Georgia Southern Basketball: Eagles shock Wake Forest 85-83

DAYTON, OH - MARCH 14: Head coach Danny Manning of the Wake Forest Demon Deacons reacts during the First Four game against the Kansas State Wildcats in the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at UD Arena on March 14, 2017 in Dayton, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

In an epic battle of guard play down the stretch, Georgia Southern pulls off the upset behind a pair of dynamic guards.

For those who missed this game, it probably had one of the better finishes we’ll see all weekend. It wasn’t just about the final seconds, but rather the back and forth shots each team was making towards the end.

But let’s go back to the beginning of the game. Wake Forest did have an opportunity to blow the doors wide open. Throughout most of the first half, the Demon Deacons were leading anywhere from 8-10 points a good chunk of the half. However, credit the Eagles for hanging around, and a pair of threes by Tookie Brown trimmed the deficit to 46-40.

After taking only one field goal attempt in the first half, Bryant Crawford returned to his vintage self, scoring 17 more points, including some clutch bombs down the stretch. The MVP for Wake for the whole game was Keyshawn Woods, who had a team-high 25 points on 8-14 shooting. He was largely responsible for the first half lead for Wake.

But you never let a dangerous team like Georgia Southern hang around. From the 15:00 minute mark the lead never rose past five points, allowing Brown and his All-Conference buddy Ike Smith to stay within striking distance. The duo combined for 40 points and five three-pointers.

I picked the Eagles to win in my upset special mainly because of the guards, and there’s no question how clutch the two of them were, including the game-winning free throws by Smith. But the true unsung heroes were Mike Hughes and Montae Glenn. Last season the pair combined for around ten a game, but this time around they contributed a combined 32 points and 16 rebounds. If this kind of production continues, Texas-Arlington will have a major fight on their hands for the Sun Belt title.

The loss by itself is by no means a death-blow to the Demon Deacons, but it’s another loss for a program that’s likely to accumulate some in the Atlantic Coast Conference. However, if Woods continues this level of production, Wake should be fine.

Next: 68 Reasons to be excited for the college basketball season

Wake Forest will get an easier game next against the Flames of Liberty. Meanwhile, the Eagles will take on the Cal State Bakersfield Road Runners in what should be an entertaining bout between teams from the WAC and the Sun Belt. The rest of this season will determine the importance of this victory for the Eagles, and whether they can build on this win.

Wake Forest next game: 11/14 – Liberty (H)

Georgia Southern next game: 11/13 – Cal State Bakersfield (H)