WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Tyrece Radford scored 20 points to help No. 20 Virginia Tech hold off Wake Forest 64-60 on Sunday, earning the Hokies’ third league win in the span of eight days.
Radford made 6 of 7 shots, then went 6 for 6 at the foul line in the final 45.4 seconds, part of a grind to the finish for the Hokies (11-2, 5-1 Atlantic Coast Conference).
Hunter Cattoor added 13 points with a couple of big baskets in the final 5 minutes that helped Virginia Tech stay in front, and freshman David N’Guessan also had a season-high 13 points while making all five of his shots.
It wasn’t pretty much of the way for Mike Young’s Hokies, who shot 48% but had 15 turnovers while being beaten on the boards to help the Demon Deacons with extra scoring chances. They also had quiet days from top scorers Keve Aluma and Jalen Cone, who combined for one made field goal.
But they still earned their first 5-1 start in ACC play since 2007 and only their second since joining the league for the 2004-05 season.
Ismael Massoud scored 12 points for the Demon Deacons (3-5, 0-5), who were playing a fourth straight game against a ranked opponent. Wake Forest shot 52% after halftime and fought back from 10 down to tie it with about 8 minutes left, but it never managed to push in front to increase the pressure on the visiting Hokies.
BIG PICTURE
Virginia Tech: Virginia Tech beat Notre Dame last Sunday and No. 19 Duke two days later. They followed that by beating the Demon Deacons for the fifth straight meeting dating to 2017 and haven’t lost to Wake Forest in Winston-Salem since January 2015.
Wake Forest: Things hadn’t been easy of late for the Demon Deacons, who were picked to finish last in the ACC in the preseason. They had lost to No. 18 Virginia and No. 19 Duke in the past two weeks and were coming off Wednesday’s loss to No. 16 Louisville. As with that game, Wake Forest fought back from a double-digit deficit but couldn’t earn the first league win for first-year coach Steve Forbes.
UP NEXT
Virginia Tech: The Hokies host Boston College on Wednesday.
Wake Forest: The Demon Deacons visit North Carolina on Wednesday.
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