Clemson can't slow down Wake Forest in 85-77 loss
Clemson did enough in the second half to make it interesting. It never quite did enough to make it matter.
The Tigers (20-7, 10-4) fell 85-77 to Wake Forest (14-12, 5-8) on Wednesday night at LJVM Coliseum, their third straight loss, in a game that again felt closer than the margin.
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It’s been a familiar script during this stretch.
Much of Clemson’s night was spent erasing a first-half deficit that ballooned to 20 points.
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After trailing 45-25 with 2:27 left before halftime, the Tigers finally found an offensive rhythm that had been absent for much of the past week.
A 16-1 run that stretched across the break – sparked by defensive stops and quicker decisions in transition – pulled Clemson within five just four minutes into the second half.
At 46-41, the energy shifted. The pace slowed. The crowd quieted. Clemson had turned a track meet into a half-court game.
But sustaining that level has been the issue.
Following the surge, Clemson went more than 3 1/2 minutes without a point. Wake Forest answered with shot-making every time the Tigers threatened.
When Clemson cut the deficit to seven with 11:17 left, Wake hit a 3.
When it was trimmed to six near the 10-minute mark, the Demon Deacons responded with back-to-back midrange jumpers.
A Jake Wahlin 3 brought it back to seven; Wake scored twice more.
Even a late 9-2 push that made it a six-point game with 2:23 remaining was met with — predictably — another Wake 3.
Clemson never produced the possession that tied it or gave it the lead. For the third straight game, the Tigers were competitive without being decisive.
The reason they had to dig out in the first place was simple: Wake Forest could not miss early.
The Demon Deacons shot 66% in the first half and 50% from 3-point range before the break.
Five different players scored in double figures by night’s end, a rare stat line against a Brad Brownell defense.
Juke Harris led the way with 20 points and seven rebounds, attacking downhill and getting to the free throw line.
Myles Colvin added 14 points, including four 3s, while Sebastia Akins scored 16 and consistently capitalized on Clemson’s rotations.
Clemson committed just nine turnovers, but eight of them were Wake steals — live-ball plays that fueled tempo and easy offense. The Demon Deacons filled the lanes hard and dictated pace for much of the first half, turning defensive pressure into rhythm.
When Wake cooled off in the second half, Clemson outplayed it for stretches. The Tigers shot 51.6% after halftime and finished at 46.4% overall. They generated 14 fast-break points and matched Wake on the glass. Statistically, 77 points on the road should give you a chance, especially with a Brownell defense.
But Clemson’s offense is beginning to look one-dimensional in key moments. There isn’t a possession late in games that feels settled, or a clear option when defenses tighten.
Wahlin provided needed stability, finishing with 17 points on 7-of-11 shooting and five rebounds in 27 minutes. His scoring came within the flow — spacing the floor, cutting into gaps and converting efficiently without forcing attempts.
Ace Buckner added 13 points on 4-of-9 shooting, marking the fifth straight game he has either led or been tied for the lead among Clemson’s guards in scoring. His consistency has been valuable.
At the same time, Clemson needs more late-game production from its veteran perimeter options to steady these stretches.
Carter Welling contributed 13 points and seven rebounds, battling inside and absorbing contact.
Jestin Porter showed flashes during the second-half run — a 3, a steal and a transition finish that briefly swung momentum — but finished with seven points on 3-of-7 shooting. Clemson needed sustained shot-making from multiple spots and did not consistently get it.
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A week ago, Clemson was tied for first place in the ACC. Now the Tigers sit at fifth, navigating a stretch where offensive droughts at critical moments have tightened the margin for error. They did not fold at Wake Forest. They adjusted. They competed. They outscored the Demon Deacons for long stretches after halftime.
But until Clemson finds the possession that turns these near-comebacks into wins, the standings — and the postseason conversation — will only grow more crowded.
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The Tigers return home at noon Saturday against Florida State at Littlejohn Coliseum with the game airing on the CW.
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