Virginia Hammers Wake Forest, 74-51

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Jan. 8, 2014

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Malcolm Brogdon scored 14 points and Virginia started the game with a 22-6 run and never let up in an easy 74-51 victory against Wake Forest on Wednesday night.

Joe Harris and Justin Anderson added 11 points each for the Cavaliers (11-4, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who scored a season-high 41 first-half points and led by 17 at the break. The Demon Deacons scored the opening basket of the second half, and then the Cavaliers clinched the win with an 18-2 run.

Wake Forest (11-4, 1-1), coming off a 73-67 victory against then-No. 19 North Carolina, trailed by as many as 31 in losing its second straight to Virginia after having won seven of the last eight games in the series. The loss also dropped the Demon Deacons to 1-25 on the road in the conference under coach Jeff Bzdelik.

Coron Williams led Wake Forest with 11 points.

Brogdon scored six points and Akil Mitchell and Anthony Gill four each during the game-opening burst. The Cavaliers forced turnovers on the Demon Deacon’s first three possessions and led 6-0 before Wake Forest had even attempted a shot. Virginia led 11-0 when Codi Miller-McIntyre scored for Wake with 15:39 left in the half. Arnaud William Adala Moto then followed a 10-second violation by Virginia with another basket inside, and the Cavaliers then resumed their domination, scoring 11 of the next 13 points.

Wake Forest closed to within 32-22 with 3:16 left in the half, and Virginia closed it with a 9-2 run, getting a 3-pointer from Joe Harris that barely beat the halftime buzzer to take them into halftime ahead 41-24.

After Tyler Cavanaugh’s layup to start the scoring after halftime for Wake Forest, Harris sparked the 18-2 run with a layup, and the Demon Deacons turned it over on three consecutive possessions.

The return of Harris was an especially good sign for the Cavaliers. Their All-ACC first team guard from a year ago sustained a concussion after playing just 2 minutes in the Cavalier’s victory at Florida State on Saturday. Coach Tony Bennett said he didn’t practice Monday and his status was day-to-day.

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