April 22, 2009

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest will play at Purdue in the 11th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge on December 1, as announced by ESPN and the ACC on Wednesday afternoon.

The Demon Deacons and Boilermakers have met five times previously on the hardwood, with Purdue holding a 3-2 all-time advantage. However, the teams have never met in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and will be facing one another for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

Wake Forest has played just once previously at Purdue, falling 86-83 on Dec. 21, 1964, at Lambert Fieldhouse in West Lafayette, Ind. The Deacons have never played in Mackey Arena.

Wake Forest is 8-1 all-time in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. The mark is the second-best among the schools in the two conferences. The Deacs are 5-0 at home and 3-1 on the road. Last season, the Deacons cruised past Indiana, 83-58, on Dec. 3 in Winston-Salem.

Purdue is 2-6 all-time in the Challenge, including a 2-2 mark at Mackey Arena. Last season, the Boilermakers suffered a 76-60 home loss to Duke, Purdue's second straight setback in the Challenge.

The Boilermakers finished the 2008-09 season 27-10 overall. Purdue won the Big Ten Tournament and advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before falling to eventual Final Four participant Connecticut.

The ACC has won the Commissioner's Cup each of the previous 10 years, going a combined 62-35 in the annual event.

2009 ACC/Big Ten Challenge Schedule:

Monday, November 30
Penn State at Virginia

Tuesday, December 1
Wake Forest at Purdue
Maryland at Indiana
Michigan State at North Carolina
Northwestern at NC State
Virginia Tech at Iowa

Wednesday, December 2
Boston College at Michigan
Duke at Wisconsin
Florida State at Ohio State
Illinois at Clemson
Minnesota at Miami