The first loss of the season for Wake Forest’s men’s basketball team feels like a bit of a reality check.

The Deacons lost 75-61 to LSU in the championship game of the Emerald Coast Classic in Niceville, Fla., unable to handle LSU’s pressure defense and going a prolonged stretch of the first half without scoring.

“We’ll see how they handle it. I don’t know about reality. I’m pretty good about keeping things real with them,” coach Steve Forbes said. “I knew what we were up against. … You know, yeah, we were 6-0 and I’m sure human nature would be, (you’re) feeling pretty good about yourself.

“I wanted them to have confidence. They needed it.”

Wake Forest (6-1) steamrolled through what Forbes called Phase One of a three-step non-conference schedule, which were five home games against low- and mid-major teams.

The first half of Friday night’s game against Oregon State looked like it would be more of the same – until the Deacons blew a 22-point lead and had to survive for an overtime win.

Overtime wasn’t in the cards against LSU (7-0).

“I thought they were quicker, more athletic – I don’t want to say tougher,” Forbes said. “I thought it affected the way we passed, dribbled it, caught it.”

The numbers are about as ugly as you’d expect from Wake’s first loss of the season: Season-lows in points (61), field goal percentage (31%), 3-point percentage (24%), along with a season-high 22 turnovers.

Forbes said he “explicitly” told the Deacons before the game that to have a chance to win, they had to have no more than 12 turnovers. They had 13 in the first half.

“We just didn’t play as smart as we should have. I feel like a lot of them turnovers were on us,” guard Daivien Williamson said. “Nothing against LSU, I think they’re a pretty good team. … I just think we have to do a better job of handling the pressure in general.”

Williamson led Wake Forest with 20 points, elevated by a 12-for-13 clip at the free-throw line. Jake LaRavia (15) and Alondes Williams (14) also scored in double figures, with the other six players who played significant minutes combining for 12 points.

It wasn’t all doom and gloom, as the Deacons worked the margin into single digits early in the second half and trailed by 12 with 4:17 left.

They stayed within shouting distance of LSU’s lead without ever actually being close enough to tell the Tigers.