Wake Forest earned their third big win of the season Saturday, taking down Virginia Tech 77-75 at the Joel. Read more here for our takeaways from the game.
Read our game story with quotes and analysis here.
Wake Forest winning the physicality battle earned them the victory
In a tough game against the reigning ACC champs, it wasn’t Wake Forest’s shooting that gave them the win. In fact, their shooting would’ve been at the top of this list if the Deacs had lost.
But, when the going got tough, Wake Forest leaned into their physicality to take down the Hokies. The Deacs manhandled Virginia Tech on the offensive glass, nabbing 14 rebounds that helped them score 20 second-chance points.
“We have to rebound the ball,” Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said after the game. “[Wake Forest] is really good, but they’re not a great rebounding team. When I play three bigs out of necessity, and we give up 14 offensive rebounds, that’ll get your tail whipped.”
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But, for a team that is “not a great rebounding team,” their work on the boards in the final minute proved to be critical, and a microcosm of the game itself. Leading by two, the Deacs twice took ill-advised three-pointers, but their physical toughness earned them rebounds and extra time running off the clock. If Wake Forest doesn’t get those, the outcome of the game could’ve been quite different.
And, against a team like the Hokies that prides themselves on limiting turnovers, Wake Forest stood tall on defense and forced 13, including five steals. The Deacs used their size to their advantage when Virginia Tech got into foul trouble, too.
Wake Forest entered the single bonus midway through the second half, and consistently drove to the hoop to draw fouls. As such, Virginia Tech spent the latter part of the game concerned with keeping their key players on the court — both Sean Pedulla and Justyn Mutts ended the contest with four fouls, as did MJ Collins and Grant Basile.
It also doesn’t hurt to take 26 shots from the free-throw line either. - Thayer
The Deacs need Daivien Williamson
Last season, Daivien Williamson was a starter for a very good Wake Forest team, but this year, he has taken over the role of sixth man. Regardless, his performance is critical to the Deacs’ success.
In the mid-November loss to Rutgers, Williamson scored three points in 18 minutes. A week prior, he shot 1-5 in Wake Forest’s meltdown against LSU.
But, in Saturday’s win over Virginia Tech, Williamson was a key cog for the Deacs staying in the game. When the team was shooting poorly, Williamson was the injection of energy from behind the three-point line, hitting four threes. He missed four as well —, and many were bad shots — but Wake desperately needed points, and Williamson delivered when it mattered most.
Midway through the second half, leading by just one point, Williamson nailed a dagger three to extend VT’s deficit to four, and then hit another for a seven-point lead with five minutes left.
Without Williamson’s key threes, Wake Forest would’ve been dead in the water from deep, and likely would not have secured the win. Though he is now likely best fit for the sixth-man role, Williamson proved how important he is for the Deacs to get in the win column. - Thayer
Cameron Hildreth is the team’s best rebounder, and he’s taken better care of the ball lately
While Hildreth didn’t score in double figures for the first time since Nov. 18 on Saturday afternoon, he still played a great game. The sophomore guard scored eight points, grabbed eight rebounds, with four assists, two steals, and just one turnover. Hildreth’s season rebounding average is up to 6.6 per game, which leads the team. Hildreth plays much bigger than his 6’4” frame because he’s tremendous at using his body. He’s got a nose for the ball, and he secures it strongly with two hands.
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Hildreth’s emergence has been crucial to the team because he impacts winning in a variety of ways. He can take pressure off of Appleby by bringing the ball up the floor, and also being a secondary source of creation because of the attention he demands with his back to the basket. The knocks on Hildreth are that he can be a bit erratic at times, but he’s been better at taking care of the ball lately. Excluding the November home blowouts against Hampton and South Carolina State, Hildreth turned the ball over four or more times in four of Wake’s opening eight games. Over the last four contests, Hildreth is averaging a much more manageable 2.0 turnovers per game. - Odjakjian
Bobi Klintman looked the most confident he has all season
At first glance, it appears that Bobi Klintman didn’t play a great game Saturday. In 19 minutes, Klintman scored just two points on 1-7 shooting. However, Klintman grabbed five rebounds, committed no turnovers and had a team high +/- of +11. He hasn’t scored more than three points since the win over Hampton on Nov. 26, and played a season low five minutes in the second most recent game, against Duke on Dec. 20.
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At times this season, Klintman has looked hesitant to get shots up around the rim, even with his 6’10” 225 pound frame. In the win over Virginia Tech, Klintman played with much more confidence, and created some good looks for himself around the basket. He missed some easy baskets, but those are shots that he needs to be taking. He was 0-2 from three-point land, and his season percentage is down to 22.7%.
While winning this season is the main focus of course, Klintman has a ton of potential and his development is important for the program. I’m a believer in the freshman, and I think it will pay dividends in the short term and long term if he’s aggressive around the rim and letting the open three-pointers fly. - Odjakjian
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