WINSTON-SALEM — Tyree Appleby scored a season-high 35 points, 23 coming at the free-throw line, and Wake Forest built a big lead early then held on for a 92-85 victory over UNC on Tuesday night.
Appleby was just two points short of his career high while tying his best of 11 assists and sharing the team lead with seven rebounds. Though only 6 of 20 from the floor, he made a career-best 23 of 28 free throws, including 13 straight in the final two minutes when the Tar Heels got as close as seven after trailing by 26 early in the second half.
Damari Monsanto had three 3-pointers and 16 points with seven rebounds and Matthew Marsh came off the bench to score 10 points for the Demon Deacons (16-9, 8-6 ACC), who won their second straight after losing four in a row.
Caleb Love made all four of UNC’s 3-pointers, including three in the final minute, and finished with 24 points for the Tar Heels (15-9, 7-6), who have lost three straight. Armando Bacot, who played only eight minutes of the second half before fouling out, had 17 points and 11 rebounds. RJ Davis added 16 points and Pete Nance had 11 points and 10 rebounds.
When these teams met on Jan. 4, an 88-79 win for UNC, there were 20 lead changes. Tuesday night, there was a lone lead change two minutes into the game as Wake Forest quickly took control and led 47-25 at halftime.
The Tar Heels trailed by 10 with 3½ minutes left in the game not long after Bacot fouled out. They got as close as seven in the final minute thanks to Love but no closer because of Appleby.
Still, it took two from the line by Daivien Williamson with 12 seconds left for a 10-point lead that finally ensured the win before Love hit his final 3-pointer.
In their Jan. 4 game, UNC scored 32 points off 15 turnovers. Tuesday, the Deacons committed just five. They finished 33 of 42 at the line to 21 of 26 for the Heels.
UNC is home against Clemson and Wake Forest is host to Georgia Tech, both games on Saturday.
No. 8 Virginia 63, No. 22 NC State 50
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Jayden Gardner scored 18 points and Reece Beekman added 15 and No. 8 Virginia cooled off red-hot No. 22 NC State 63-50 on Tuesday night.
The Cavaliers (18-4, 10-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) handed the Wolfpack (19-6, 9-5) their second loss in 10 games and moved into a share of first place in the conference with Clemson and Pittsburgh.
The Wolfpack arrived leading the ACC with an average of 79.6 points and were 19-2 when scoring at least 70 but became the 38th consecutive league opponent held below 70 points at John Paul Jones Arena.
Terquavion Smith led NC State with 19 points and Casey Morsell, who spent his first two seasons at Virginia and was jeered nearly every time he touched the ball in his first game back, had 18 points before fouling out in the final minute.
Jarkel Joiner, the Wolfpack’s No. 2 scorer at 16.2 points per game, missed 12 of his 14 shots and scored five points. D.J. Burns Jr. (eight points) was the only other Wolfpack player to score.
Reserve forward Kadin Shedrick, who did not play in Virginia’s loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday, had 10 points and six rebounds for the Cavaliers.
Virginia scored the first six points of the second half to open its largest lead at 40-20, but the Wolfpack began whittling away, fueled by a 12-6 burst in which Smith and Morsell each hit a pair of 3-pointers.
NC State twice closed within nine points but got no closer. Morsell’s 3 made it 55-46 with 3:46 to play, but Beekman made a free throw and then took a no-look pass from Kihei Clark for an easy backdoor layup.
Virginia closed the first half on an 8-2 run to lead 34-20 at the break. The Wolfpack missed 10 straight shots before Burns scored just before the half.
Both teams play on Saturday, with NC State visiting Boston College and Virginia hosting Duke.
UNC Greensboro 91, ETSU 65
GREENSBORO — Keondre Kennedy’s 21 points helped UNC Greensboro defeat East Tennessee State 91-65 on Tuesday night.
Kennedy added seven rebounds for the Spartans (17-9, 11-2 Southern Conference). Keyshaun Langley scored 19 points and Mikeal Brown-Jones added 11.
Jalen Haynes finished with 23 points and six rebounds for the Buccaneers (9-17, 5-8). Jordan King added 20 points for East Tennessee State. Jaden Seymour also put up 11 points, seven rebounds and three blocks.
