Wake Forest handles Boston College in ACC opener

Cameron Hildreth scored 22 points and Wake Forest relied on free throws in the second half to defeat visiting Boston College 72-66 in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams Saturday afternoon at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Hildreth added 10 rebounds for a double-double, Juke Harris provided 12 points off the bench and Efton Reid III and Tre'Von Spillers (nine rebounds) both scored 11 for Wake Forest (8-3), which made only two field goals across the final 12 minutes.

Elijah Strong scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half for Boston College (6-4), while Donald Hand Jr. scored 13 and Fred Payne finished with 12. The Eagles shot just 36.8 percent from the field, though 12 of their 21 field goals came from 3-point range.

Strong's two free throws made it a two-point game with 31 seconds left. Reid and Hildreth, who was 14 of 18 on foul shots, both drained two free throws to help the Demon Deacons finish the task.

Harris, a freshman who didn't play in Wake Forest's loss Tuesday night at Texas A&M, had eight first-half points and was on the court to begin the second half. He had three of the Demon Deacons' five 3-point baskets.

Strong had four 3s and Hand added three 3s for the Eagles.

Wake Forest posted a 25-12 scoring advantage on free throws.

Both teams had trouble on offense in their previous games and that trend resurfaced at times, including down the stretch.

Payne scored six straight points as Wake Forest had a two-minute scoring drought, putting the score at 55-all. Parker Friedrichsen's 3-pointer with 7:09 remaining was part of a mini-run as Wake Forest took the lead.

Boston College scored the first six points of the second half before Wake Forest rattled off the next 11 points. That burst was capped by a Harris 3-pointer.

Boston College opened an early 10-point lead, but the Demon Deacons were buoyed by a 9-0 run. Wake Forest's halftime lead was 38-35.

--Field Level Media