With 17:17 left in the first half, Tyrique Jones picked up his second foul. He would sit the remainder of the half. In a game that Ty physically dominated while he was on the court, his absence for more than half the game was probably decisive.
It didn't have to be, though. Xavier scuffled defensively for one of the first times this year, as Wake Forest scored a ton of points and executed well even without star center Olivier Sarr. The Demon Deacons shot .473/.438/.778 as a team. Wake scored 39 points in the first half and 41 in the second half, holding off a furious Xavier charge.