clemson vs wake forest: Wake Forest Pulls Away in 85-77 Win as Tablet Outage Draws Attention
Wake Forest used a blistering first half to build a commanding lead and held off a second-half Clemson rally, leaving Winston-Salem with an 85-77 victory. The game also featured a notable equipment dispute when officials required Wake Forest to disable sideline tablets after Clemson’s devices faltered late in the first half.
Wake Forest dominates early, Clemson battles back
The Demon Deacons opened the game with their best shooting stretch of the year, connecting on 67 percent of their attempts in the first half and building a lead as large as 20 points. Wake Forest’s hot start put Clemson on its heels and created a cushion the home team managed to protect despite a stronger Tigers performance after halftime.
Clemson made its move early in the second half. Carter Welling sparked a run with consecutive baskets, and a timely 3 from Nick Davidson cut the lead to five as the Tigers showed renewed defensive intensity and perimeter scoring. Jake Wahlin paced Clemson with a career-best 17 points as the visitors repeatedly threatened to close the gap.
Wake Forest answered every Clemson rally. The Deacons rebuilt separation with sustained ball movement and efficient finishes, and Sebastian Akins capped the scoring run with his first career ACC 3-pointer with roughly two minutes left. Despite Clemson’s improved second-half offense and some spirited plays from Jestin Porter, Wake Forest maintained enough consistency to close out an eight-point win.
Officials halt tablet use after Clemson devices fail
Late in the first half, at the 1: 02 mark (ET), Clemson’s sideline devices stopped functioning fully, creating a consequential moment when a turnover by Jestin Porter led the bench to signal for a challenge. When the Tigers were unable to process the review request because of the outage, officials instructed Wake Forest to turn off their tablets as well.
The move followed NCAA guidelines that prevent one team from using electronic review equipment while the opponent’s devices are inoperable. Clemson’s sports information staff indicated the devices were not working fully in the second half, too, and the bench’s inability to initiate a review visibly frustrated the coaching staff during a critical stretch of the first half.
The enforcement created a brief stoppage and drew attention to the role technology now plays in in-game decisions. Officials handled the situation by neutralizing the advantage that functioning sideline equipment could provide, and play resumed once the devices were taken offline.
Standings impact and what's next
The loss drops Clemson to 20-7 overall and 10-4 in conference play, while Wake Forest secured its fifth ACC victory. The Tigers will return home and host Florida State on Saturday (ET) in a matchup that takes on added importance for Clemson’s conference positioning.
Despite the disappointing result, Clemson’s second-half effort offered signs of resilience. The tablet outage, however, added an unusual subplot to a game defined by Wake Forest’s first-half shooting and the home team’s ability to answer Clemson runs down the stretch.
