Jacari White added 14 points and Johann Grunloh had 12 points, nine rebounds and two blocks as the Cavaliers (26-4, 14-3) beat the Demon Deacons for the 14th time in the last 16 meetings.
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After a humiliating loss to No. 1 Duke in which they missed 28 of 35 3-point attempts, the Cavaliers once again struggled from long range. Virginia missed its first eight 3-point attempts and was 3 of 17 from beyond the arc in the first half.
The Cavaliers were better after halftime and finished 10 of 32 from deep, including a 3-pointer by Malik Thomas that made the score 71-62 with 1:23 left. Thomas finished with 11 points.
Mekhi Mason scored 26 points and Juke Harris scored 21 for the Demon Deacons (15-15, 6-11), who kept the outcome in doubt until the final seconds. Wake Forest pulled within 73-70 with 6.1 seconds left, but Virginia’s Dallin Hall made two free throws with 5.2 seconds left to seal the score.
The game was tied 22-2 with 4:48 left in the first half before the Cavaliers went on a 10-2 run and went to the locker room with a 32-24 lead.
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It was a terrible half for both teams. They combined to make 18 of 60 field goals.
Next
Wake Forest: Hosts California on Saturday.
Virginia: The hosts face Virginia Tech on Saturday.
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