Wong and Pack Star in Miami’s Win Over Wake Forest

Trailing 32-29 with 6:01 remaining in the first half, the Hurricanes needed a boost. 

They got just that from star guard and leading scorer Isaiah Wong, who went on a 13-0 run in just over a two-minute span to give Miami a lead that it would control for the remainder of the game. This scoring explosion powered UM’s 96-87 win over Wake Forest, which also marked the team’s sixth straight victory and 15th consecutive win at home.

Wong finished with 27 points, which is the most he’s scored in ACC play this year. He was nine points shy of his career-high in scoring, which he set earlier this season.

“It was kind of a heat-check it felt like,” Wong said of his run in the first half. “Just scored my first one and it kept on rolling … It was just a hot streak and I just kept on shooting and it kept on going in.”

Next to Wong in UM’s backcourt, guard Nijel Pack had himself an outing to remember, as well. The third-year sophomore scored a season-high 24 points, 10 of which were in the second half. 

Pack was also tasked with guarding ACC leading scorer and passer Tyree Appleby for the majority of the game. Appleby finished with 15 points and eight assists, but he also had a career-high 12 turnovers, which is tied for the second-most by any NCAA Division I player in the last 13 years. 

“It’s really a team effort ‘cause what happens with a player like Appleby, he has the ball in his hands so much, and he’s either gonna shoot it or pass it. We wanted him to pass it … We put a great emphasis on trying to make him give the ball up,” Larrañaga said about Miami’s defense on Appleby. “Enough times our defense was able to come up with a good play and a lot of turnovers.”

While Wong and Pack provided the main scoring punch, it was forward Norchad Omier who delivered the initial blow.

Omier scored the game’s first seven points and Miami’s first nine. He ended with 17 points and a team-high eight rebounds.

Entering the contest, the Hurricanes ranked first in the conference in points per game, while the Demon Deacons ranked fourth.

The first half was a testament to this, as both teams lit it up in the shooting and scoring departments. Wake Forest shot 51.6% from the field, and the ‘Canes shot a blistering 66.7%. UM held a 47-44 lead at the break.

UM started the second half on a 9-0 run, which gave the team its largest lead of the day of 14.

The Demon Deacons battled back to cut the Hurricanes’ lead to as little as three with eight minutes remaining, but Miami responded with a 7-0 run of its own to secure the win.

The Hurricanes’ 96 points were the most they scored in an ACC game since they put up 103 in a triple-overtime victory against Virginia Tech on Jan. 28, 2020.

Next up, Miami will go on the road to face Virginia Tech on Tuesday at 7 p.m. UM came out on top, 92-83, in the prior meeting between the two teams this year.