights-out shooting carries Wake Forest past Syracuse

Field Level Media|published: Sat 3rd February, 22:17 2024

Jan 31, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Hunter Sallis (23) shoots against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Pittsburgh won 77-72. credits: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Hunter Sallis scored 24 points and Kevin Miller chipped in 21 as Wake Forest authored a sizzling shooting display in a 99-70 victory over Syracuse on Saturday in Winston-Salem, N.C.

Sallis finished 7 of 9 from the floor and Miller was 10 of 14 as the Demon Deacons (14-7, 6-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) shot a blistering 66 percent on the night, including a 12-of-19 mark from 3-point range. They were actually north of 71 percent shooting before missing five of their final seven shots in garbage time.

Joining Sallis and Miller as double-figure scorers were Andrew Carr, who shot 5 of 7 for 16 points, and Cameron Hildreth, who was 5-for-7 for 13 points and also had a team-high 12 rebounds. Wake Forest dominated on the boards, 36-23.

JJ Starling scored 15 points and Judah Mintz had 13 to pace Syracuse (14-8, 5-6), which compounded its defensive issues by shooting poorly from the field (40.3 percent) and from beyond the 3-point arc (7 of 27).

Wake Forest finished the first half at 64 percent shooting with a 19-9 rebounding edge and, most importantly, a 42-28 lead on the scoreboard.

The Demon Deacons led by eight points after eight minutes of action thanks to back-to-back 3-pointers from Parker Friedrichsen and Sallis.

The hosts took their first double-digit lead on Matthew Marsh's layup with 6:34 left in the first half. That bucket was part of a 10-0 run that gave the Demon Deacons a 30-15 advantage.

Wake Forest led by as many as 16 late in the first half before Mintz's jumper got the visitors within 14 at the break.

Mintz led Syracuse with 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting in the first half, although the rest of his teammates shot 5 of 24 from the field in the opening 20 minutes.

Things got ugly in the second half for the Orange, as Wake Forest stretched its lead to 20 on Hildreth's 3-pointer with 14:51 to play. Later on, a 7-0 run pushed the lead to 29 points. Then with under five minutes to play, Sallis' 3-pointer created a 32-point margin, 92-60.

Wake Forest led by as many as 33 down the stretch.

—Field Level Media

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