Hildreth, Appleby help Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech 71-70

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- — Cameron Hildreth hit 9 of 12 from the free-throw line and scored 19 points, Tyree Appleby had four of his 16 points in the final 13 seconds and Wake Forest beat Georgia Tech 71-70 Saturday night.

Dallan “Deebo” Coleman hit a 3-pointer with three minutes to play and Deivon Smith followed with a jumper to give Georgia Tech a 68-63 lead with 2:07 remaining. Appleby answered with a jumper 19 seconds later, Carr added two free throws and Appleby got into the lane, pivoted three times and then tossed up a finger roll that hung on the front of the rim before dropping in to give the Demon Deacons a one-point lead with 13 seconds left. Smith responded with a layup that made it 70-69 with 7.0 seconds left but Appleby got into the lane, drew a foul with 2.4 seconds to go and made both free throws to cap the scoring.

Appleby, who finished with six assists and two steals, made just two of his first 11 shots but went 3 for 3 from the field and 2 for 2 from the foul line in the final six minutes for Wake Forest (17-9, 9-6). Bobi Klintman added 11 points.

Georgia Tech (9-15, 2-12 ACC), which beat Notre Dame 70-68 last time out to snap a nine-game skid, has lost 12 of its last 14 games.

Smith led the Yellow Jackets with 15 points and Ja'von Franklin added 14 points and a career-best 15 rebounds.

Hildreth scored eight points in a 16-2 run that gave Wake Forest an 11-point lead with 13 minutes left in the first half, but the Yellow Jackets scored 18 of the next 23 points — including seven from Jalon Moore — to take a 23-21 lead six minutes later.

Wake Forest has three straight games following a four-game losing streak.

UP NEXT

Georgia Tech returns home to play Wednesday against Virginia Tech

Wake Forest is off until a road matchup with No. 19 Miami next Saturday

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