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Newton’s 18 helps No. 15 Miami beat Wake Forest 77-63

Ja'Quan Newton

Miami guard Ja’Quan Newton (0) prepares to shoot against Charlotte during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game, Saturday, Dec. 5, 2015, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

AP

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) Reserve Ja’Quan Newton scored 18 points and No. 15 Miami overcame a flurry of misses in the paint to beat Wake Forest 77-63 on Saturday.

Miami missed 11 layups and two dunks but pulled away by clamping down defensively and making 14 of 15 free throws in the final 10 minutes.

The Hurricanes (15-3, 4-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) won despite shooting only 36 percent. Wake Forest (10-9, 1-6) shot 39 percent and lost its fourth straight.

While the Hurricanes struggled inside, they shot 24 for 28 (86 percent) from the free throw line, outscoring the Demon Deacons there by 13 points.

Sheldon McClellan had 14 points, six rebounds, five assists and three steals for Miami. Backcourt mate Angel Rodriguez added 14 points and five steals.

Newton played only 25 minutes. But his jumper with 9:36 left put the Hurricanes ahead to stay, 50-48, and his three-point play during a 9-0 run helped Miami surge to a 65-51 lead.

Devin Thomas had 12 points and nine rebounds for Wake Forest. Bryant Crawford had 12 points and six assists, but also had six of the Deacons’ 16 turnovers.

The Hurricanes held their largest lead of the first half at 31-20 before Wake Forest outscored them 13-4 in the final 3 1/2 minutes to trail only 35-33 at halftime.

TIP-INS

Wake Forest: The Deacons shot 6 for 18 from 3-point range. They had been 4 for 38 in the previous two games.

Miami: Newton shot 5 for 10 from the field and 7 for 9 from the line. ... The Hurricanes’ bench outscored Wake Forest’s reserves 33-22.

UP NEXT

Wake Forest: hosts No. 13 Virginia on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The game had been scheduled for Monday but was postponed because of this weekend’s snowstorm. It will be Wake Forest’s third consecutive game against a ranked team.

Miami: hosts No. 20 Duke on Monday.