Wake Forest Surges to 88-80 Exhibition Win at Ryerson

TORONTO, Ont. - Wake Forest used an impressive second half effort, led by Travis McKie, to overcome a halftime deficit and post an 88-80 exhibition win at Ryerson on Saturday evening at the Mattamy Athletic Centre.

McKie scored 19 of his game-high 26 points in the second half, rallying the Demon Deacons back after they trailed by as many as four in the first half and 39-37 at the break.

Wake Forest opened the third quarter with a 13-2 run over the first four minutes. McKie and freshman Tyler Cavanaugh combined for nine of the Deacons' 13 points during the run.

The Deacons pushed their lead to 17 at 65-48 late in the third quarter. McKie and Cavanaugh hit back-to-back 3-pointers to start an 8-0 run during the quarter.

Ryerson fought back to within six, hitting a late 3-pointer in the game's final seconds, but never mounted a strong enough threat to reclaim the lead.

The Deacons shot 57.6 percent from the field in the second half and 49.2 percent for the game.

McKie went 9-for-17 from the field and added four steals and five rebounds. Freshman Codi Miller-McIntyre finished just shy of a double-double with 16 points and nine rebounds. He went 7-for-10 from the field and had three assists.

Cavanaugh scored 14 on 4-of-7 shooting, and Chase Fischer added 10 points.

In the first half, Ryerson used a 15-7 run late in the second quarter to steal the lead away from Wake Forest. With the Deacons leading 28-24 with five minutes left in the half, the Rams used a trio of 3-pointers to go on the run and build a 39-35 advantage. C.J. Harris hit a short jumper just before the buzzer to pull Wake Forest to within 39-37 heading into the locker room.

The game, which was held at the old Maple Leaf Gardens under the original domed rook, was played using international rules. The rules included a 24-second shot clock, four 10-minute quarters, relaxed goaltending regulations and different restrictions on timeouts and free throw procedures.

The Deacons completed their trip to Canada with two wins after posting an 84-79 victory at Brock on Friday.

Wake Forest will play one more exhibition game before opening the regular season. The Deacons will host Rollins on Friday, Nov. 2, at the Joel Coliseum. Wake Forest opens the regular season a week later on Nov. 9 against Radford.