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Illinois State sinks Deacons with final-seconds 3-pointer
Wake Forest's season ends with heartbreaking loss in NIT second round
Mar. 22, 2026 at 10:57pm
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Wake Forest's season came to an end on Sunday as Illinois State defeated the Deacons 78-75 on a last-second 3-pointer by Johnny Kinzinger. The game came down to the wire, with Wake Forest leading by as many as 9 points in the second half before Illinois State rallied back, scoring on 11 of their final 14 possessions. Tre'Von Spillers led Wake Forest with 24 points, but the Deacons couldn't hold off the Redbirds' late surge.
Why it matters
This loss ends Wake Forest's season in disappointing fashion, as the Deacons were unable to advance past the second round of the NIT tournament. The game highlighted Wake's struggles to maintain leads and get key stops down the stretch, issues that have plagued the team throughout the year.
The details
Wake Forest led 59-50 with 9 minutes remaining, but Illinois State stormed back, hitting 5 three-pointers in the final minutes to take the lead. Spillers hit two clutch shots to tie the game late, but Kinzinger's step-back 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds left proved to be the game-winner for the Redbirds. Juke Harris scored 20 points for Wake, giving him 750 on the season - the second-most in a single season in program history.
- The game was played on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
- Illinois State hit the game-winning 3-pointer with 1.9 seconds remaining.
The players
Tre'Von Spillers
Led Wake Forest with 24 points, making all 11 of his shots from the field.
Juke Harris
Scored 20 points for Wake Forest, giving him 750 points on the season - the second-most in a single season in program history.
Johnny Kinzinger
Hit the game-winning 3-pointer for Illinois State with 1.9 seconds left to defeat Wake Forest.
What’s next
Illinois State will face Dayton in a quarterfinal game of the NIT next week.
The takeaway
This heartbreaking loss ends Wake Forest's season on a sour note, as the Deacons were unable to hold onto a late lead and fell victim to a last-second 3-pointer. The team will need to address its defensive lapses and ability to close out games if it hopes to make a deeper postseason run next year.
