BLACKSBURG, W.Va. — In a competitive matchup on Saturday, Hunter Sallis led Wake Forest to a 72-63 victory over Virginia Tech by scoring 24 points, while teammate Cameron Hildreth contributed 21 points to the win.

The Demon Deacons gained momentum early and never relinquished the lead after Sallis drained a three-pointer, fueling a 12-3 scoring surge that allowed Wake Forest to pull ahead 48-43 with just over 12 minutes left on the clock. The Hokies put up a strong fight, but late free throws from Hildreth and Juke Harris, combined with a crucial layup from Sallis, solidified Wake Forest’s lead at 71-61 with only 18 seconds remaining.

This victory improved Wake Forest’s record to 14-4, including an impressive 6-1 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, marking their best start in league play since the 1996-97 season when the team was led by Tim Duncan. The Demon Deacons capitalized on Virginia Tech’s 14 turnovers, converting them into 14 points, and also turned six offensive rebounds into 16 additional points. Notably, this win continued Wake Forest’s five-game streak in the ACC—its first such run since the 2004-05 season. Sallis has now scored over 20 points in seven consecutive games.

For the Hokies, Jaden Schutt was the leading scorer with 12 points, while Mylyjael Poteat added 11 points. Tobi Lawal contributed 10 points and secured 12 rebounds, and Brandon Rechsteiner also scored 10 points. Meanwhile, Tyler Johnson was effective on the boards with 10 rebounds.

Despite their efforts, Virginia Tech struggled offensively, managing to force only seven turnovers throughout the game and obtaining just eight points from nine offensive rebounds.

In the first half, Sallis played a key role with 10 points as Wake Forest built a lead of as much as 10 points, yet they entered halftime with a narrow lead of 31-29.

The second half began with Schutt scoring a four-point play that temporarily gave Virginia Tech a 33-31 advantage. The Hokies would only see their last lead five minutes into the period when Lawal knocked down a three-pointer to push the score to 43-41. However, Sallis answered back with another vital three-pointer at 14:47, allowing Wake Forest to regain control of the game.

Looking ahead, Wake Forest is set to host North Carolina on Tuesday and then will face No. 3 Duke next Saturday, while Virginia Tech will travel to Georgia Tech on Wednesday.