It was a hard-fought battle at the ESPN Events Invitational, where Wake Forest secured third place with a gritty 57-51 win over Minnesota. Tre’Von Spillers was a force inside, posting a season-high 18 points and matching his career-best with 16 rebounds. His dominance on the boards helped Wake Forest control the paint and overcome a rough shooting night from deep.
The Demon Deacons (7-2) notched their second win over a Big Ten opponent this season, having previously edged out Michigan in a thriller. Down the stretch, Cameron Hildreth delivered a clutch moment, slicing through two defenders for a tough reverse layup that extended Wake Forest’s lead to 56-51. Minnesota had a chance to respond, but Lu’Cye Patterson’s contested three-point attempt fell short, and Efton Reid III came down with a critical defensive rebound.
With just over five seconds left, Parker Friedrichsen hit the first of two free throws, and after missing the second, he hustled to grab his own rebound, allowing Wake Forest to run out the clock. Hildreth finished with 13 points, while Reid just missed a double-double, adding 10 points and eight rebounds. Despite going ice-cold from beyond the arc (1-for-15), Wake Forest dominated the glass, outrebounding Minnesota 42-27.
Minnesota (5-3) struggled offensively as well, with Patterson scoring 12 points and Isaac Asuma chipping in 11. Neither team shot better than 42%, and they combined to go just 4-for-33 from three-point range in a defensive slugfest.
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