Wake Forest defeats Navy 82-72 in NIT

Juke Harris scores 26 points to lead Demon Deacons to victory

Mar. 19, 2026 at 1:49am

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Wake Forest defeated Navy 82-72 in the NIT tournament on Wednesday. Juke Harris led the way for the Demon Deacons with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. Omaha Biliew scored 15 points and Tre'Von Spillers added 14 points for Wake Forest. Austin Benigni had 19 points to pace Navy, while Jordan Pennick scored 18 points for the Midshipmen.

Why it matters

This win advances Wake Forest in the NIT tournament, keeping their postseason hopes alive. For Navy, the loss ends their season after a strong 26-8 campaign.

The details

Wake Forest took the lead for good with 5:28 remaining in the first half and led 38-34 at halftime. The Demon Deacons used a 12-2 run in the second half to build a 16-point lead at 72-56 with 4:17 left to play.

  • The game was played on Wednesday, March 18, 2026.

The players

Juke Harris

A key player for Wake Forest, scoring 26 points with 6 rebounds and 5 assists.

Omaha Biliew

Scored 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting and 4-for-4 from the free throw line for Wake Forest.

Tre'Von Spillers

Contributed 14 points on 7-of-9 shooting for the Demon Deacons.

Austin Benigni

Led Navy with 19 points in the losing effort.

Jordan Pennick

Scored 18 points for the Midshipmen.

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The takeaway

This win keeps Wake Forest's postseason hopes alive as they advance in the NIT tournament, while Navy's strong season comes to an end with the loss.