Hildreth scores 21 points, rallies Wake Forest in second half for 71-56 win over Charleston Southern
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) — Cameron Hildreth scored 21 points, 16 in the second half, to lead Wake Forest to a 71-56 win over Charleston Southern on Friday.
The Demon Deacons went on a 15-2 run early in the second half, with 11 points coming from the foul line, to turn a 39-32 deficit into a 47-41 lead with 8:58 to play. They steadily pulled away from there.
Kevin Miller added 14 points for the Demon Deacons (3-3) and Andrew Carr and Hunter Sallis both had 12. Carr, who had 10 points in the second half, also had 10 rebounds.
Wake Forest outscored the Buccaneers 43-24 in the second half. The Demon Deacons were 20 of 22 from the line after halftime and went 11 of 23 of from the field.
DJ Patrick had 13 points for Charleston Southern (2-4), Taje’ Kelly had 12 points and 11 rebounds and A’lahn Sumler added 10 points. The Bucs shot just 27% (7 of 26) in the second half after shooting 48% (12 of 25) in the first. They finished 12 of 16 from the foul line.
Zach Keller’s dunk pulled the Deacons within 39-34 with 15:28 to play, starting the run that flipped the game. Miller followed with a pair of free throws before Hildreth had a layup and two free throws for a 40-39 lead at 12:35.
Sumler scored for the Buccaneers, but Carr made five free throws and Sallis had a pair before Charleston Southern scored again.
It wasn’t until Sallis made a layup at 4:10 that the lead reached double figures at 57-47. Carr’s 3 with two minutes to play finally put the difference in double figures for good at 62-51.
Charleston Southern had a pair of 7-0 runs in the first half to build a 30-20 lead three minutes before the break, but the Demon Deacons reeled off eight before Kelly’s later jumper made it 32-28.
The only difference in an evenly played first half was the Buccaneers making 12 of 25 shots to Wake Forest going 10 of 25.
The second game of Wake Forest’s seven-game homestand is against Florida on Wednesday.
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