NCAA News Wire
Syracuse 67, Wake Forest 57
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Guard Tyler Ennis scored 16 of his 18 points in the second half as No. 2 Syracuse fended off Wake Forest 67-57 on Wednesday night at Joel Coliseum.
The Orange (20-0, 7-0 ACC), one of three remaining unbeaten Division I teams in the country, matched the best start in school history.
Forward C.J. Fair added 16 points and forward Jerami Grant had 10 points for the Orange.
Forward Devin Thomas and forward Travis McKie each finished with 12 points for the Demon Deacons (14-7, 4-4).
The outcome ended Wake Forest’s 13-game homecourt winning streak, including 12 games this season.
Syracuse guard Trevor Cooney didn’t score until hitting an 18-foot jumper as the shot clock wound down with 1:42 left for a 58-49 lead.
Syracuse, which trailed in the second half at some point in each of its previous three games, withstood several Wake Forest threats. By game’s end, a 55-35 rebounding edge favored the Orange.
Ennis made his first six shots of the second half after going 0-for-6 from the field in the first half.
Syracuse broke out to a couple of nine-point leads in the second half only to have the Demon Deacons close within five.
Wake Forest had won its previous two games to notch consecutive victories for the first time since mid-December. Guard Codi Miller-McIntyre’s foul trouble proved to be a problem and he finished with a season-low four points.
Syracuse led 26-23 at halftime after an eight-point lead slipped away.
The Orange overcame 25.8 percent (8-of-31) shooting by grabbing 11 offensive rebounds.
Even though McKie hit a 3-pointer to end the half, Wake Forest had its lowest point total in a half this season.
Wake Forest made only one of nine shots from the field at the outset.
But with forward Arnaud-William Adala Moto’s dunk over Syracuse backup center Baye Moussa Keita and guard Codi Miller-McIntyre’s free throw, the Demon Deacons held a 12-6 edge midway through the first half.
Syracuse shot 2-for-17 at the start, going through a drought of nearly nine minutes without a field goal until Fair’s 3-pointer.
The Orange surged to a 16-13 lead, capped by forward Michael Gbinije’s 3-point basket.
Miller-McIntyre’s third foul came with 6:18 to play in the half, and Fair’s free throw pushed Syracuse’s lead to 19-14 on the way to a 25-17 edge.
Wake Forest made just six of its first 12 free throws.
NOTES: The only other meeting between the teams came in the final of the 2001 Preseason NIT, with Syracuse winning 74-67 at New York’s Madison Square Garden. … Wake Forest coach Jeff Bzdelik coached former Syracuse star Carmelo Anthony with the NBA’s Denver Nuggets. … Syracuse returns home for two games in a three-night period, beginning with No. 17 Duke on Saturday night in front of what’s expected to be a record crowd at the Carrier Dome. … Wake Forest finishes a three-game homestand Saturday afternoon against Georgia Tech.
