Boston College hosts Wake Forest after Payne's 20-point game

The Eagles look to bounce back after a lopsided loss to SMU as the Demon Deacons visit Boston.

Feb. 23, 2026 at 9:23am

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The Boston College Eagles (9-18, 2-12 ACC) will host the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (14-13, 5-9 ACC) in a conference matchup on Tuesday evening. This comes after Boston College's Fred Payne scored 20 points in the team's 94-70 loss to SMU. The Eagles have struggled this season, going 8-7 at home and 4-7 in games decided by 10 points or more. Meanwhile, Wake Forest is 9th in the ACC in scoring, averaging 79.3 points per game while shooting 45.2% from the field. This will be the first meeting between the two teams in conference play this season.

Why it matters

This game is an important conference matchup for two teams looking to improve their records in the ACC. Boston College is hoping to bounce back after a lopsided loss, while Wake Forest will try to continue its solid offensive production against a struggling Eagles squad.

The details

Boston College is shooting just 40.8% from the field this season, 3.9 percentage points lower than the 44.7% that Wake Forest allows opponents. The Demon Deacons average 9.0 made 3-pointers per game, 2.1 more than the 6.9 per game that Boston College allows. In their last 10 games, the Eagles have averaged 67.4 points, 30.3 rebounds, 12.3 assists, 4.4 steals and 3.5 blocks per game while shooting 42.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 74.7 points per game. Over the same stretch, Wake Forest has averaged 75.0 points, 26.8 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 6.5 steals and 3.4 blocks per game while shooting 44.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 80.2 points.

  • The game will be played on Tuesday, February 23, 2026 at 7 p.m. EST.

The players

Fred Payne

A Boston College player who scored 20 points in the team's previous game against SMU.

Nate Calmese

A Wake Forest player averaging 10.4 points and 4.9 assists per game.

Juke Harris

A Wake Forest player averaging 22.2 points per game over the last 10 games.

Boden Kapke

A Boston College player averaging 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game over the last 10 games.

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The takeaway

This game will be an important test for both teams as they look to improve their conference records. Boston College will need to find a way to slow down Wake Forest's potent offense, while the Demon Deacons will try to take advantage of the Eagles' struggles on the defensive end.