Reynolds Career-High Day Leads Virginia Over Wake Forest , 88-76

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Jan. 21, 2007

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -J.R. Reynolds hit six 3-pointers and scored a career-high 40 points Sunday, leading Virginia to an 88-76 victory against Wake Forest.

Reynolds had 20 points in each half, and combined with Sean Singletary for 37 of the Cavaliers 40 first-half points. Singletary finished with 19 as Virginia (11-6, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) handed the Demon Deacons their fourth loss in a row.

Wake Forest (9-9, 1-5) got 14 points from freshman Jamie Skeen but only eight from Kyle Visser, who arrived fourth in the conference with a 17.9-point scoring average.

Reynolds scored nine points in a span of a minute and a half to boost the Cavaliers to a 69-54 lead – their largest – with 9:38 left. The Demon Deacons got no closer than eight thereafter, and Reynolds left to a standing ovation in the final minute.

Wake Forest trailed by just two at halftime, 40-38, scoring almost as many points as they did during the entire game Thursday when they lost, 62-40, at No. 14 Duke.

But the Cavaliers opened the second half with a 12-2 run that spanned almost five minutes and finally got players other than Reynolds and Singletary involved in the scoring. Mamadi Diane, whose career-high 26-point game helped the Cavs get past Maryland on Tuesday, hit two 3-pointers during the run after not scoring in the first half.

Diane finished with 10 points.

Ishmael Smith added 13 for Wake Forest, Harvey Hale had 11 and Michael Drum 10.

Wake Forest shot just 39.4 percent, while Virginia shot 52.7 percent.

Reynolds was also key in the last meeting between the teams on Feb. 4. He hit a jumper with 4.1 seconds left to break a tie and give Virginia a 75-73 victory.