Cole Anthony racked up 28 points, and Garrison Brooks scored 25 as North Carolina ended a home schedule filled with misery by defeating visiting Wake Forest 93-83 on Tuesday night at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Brandon Robinson, a senior in his last home game, added 18 points for the Tar Heels.
North Carolina (13-17, 6-13 Atlantic Coast Conference), which has a three-game winning streak for the first time since November, will try to climb out of the ACC cellar when the regular season ends Saturday night at No. 12 Duke.
North Carolina ended up 4-6 in ACC home games.
Brandon Childress poured in 24 points to pace Wake Forest (13-16, 6-13), which was trying to produce a three-game winning streak against ACC opponents for the first time since 2017.
Isaiah Mucius added 13 points, Olivier Sarr checked in with 12 and Jahcobi Neath had 10. Sarr, a center who was coming off a 30-point, 17-rebound effort against Notre Dame and was the ACC Player of the Week, also had 11 rebounds.
Anthony, who made seven 3-pointers on Saturday at Syracuse, was back at it from long range by going 4-for-5.
Wake Forest won 74-57 in last month's home game against North Carolina, which was amid what became a seven-game losing streak for the Tar Heels.
This time, the Demon Deacons never led after making the first basket, but they were within two points inside of the final nine minutes.
Robinson's 3-pointer on back-to-back possessions pushed the North Carolina edge to 78-69 with 5:23 to play.
By then, the Tar Heels were hitting at 74 percent from the field in the second half. That helped North Carolina keep a safe margin after a string of late-game home collapses earlier this winter. Wake Forest never got closer than six the rest of the way.
Shortly after three players who were part of an all-senior starting lineup exited, the Tar Heels jumped out to a 12-2 lead. Wake Forest pulled even at 17-17. North Carolina went into the half leading 35-34.
North Carolina forward Armando Bacot missed the game with an ankle injury.
Wake Forest hasn't won at the Smith Center since 2010, losing for the sixth straight trip.
--Field Level Media
Wake Forest | North Carolina | |
Brandon Childress 24 | Scoring | Cole Anthony 28 |
Brandon Childress 9 | Assists | Cole Anthony 7 |
Olivier Sarr 11 | Rebounds | Rechon Black 8 |
Brandon Childress 8 | Free Throws Made | Cole Anthony 8 |
Isaiah Mucius 3 | Steals | Rechon Black 1 |
Ismael Massoud 1 | Blocks | Rechon Black 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Wake Forest | 83 | 48.3 | 9-20 | 18-22 | 17 | 33 | 2 | 5 | 13 |
North Carolina | 93 | 50.8 | 10-17 | 21-28 | 18 | 29 | 2 | 4 | 7 |