The raw numbers in the box score will show that Pitt defeated Wake Forest, 77-72, on Wednesday night by scoring 50 points and seizing nine offensive rebounds after halftime and rallying from a 12-point deficit.

It also will give Pitt’s defense credit for harassing the Demon Deacons with 11 steals and throwing off their normally steady 3-point shooting.

But sometimes words mean just as much as what the Petersen Events Center crowd of 7,769 saw develop on the floor. Coach Jeff Capel and assistant Tim O’Toole spoke to the players at halftime, and those brief talks most likely led to what Capel described later as Pitt’s “competitive urgency.”

Capel said he told his players, “You’ve played hard (in the first half). But it requires harder.”

Bub Carrington, who led all scorers with 24 points, said O’Toole made a “great point” before the game and hammered it home at halftime when Pitt trailed, 37-27.

“(He said), ‘You have to have the utmost expectation in your best self and your teammates’ best selves,’ ” Carrington said. “He kept repeating that at halftime. We know we’re going to come out and be our best and we expect each other to be at their best. I guess it was just a trust thing.”

The result was Pitt’s third victory in the past four games, its first in the conference at home. The Panthers improved to 13-8, 4-6 in the ACC. Wake Forest leaves town 13-7, 5-4.

Speaking of trust, Carrington, who never came out of the game, said Capel’s scouting report made a difference.

“Trusting the scout. We go over the scout way too many times, honestly,” he said, with a smile. The key was “knowing what (an opponent) is going to do and having the will to go out there and, actually, defend it.”

Defending is what Will Jeffress did best while playing only nine minutes in the second half, putting his 6-foot-7 frame up against Wake Forest’s 7-foot center Efton Reid.

Reid scored 14 points, but none in the final 9 minutes, 25 seconds when the game was decided.

“He fought. He battled. He was physical,” Capel said of Jeffress’ confrontations with Reid under the basket. At one point, Jeffress backed Reid several feet outside the paint to allow Pitt to secure a rebound.

“We’ve known each other since high school. We’re two competitors,” said Reid, who at one time was heavily recruited by Capel. “I didn’t take offense to that. He pushed me. I pushed him back. After the game, we hugged it up.”

Jeffress, who had played a total of only 7:19 in the past three games, even scored on an uncontested dunk that gave Pitt a 66-59 lead with 2:54 to play. On a suggestion from assistant coach Milan Brown, who saw Wake Forest overplaying Carrington, Jeffress faked a handoff and found himself all alone on the baseline.

“He’s grown so much in his time here,” Capel said. “A couple of years ago, he wouldn’t physically have been able to do that. He stayed ready. He works. He’s smart.

“He did an unbelievable job of setting screens. It’s something a lot of people won’t notice. Very, very physical. It allowed Bub to get downhill. When you perform like he performed, you earn yourself more playing time.”

Added Ishmael Leggett: “We saw him working, and, as his brother, we have no option but to work just as hard. That positive energy is what sparked us.”

That basket was Jeffress’ only shot attempt, but Carrington, Leggett and Blake Hinson did most of the damage to Wake Forest’s defensive efforts.

Leggett, who didn’t start, scored 22 (14 in the second half) and Hinson 17 (12 in the second half).

Overall, Carrington, Leggett and Hinson hit 22 of 41 shots, helping Pitt finish 45.6% from the field (26 of 57).

“We were trying to search for matchups, and (Carrington and Leggett) did a good job of attacking those matchups,” Capel said.

Meanwhile, Wake Forest was 6 of 22 (27.3%) from outside the 3-point arc after coming into the game third in the ACC (37.6%).

“We continued to fight. We missed shots we felt we were capable of making in the first half,” Capel said. “For our guys to be down 10 at the half and not to panic to stay together and to fight, I’m really, really proud of them.”

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