Field Level Media
Nov 18, 2018
Jaylen Hoard posted a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds as Wake Forest held off Valparaiso 69-63 in the fifth-place game of the Myrtle Beach Invitational on Sunday at HTC Center in Conway, S.C.
Isaiah Mucius poured in 13 off the bench and starters Brandon Childress and Sharone Wright Jr. each added 12 points for the Demon Deacons, who shot 44.2 percent from the field.
Wake Forest (3-1) took a 33-30 lead into the second half, but fell behind 34-33 on a layup by Ryan Fazekas with 18:10 remaining.
A Derrik Smits jumper extended the lead to 36-33, but a free throw by Hoard and a 3-pointer by Childress put Wake Forest in front.
After the teams traded baskets, the Deacons would not trail again..
Smits led the Crusaders (2-2) with 23 points and six rebounds. Javon Freeman was the only other Valparaiso player in double figures, scoring 11 points.
Fazekas finished with seven points and five rebounds, but his 1-for-5 showing from outside typified the Crusaders' struggles from the perimeter.
As a team, Valparaiso made just 4 of 18 3-point attempts (22.2 percent), with junior guard Bakari Evelyn making just one of his seven tries.
The Demon Deacons made seven of their 16 3-point attempts (43.8 percent), the last one a shot from Wright that pushed the lead to 65-56 with 3:31 remaining.
Wake Forest next plays Houston Baptist on Friday. Valparaiso hosts SIU-Edwardsville on Wednesday.
--Field Level Media