CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Wake Forest did a fine job on defense against No. 10 Miami. It was the Demon Deacons' play on the offensive end that did them in.
The Demon Deacons held the Hurricanes 15 points below their season average but shot just 25 percent in a 64-39 loss on Thursday night — Wake's fourth in its last five conference games.
"You've got to score to beat Miami," Wake Forest coach Mike Petersen said. "You can't expect to come down here and play in the 50s. We were trying to get to 70s to get it done. We didn't make enough shots and didn't execute well."
Wake Forest (12-8, 2-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) suffered through extended scoring droughts at the end of both halves and was 15 of 60 from the field in the game.
"On the road against the (10th) ranked team in the country and you shoot 25 percent, you're not going to win," Petersen said. "That's our league. On the road, we need to score a little more."
Secily Ray was Wake Forest's high scorer with nine points.
Stefanie Yderstrom and Riquna Williams scored 14 points each to lead the Hurricanes (18-3, 7-1) to their seventh consecutive win and 36th straight at home.
"This wasn't a momentum win at all," Miami coach Katie Meier said. "I'm complimenting Wake Forest when I say it was an ugly win. That's a compliment to their staff and how well they prepare for you.
"It was kind of disjointed, gritty, grimy and scrummy. We had to play it."
The Hurricanes expanded their 13-point halftime lead with consecutive baskets from Shenise Johnson and Sylvia Bullock in the first 1:17 of the second half. Bullock's lay-up with 18:43 remaining put Miami ahead 37-20.
Sandra Garcia's jumper with 7:01 remaining pulled Wake to 52-39, but Johnson and Yderstrom followed with consecutive 3-pointers to stretch the Hurricanes' lead to 58-39.
Williams' layup with 1:59 remaining gave Miami a 60-39 lead and the Hurricanes finished the game on a 12-0 run, holding the Demon Deacons without a point after Garcia's basket.
Johnson finished with 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for the Hurricanes.
"It was grimy out there; It felt like an ACC game," Johnson said. "I think they messed up our timing a little bit and did a great job of being physical."
The Demon Deacons stayed within striking distance until Miami ran off nine unanswered points late in the first half. Williams' jumper inside the lane with 1:18 remaining capped the surge and gave the Hurricanes a 33-18 lead.
Miami held Wake Forest without a field goal for a 6:03 span until Brooke Thomas' jumper with 1:00 left ended the drought and cut the Hurricanes' lead to 33-20 at halftime.
Millesa Calicott's 3-pointer with 7:57 remaining reduced the Hurricanes' lead to 24-18 before Miami went on its late first-half run.
"They were matching us point for point and had more energy than us to start the game," Meier said. "But after they got through that our defense just took over."
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