- Matchup: Syracuse Orange vs Wake Forest Demon Deacons
- Date: Saturday, February 28, 2026
- Venue: LJVM Coliseum, Winston-Salem, NC
- Broadcast: ESPN+
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In an exciting clash, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (14-14) will face off against the Syracuse Orange (15-13) at LJVM Coliseum this Saturday.
The Syracuse Orange recently battled against North Carolina but fell short with a score of 77-64. The team’s performance saw a field goal percentage of 42.4% (25 of 59) while they made 3 out of 17 attempts from beyond the arc. At the free throw line, Syracuse converted 11 out of 16 attempts, achieving a success rate of 68.8%. On the rebounding front, they secured a total of 28 boards, including 7 offensive rebounds. Additionally, Syracuse registered 6 assists, forced 10 turnovers, and made 4 steals. However, they struggled defensively, allowing North Carolina to shoot 51.9% from the field (28 of 54). North Carolina had 10 assists and 5 steals during the matchup, along with 35 total rebounds (7 offensive, 28 defensive) but did not record any blocks. North Carolina’s free throw shooting was at 53.6%, converting 15 out of 28 attempts while also hitting 6 of their 16 three-pointers. Personal fouls saw Syracuse accumulating 23, while North Carolina was credited with 18.
JJ Starling stood out during the match, contributing 22 points on 10 of 19 shooting, playing 34 minutes, and grabbing 4 boards. His effective shooting rate was 52.6% from the field, and he added 2 assists to his tally.
Syracuse approaches this game with a season record of 15-13. Averaging 75.6 points per game (192nd in D-1), they boast a 46.9% field goal percentage. From long range, they have secured 33.0% of their three-point attempts (196 of 594) and 63.4% from the charity stripe. As a unit, the Orange compile 34.8 rebounds per game and have accumulated 361 assists this season, ranking 277th in the nation for assists. They average 11.2 turnovers per contest and commit 16.8 fouls per game.
Defensively, the Orange force 12.4 turnovers each game while drawing 18.5 fouls. They rank 185th in college basketball for allowing assists, yielding 384 throughout the season. The team’s defensive efforts permit an opponents’ field goal percentage of 43.6% (726 of 1,664) and they allow 36.9 rebounds per game overall. Opponents are making 33.6% of their three-point attempts against Syracuse, landing them 170th in college rankings for points allowed per game at 73.4.
In their most recent outing, the Wake Forest Demon Deacons suffered a narrow defeat, ending with a score of 68-67 against Boston College. In terms of rebounding, the Deacons allowed Boston College to claim 35 boards (9 offensive). They struggled from beyond the arc, achieving only 25.0% accuracy with 7 out of 28 attempts while hitting 11 of 13 free throw attempts (84.6%). Boston College shot 43.1% from the floor, converting 25 of 58 attempts, while Wake Forest managed to shoot 35.5% (22 of 62). The Deacons were more effective from three-point range, nailing 10 of 30 attempts (33.3%) and converting 13 free throws at a rate of 76.5%. Boston College’s 15 personal fouls granted Wake Forest 17 free throw opportunities. The Deacons recorded 6 turnovers in the game while achieving 8 steals and gathering a total of 35 rebounds (23 defensive, 12 offensive).
Juke Harris delivered an impressive performance for Wake Forest, hitting 12 of 19 shots with a field goal percentage of 63.2%, along with 6 rebounds. He amassed 38 points across 39 minutes of play and contributed 1 assist.
This season, Wake Forest stands at 14-14 overall. The Deacons average 18.6 personal fouls per game and maintain an 76.5% free throw shooting percentage. Their assist average is 14.3 per game (157th in Division 1) while they turn the ball over an average of 10.9 times per contest. Wake Forest has scored 2,207 points this season (78.8 points per game) and averages 33.0 rebounds each game. As a shooting team, the Deacons are hitting 44.8% from the field, ranking them 207th nationally.
Defensively, Wake Forest is ranked 260th nationally in points allowed per game at 76.9. They force their rivals into 13.3 turnovers each game while allowing opponents to shoot 44.6% (205th in college). The Deacon defense concedes 32.8% from three-point range (252 of 769) and their foes convert 73.3% of their free throw attempts. They allow an average of 15.4 assists and 35.2 rebounds per game, ranking 311th and 231st in Division 1, respectively.
Who will triumph in tonight’s NCAA game against the spread?
Prediction: Bet on Syracuse
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