Wake Forest absolutely steamrolled Charleston Southern Monday night, locking down an 82-64 victory, but the final score doesn’t even tell half the tale. Kevair Kennedy and Isaac Carr each dropped 15 points, sure, but it was the Demon Deacons’ defense that completely shut down Charleston Southern and secured the win.
Defense Wins Championships, Or At Least Early Season Games
The Demon Deacons came out firing and never really let up. They jumped out to a 38-22 lead by halftime, largely thanks to a crucial 10-0 run mid-half. Carr hit a three, Kennedy hit another, and then Carr dropped a jumper to make it 14-4, putting Charleston Southern on their heels right from the jump. You just love to see that kind of early dominance.
Pulling Away When It Mattered
Charleston Southern tried to make a game of it, cutting the deficit to 47-35 with 14:26 left. But Wake Forest wasn’t having any of that noise. They immediately responded with another crushing 10-1 run, squashing any comeback hopes. Carr added four more points, Gallagher Placide chipped in four, and Justin Ray scored inside, blowing the lead right back out to 57-36. Gavin Placide put up 14 points and grabbed eight boards, while Gallagher Placide came off the bench big with 12 points and eight rebounds himself. Jamari McDowell also added 11 points for the Demon Deacons. On Charleston Southern’s side, Jefferson McLamb led them with 19 points, including five 3-pointers, and Jacob Taylor added 11.
The Turnover Nightmare Charleston Southern Faced
Here’s the wild stat you gotta talk about: Wake Forest forced a staggering **23 turnovers** from Charleston Southern, racking up 12 steals in the process. When you compare that to Wake Forest’s own 10 turnovers, it’s clear who was controlling the game. That kind of defensive pressure is elite, and it’s what allowed them to cruise to the win, moving their record to 2-1 on the season. Charleston Southern, meanwhile, now sits at 1-2.
What’s next for these squads? Wake Forest hosts Southern Utah on Saturday, and if they bring that same defensive intensity, that game could be another clinic. Charleston Southern will try to bounce back at home against West Georgia this Saturday. They’re going to need to figure out how to hold onto the ball if they want to get back in the win column.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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