LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — Tre’Von Spillers delivered a standout performance, recording a season-high of 18 points alongside matching his career-best of 16 rebounds, leading Wake Forest to a 57-51 victory over Minnesota on Friday. This game secured third place for Wake Forest at the ESPN Events Invitational.

With this win, Wake Forest improved to 7-2 for the season, marking their second victory against a Big Ten team, having previously edged out Michigan with a close score of 72-70 earlier this month.

A crucial moment came when Cameron Hildreth maneuvered through the defense to execute a reverse layup, pushing Wake Forest ahead with a critical 56-51 lead. Minnesota’s Lu’Cye Patterson attempted a challenging three-pointer but missed, allowing Efton Reid III to grab the defensive rebound.

Parker Friedrichsen sealed the game by making the first of two free throws with just 5.1 seconds remaining, establishing a six-point cushion. He then retrieved his own missed attempt on the second free throw, paving the way for Wake Forest to run down the clock.

Hildreth contributed a solid 13 points, while Reid came close to a double-double with 10 points and eight rebounds. The Demon Deacons were dominant in the paint, out-rebounding Minnesota 42-27, which offset their struggling performance from beyond the arc, as they managed only 1-for-15 in three-point shooting.

For Minnesota, Lu’Cye Patterson was the leading scorer with 12 points, while Isaac Asuma added 11 points to the team’s total. Both teams struggled with their shooting, finishing below 42% overall and collectively hitting only 4 of 33 attempts from three-point range.

Looking ahead, Wake Forest is set to challenge No. 20 Texas A&M on Tuesday as part of the SEC/ACC Men’s Challenge. Meanwhile, Minnesota will return to their home court to face Bethune-Cookman on Sunday.