WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Reggie Johnson hit two free throws with 4 seconds left and Miami survived a rimmed-out 3-pointer at the buzzer to beat last-place Wake Forest 74-73 on Wednesday to snap a 13-game Atlantic Coast Conference road losing streak.
Playing in his hometown, Johnson scored 25 points and grabbed seven rebounds, calmly sinking both foul shots for the 20th lead change of the night.
Wake Forest was out of time outs, but quickly got the ball to J.T. Terrell, whose deep 3-pointer did a 360-degree role around the rim before falling out as the horn sounded.
Durand Scott added 17 points before fouling out for the Hurricanes (15-9, 4-6), who won their third straight game. It was Miami's first win in six tries at Joel Coliseum.
C.J. Harris scored a career-high 24 points, including two free throws with 11.3 seconds left to give Wake Forest (8-16, 1-8) its last lead.
It marked the eighth straight tight game for the Hurricanes, who are starting to find ways to win them as they try to move up the ACC ladder. Winning on the road had been the most difficult hurdle.
Wake Forest, which had lost its previous seven ACC games at least 19 points, shot 54 percent and got a big game from Harris.
He hit 17 of 18 free throws by constantly beating his defenders off the dribble. His last two free throws weren't enough, however, because Wake Forest had no answer for Johnson inside.
Just like he did in the ACC tournament last March — hitting all eight shots in a Miami romp — the Demon Deacons struggled to contain him.
Carson Desrosiers and Ty Walker each had three fouls by the 17:34 mark of the second half while guarding Johnson. Wake Forest started double-teaming him, but Johnson was still managing to squirt through and score in the post.
In a game that also included 14 ties, Miami went ahead 66-61 on Garrius Adams' bucket with 5:19 left as Harris sat on the bench with four fouls. But the Demon Deacons rallied to tie it at 70 on Terrell's straightaway 3-pointer with 2:22 left.
Terrell hit one free throw with 1:12 left to put Wake Forest ahead before Scott's two free throws with 39 seconds left put Miami on top 72-71.
Terrell and Travis McKie had 10 points apiece, while Adrian Thomas and Malcolm Grant scored 10 each for Miami, which held a 29-21 rebounding edge.
The short-handed Demon Deacons played without starter Ari Stewart (illness) a day after reserve Melvin Tabb was kicked off the team for violating team rules. But Harris helped make up for it.
He had 16 points in the first half, including a four-point play and 9-of-10 free-throw shooting, as Wake Forest rallied from an early 14-5 deficit to tie it at 37.
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