Live updates: Louisville leads Wake Forest 58-49 mid-second half in Saturday ACC matchup

Louisville builds early cushion, maintains control after halftime in Winston-Salem

Louisville carried a nine-point advantage into the second half and held a 58-49 lead over Wake Forest with 13:12 remaining Saturday, Feb. 7, at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. The game is being televised on ACC Network.

The Cardinals opened the afternoon with a 43-34 first-half edge, then matched Wake Forest 15-15 after intermission to preserve a multi-possession margin. Through that point, Louisville had led essentially throughout, posting a largest lead of 15 while Wake Forest had not held a lead.

Efficiency and shot-making shape the midgame numbers

At the 13:12 mark, Louisville was shooting 54% (21-of-39) from the field and 35% (7-of-20) from three-point range. Wake Forest was at 49% (18-of-37) overall and 46% (6-of-13) from beyond the arc. Louisville’s advantage on the glass also showed up early in the second half, with the Cardinals ahead 23-18 in rebounds.

Turnovers were limited on both sides, with Louisville committing seven and Wake Forest five by the same point. Free throws favored Louisville in both volume and conversion rate: the Cardinals were 9-of-13 at the line (69%), while Wake Forest was 7-of-12 (58%).

Key contributors: Rooths and Biliew lead scorers at the break point

Louisville’s Khani Rooths had 13 points to lead the Cardinals with 13:12 left, while Wake Forest’s Omaha Biliew paced the Demon Deacons with 14. Wake Forest wing Juke Harris had 11 points and seven rebounds at that point, providing a steady presence as the Deacons attempted to close the gap.

• Louisville’s Sananda Fru had 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting, plus three rebounds and two assists.
• Louisville’s Isaac McKneely had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting.
• Wake Forest’s Biliew was 5-of-5 from the floor, adding two rebounds.

What’s at stake as the final minutes approach

The matchup entered the day with Louisville positioned above .500 in ACC play and Wake Forest attempting to gain ground in the conference standings. With roughly 13 minutes left, Wake Forest’s path back into contention centered on trimming the rebounding deficit, converting at the free-throw line, and manufacturing enough stops to turn the game into a final-possession finish.

Score update (13:12, second half): Louisville 58, Wake Forest 49.