Field Level Media
Jan 6, 2021
Sam Hauser's 16 points and 11 rebounds carried No. 22 Virginia to a 70-61 home victory against Wake Forest on Wednesday night at Charlottesville, Va.
Virginia (6-2, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) which had a weekend game called off because of a staff member's positive test for coronavirus, overcame a ragged first half.
All five Virginia starters scored in double figures, with Trey Murphy III adding 13 points, Reece Beekman posting 12 points, Jay Huff tallying 11 points and Kihei Clark notching 10 points.
Isaiah Mucius and Jonah Antonio both scored 14 points and Ismael Massoud added 13 points for Wake Forest (3-2, 0-2).
Wake Forest, playing the first of two scheduled road games this week against nationally ranked teams, was in the middle game of a three-game stretch of road assignments.
Virginia shot 53.8 percent from the field and went to the free-throw line for only 10 attempts (making eight). But the Cavaliers clicked at the right times.
Virginia began the second half with a 14-4 run for a 48-43 edge. The Cavaliers made 10 of their first 12 shots of the second half on the way to extending their lead to 62-49.
Wake Forest led 39-34 at halftime, buoyed by 63 percent shooting (15 of 24). The Demon Deacons were 6-for-10 on 3-pointers in the opening half after going 3-for-20 from long distance in Sunday night's loss at Georgia Tech. They finished 10 of 19 on the 3-point attempts.
The Cavaliers trailed 28-17 with less than eight minutes to play in the first half.
Wake Forest shot 51.1 percent from the field with 13 turnovers. The Demon Deacons reserves outscored Virginia's backups by 21-8.
The rebounding battle was even at 26 apiece. Wake Forest collected only four offensive rebounds.
Hauser, who shot 7-for-13 from the field, was the only Virginia player with more than five rebounds.
--Field Level Media