Wake Forest University
Virginia Tech
Deacs Rally for 89-84 Win at Virginia Tech
3/4/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Wake Forest overcame a double-digit deficit for the third consecutive game to defeat Virginia Tech 89-84 Saturday afternoon in the Cassell Coliseum. The victory is the first for the Demon Deacons in Blacksburg since the 2013-14 season.
Down by as much as 13, the Demon Deacons used a 9-0 run in the second half to gain the lead with 10:59 remaining in the contest. The teams traded baskets until a layup from Bryant Crawford with 8:14 to go gave the Deacs the lead that they carried for the remainder of the game.
The victory marks the third consecutive conference win for the Demon Deacons, the first such streak since 2009-10. Wake Forest (18-12, 9-9) is now .500 in conference play and has won 18 regular season games for the first time since 2009-10 as well.
Crawford matched a career high with 26 points. He went 5-for-8 from the field and 13-for-14 from the free throw line to achieve the game-high 26 points.
Austin Arians also matched a season-high and set an ACC career-high with 15 points while Keyshawn Woods added 14 for the Deacs. With 13 points on the day, John Collins beame the first Deac since Josh Howard in 2002-03 to average 20.0 points per game in ACC play. Brandon Childress also added 11 points for Wake Forest.
Virginia Tech (21-9, 10-8 ACC) used an early 6-0 run to gain an eight-point advantage over the Demon Deacons. Wake Forest opened the contest 4-for-6 from the beyond the arc, including three early triples from Arians. It wasn't until a pair of free throws from Mitchell Wilbekin at the 13:34 mark that the Deacs earned points from somewhere besides the three-point line. The Hokies continued to hold the Deacs at arm's-length and gained a 13-point advantage with 5:55 remaining in the half. A four-point play from Crawford cut the Hokies' lead down to single digits and the Deacs continued chip away at Tech's lead to enter halftime down five, 47-42. Arians finished the opening frame with 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting, including 3-for-6 from beyond the arc, while Crawford went 2-for-3 from the three-point line and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line for 11 points.
The Hokies used a 5-0 run to gain an early 10-point advantage in the second half. However, the Deacs cut the disadvantage down to four with a 6-0 run of their own. The teams traded baskets until Wake Forest went on a 9-0 run capped by a triple from Wilbekin with 10:59 remaining in the contest to give the Deacs the lead. It was the first lead for the Black and Gold since they led by one just 24 seconds into the contest. After a quick run from Virginia Tech, Wake Forest went on a huge 7-0 run to give the Deacs a seven-point lead that the Hokies could not overcome as the Deacs take the 89-84 victory.
Next up, the Demon Deacons head to Brooklyn, N.Y. to participate in the 2017 ACC Tournament. The Demon Deacons will be the No. 10 seed and will open the tournament Tuesday against the No. 15 seed Boston College. Tip is set for 2 p.m.
