CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) — Chris Lykes scored 25 points Saturday, including 12 free throws in the final five minutes without a miss, and the Miami Hurricanes earned their first Atlantic Coast Conference victory by beating Wake Forest 76-65.
In the second half the Hurricanes went 17 for 18 from the line while also shooting 52 percent.
Miami (9-7, 1-3 ACC) bounced back from its worst league start since joining the ACC in 2005. Wake Forest (7-8, 0-3) lost for the fifth time in six games.
First ACC dub of the season in the books… pic.twitter.com/bI2hG3NUxq
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) January 12, 2019
Lykes finished 14 for 14 at the line and added four assists. Teammate DJ Vasiljevic scored 14 points, including four 3-pointers, and Ebuka Izundu had 11 points and 11 rebounds.
Sophomore Chaundee Brown scored a career-high 22 points for Wake Forest.
The Demon Deacons had a season-high in misfires from 3-point range, going 7 for 33, and shot 34 percent from the field overall. They were averaging 19 points from the free throw line but went only 8 for 9 there.
Miami, playing with a seven-man rotation, overcame a recent tendency to fade late in games. After a seesaw first half, Zach Johnson put the Hurricanes ahead to stay with a 3-pointer two minutes into the second half.
Consecutive 3-pointers by Lykes and Vasiljevic gave the Hurricanes a 57-49 lead with eight minutes to go. A 10-0 run — including eight free throws by Lykes — increased their advantage to 70-53.
Six 20-point games already this season…
Not too bad, @IAm_Lykesdat. pic.twitter.com/dQolsGJwOU
— Canes Men’s Basketball (@CanesHoops) January 12, 2019
The Hurricanes won despite being outrebounded. They were outscored 24-4 on second-chance points.
BIG PICTURE
The Demon Deacons lost their ninth game in a row in Florida, with their last win in 2011-12.
Miami forward Dewan Hernandez, who has yet to play this season because of an eligibility issue, will have a hearing Monday before the NCAA.
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons, who are in a stretch where they’ll face four ranked teams in five games, play host to No. 15 North Carolina State on Tuesday.
Miami has a week off before playing host to No. 12 North Carolina on Saturday.
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