Crawford and free throws lift Wake Forest over Illinois

Bryant Crawford scored a team-high 20 points and Wake Forest Basketball beat Illinois on Day 2 of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

Junior guard Bryant Crawford led the way for Wake Forest Basketball with 20 points, and the Demon Deacons shot more than twice as many free throws as the Fighting Illini. Wake took the lead for good with 16:15 left in the second half and went on to beat Illinois 80-73.

The Demon Deacons dominated the Illini in three key categories that led to their third win of the season. Wake Forest made more free throws in the first half than Illinois did the entire game. The total disparity had Wake go 24-of-31 from the free throw line compared to Illinois’ 13-of-14 night. Wake outscored Illinois 26-18 in the paint and 28-9 off turnovers. Crawford had four steals to contribute to the cause.

Wake Forest had three players score in double figures in addition to Crawford. Doral Moore,  Mitchell Wilbekin, and Brandon Childress all scored 12 points. Childress did his damage in 23 minutes off the bench.

Illinois lost for the first time this season. The Illini outrebounded Wake 39-25 overall and 17-4 on the offensive glass. This can largely be explained by Illinois’ 38.7 percent shooting performance. Junior guard Aaron Jordan led the Illini with 20 points off the bench.

What’s Next

The Demon Deacons (3-4) will next be back on the court on Saturday, Dec. 2. The Richmond Spiders of the Atlantic 10 are coming to Winston-Salem for a 4:00 p.m. tip at Lawrence Joel Coliseum. The Spiders are 1-6 on the season with their lone win coming against UAB.

Next: Canes lose in shootout in Columbus

Wake Forest helped the ACC get out to a 6-1 lead after Day 2 of the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Big Ten’s lone win in the first two days of action was Purdue’s 66-57 upset of No. 17 Louisville. The ACC only needs two wins the rest of the week to win the challenge outright for the second straight year.