WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – J.T. Terrell scored 18 points off the bench and Wake Forest used a key second-half run to beat High Point 79-63 on Wednesday night, ending a four-game losing streak.
Travis McKie added 13 points and Gary Clark and C.J. Harris had 11 each for the Demon Deacons (7-8), who led by as many as 21 points late in the second half.
Nick Barbour scored 12 points for the Panthers (5-8), who lost their fifth straight despite fighting back from a 12-point halftime deficit to pull within four twice early in the second half.
The loss dropped High Point to 0-10 against Atlantic Coast Conference teams since moving from the NAIA to the NCAA Division I level in 1999.
It also ended Wake Forest's two-game losing streak against Big South teams this season. The Demon Deacons had lost to Winthrop 83-73 on Nov. 22 in the NIT Season Tip-Off, and to Presbyterian 66-64 on Dec. 21.
However, High Point looked like it would make it three straight in the opening minutes of the second half. Down 38-26 at the break, the Panthers scored on 11 of their first 16 possessions and cut Wake Forest's lead to 55-50 with 11:12 remaining.
The Demon Deacons responded by stopping High Point on seven straight possessions while going a 14-point run. Clark's 3-pointer gave Wake Forest a 69-50 lead with 7:27 left.
The Demon Deacons would then go ahead by 21 points twice, the last at 76-55 on Carson Desrosiers' hook shot with 3:31 remaining.
Terrell scored 14 points in the first half for the Demon Deacons, all coming at key moments. He scored seven straight points during a 9-3 run, capped by a three-point play that put Wake Forest ahead 15-7 with 11:18 left.
Terrell nailed a jumper with 4:51 remaining that put the Demon Deacons up 27-16, their first double-digit lead, then drained a 3-pointer with 1:31 left to give Wake Forest a 36-22 margin, its biggest lead of the half.