Devon Hall added 12 points for the Cavaliers (18-1, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference), who have won 10 consecutive games. Hall made four free throws in the last 64 seconds as part of the team's 6-for-6 effort at the line down the stretch.
Virginia is 7-0 in the ACC for the second time in four seasons.
Wake Forest was held to a season-low point total despite Bryant Crawford's 11 points, Brandon Childress' 10 points and Mitchell Wilbekin's 10 points. The Demon Deacons' previous low mark was 60 points in a loss to Tennessee.
Wake Forest's Doral Moore pulled in 13 rebounds to go with nine points.
Virginia improved on its national-leading defense that had allowed 52.6 points per game entering the weekend.
Wake Forest (8-11, 1-6) lost its fifth game in a row and has a quick turnaround with a visit from another top-five team when Duke arrives Tuesday night. The Demon Deacons dropped to 0-4 against ranked opponents.
Wake Forest led 30-25 early in the second half before three consecutive turnovers helped Virginia climb to a 33-30 edge.
The Cavaliers went up 42-35 before Wake Forest rallied and had two chances to regain the lead with more than eight minutes left.
Hunter and Hall hit back-to-back 3-pointers as Virginia climbed back to a seven-point edge. Hunter hit another trey for a 53-45 lead with 3:44 to play.
Wake Forest held a 24-22 halftime lead. Virginia had trailed at the break this season only in its loss at West Virginia.
The Cavaliers didn't attempt a free throw in the first half, when they shot 35.7 percent from the field. Virginia had several shots altered by Wake Forest's tall interior defense.
Wake Forest used a 9-0 spurt to take a 19-17 lead.
Virginia needed a buzzer-beating basket to win on its last visit to Joel Coliseum two years ago.
--Field Level Media
Virginia | Wake Forest | |
Kyle Guy 17 | Scoring | Bryant Crawford 11 |
Kyle Guy 4 | Assists | Bryant Crawford 4 |
Devon Hall 7 | Rebounds | Doral Moore 13 |
Devon Hall 6 | Free Throws Made | Bryant Crawford 3 |
Kyle Guy 4 | Steals | Bryant Crawford 2 |
Isaiah Wilkins 4 | Blocks | Doral Moore 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Virginia | 59 | 40.4 | 7-17 | 10-10 | 12 | 30 | 6 | 7 | 10 |
Wake Forest | 49 | 37.0 | 4-13 | 11-14 | 9 | 28 | 4 | 3 | 12 |