Kevin Miller scored 18 points and Hunter Sallis provided 17 points as Wake Forest blew out visiting Pitt 91-58 on Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C., in a game billed as crucial for both teams’ NCAA Tournament hopes.
Cameron Hildreth’s 13 points and five assists, Efton Reid III’s 12 points and Andrew Carr’s 10 points and eight rebounds were also boosts for Wake Forest (17-9, 9-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), which moved alone into fourth place in the ACC by shooting 60.8 percent. Sallis and teammate Parker Friedrichsen made three 3-point attempts.
It marked Wake Forest’s third victory by 29 or more points this month in ACC play.
Reserve Ishmael Leggett had 15 points, Jaland Lowe notched 12 points and Blake Hinson managed 10 points for Pitt (17-9, 8-7), which had a five-game winning streak snapped and failed to complete a season sweep of the Demon Deacons. The winning streak began with a 77-72 decision against Wake Forest on Jan. 31.
Hinson, a guard who scored 41 points Saturday vs. Louisville, shot 3-for-10 from the field. He had just two first-half points with three shots.
The Panthers hit 29 percent of their shots.
Wake Forest, which failed to protect a lead in the loss at Pitt, left little doubt Tuesday; a 19-4 stretch to open the second half created a 64-37 cushion. The Demon Deacons, who connected on 19 of 20 free throws, improved to 14-0 at home.
Wake Forest, coming off road losses to Duke and Virginia last week, used a 15-3 spurt to go up 32-18.
The Demon Deacons’ 45-33 halftime edge came courtesy of 58.3 percent shooting compared to Pitt’s 36.7 percent. The Panthers shot just 5-for-13 on 2-point attempts, though they benefited from six 3-point baskets.
Wake Forest scored nine of the first 11 points of the second half, a run capped by Matthew Marsh’s dunk as part of a three-point play. Marsh finished with a season-high seven points.
–Field Level Media