WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Gabe DeVoe scored 24 points and No. 20 Clemson beat Wake Forest 75-67 on Saturday.
Marcquise Reed added 10 of his 22 in the final six minutes to help the Tigers (19-4, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) win their third straight and claim sole possession of second place in the league standings, a half-game ahead of No. 4 Duke.
Bryant Crawford scored 16 points and Keyshawn Woods added 13 for the Demon Deacons (9-14, 2-9). Wake Forest went 5 minutes without a field goal down the stretch while Clemson finally took control of a tight game that had 20 lead changes and 12 ties.
Reed put the Tigers ahead to stay with a free throw with 3:39 to play, and his jumper with about 90 seconds left put Clemson up 69-65 -- the first time since early in the second half that the margin was greater than two possessions either way.
Doral Moore added 13 rebounds for the Demon Deacons. Shelton Mitchell finished with 10 points for the Tigers.
BIG PICTURE
Clemson: The Tigers did enough to sidestep a letdown that could have come following their victory over No. 19 North Carolina five nights earlier. The result was a leg up on the rest of the conference in the race for second in the ACC behind No. 2 Virginia, which has a three-game lead on everyone else.
Wake Forest: This one will go on the lengthy list of ones that got away for the Demon Deacons -- who also struggled down the stretch in losses to Tennessee, North Carolina and N.C. State. They missed nine of their final 10 shots in this one.
UP NEXT
Clemson: Plays host to Pittsburgh on Thursday night.
Wake Forest: Visits Miami on Wednesday night.