Stanford Cardinal Defeats Wake Forest Demon Deacons in NCAAM Matchup

Cardinal pull off upset victory over struggling Demon Deacons

Published on Feb. 14, 2026

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The Stanford Cardinal defeated the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 72-68 in an ACC matchup on Saturday, February 14. Stanford, led by Ebuka Okorie's 22 points, was able to hold off a late comeback attempt by Wake Forest, who have struggled mightily in recent weeks.

Why it matters

This win is a significant boost for the Stanford Cardinal, who have been trying to turn their season around after a rough stretch in January. Meanwhile, the Demon Deacons continue to falter, raising questions about the direction of their program.

The details

Stanford was led by Ebuka Okorie, who scored a game-high 22 points. Chisom Okpara and Benny Gealer also reached double figures for the Cardinal, scoring 14 and 10 points respectively. For Wake Forest, Juke Harris continued his strong play, scoring 25 points, but it wasn't enough to overcome Stanford's balanced attack.

  • The game was played on Saturday, February 14, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. ET.
  • Stanford has now won two straight games after going 1-6 from January 10 to February 4.
  • Wake Forest's last two wins came against sub-.500 teams Georgia Tech and Florida State.

The players

Ebuka Okorie

Stanford's leading scorer, averaging 22.4 points per game.

Juke Harris

Wake Forest's top scorer, averaging 21.2 points per game and has scored 23, 25, and 31 points in his last three games.

Chisom Okpara

Stanford guard averaging 13.9 points per game.

Benny Gealer

Stanford guard averaging 10.4 points per game.

Myles Colvin

Wake Forest forward averaging 12.2 points per game.

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What they’re saying

“We knew this was going to be a tough game against a talented Wake Forest team, but our guys really stepped up and played a complete game on both ends of the floor.”

— Jerod Haase, Stanford Head Coach (draftkings.com)

“We just couldn't get enough stops down the stretch. Stanford did a great job of limiting our transition opportunities and making us work for every basket.”

— Steve Forbes, Wake Forest Head Coach (draftkings.com)

What’s next

Stanford will look to build on this win as they continue their push for a better seed in the ACC tournament. Wake Forest, meanwhile, will try to regroup and get back on track in their remaining regular season games.

The takeaway

This game highlighted the contrasting trajectories of the two programs. While Stanford appears to be turning a corner, Wake Forest continues to struggle, raising concerns about the direction of their team. The Cardinal's balanced scoring attack and stifling defense proved to be the difference in this ACC matchup.