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WINSTON-SALEM — Sure, they're known as the Yellow Jackets, but to Wake Forest, the visitors from Georgia Tech must have seemed like gnats or fleas or some other especially annoying species of insect Saturday night until the Deacs returned the favor in the nuisance department.

The Demon Deacons claimed second place in the ACC by holding Tech without a field goal for the final 8:50 and pulling away for a 75-64 win before a raucous Joel Coliseum crowd. The Jackets, led by a cast of highly unusual suspects, overcame separate deficits of 10, nine and eight points but couldn't overcome the final hurdle because it simply kept growing.

"We were down 62-60, and we needed more ball pressure," Wake coach Dino Gaudio said. "We weren't getting enough pressure on the ball. Sometimes, the best post defense comes from the guy on the passer, and we wanted to put more pressure on the passer."

After freshman Derrick Favors' reverse layup gave Tech a 62-60 lead, the Deacs (18-5, 8-3 ACC) swarmed a previously blazing Jacket crew and limited it to two Glen Rice free throws down the stretch. Georgia Tech (17-8, 5-6) went 0-for-13 from the floor in those final minutes, which featured two ill-advised perimeter jumpers from Zachery Peacock and three turnovers.

The Deacs got defensive stops on 14 of the final 15 possessions they faced.

It was fair to say this one was odd. The Jackets turned the ball over on their first three trips of the night and proceeded to go 6-for-7 from the 3-point line. One of those came from Moe Miller, who had scored a total of nine points in six previous ACC games and entered the night 2-for-22 from downtown. Glen Rice Jr., 2-for-10 in long-range shots in the conference, went 4-for-5 on this night.

It couldn't last. Wake Forest's Ishmael Smith, among others, wouldn't allow it. In addition to his eight assists, he took time off the clock in the final minutes and finished off two long possessions with drives down the lane.

"He's the fastest guy in the league, and we know that," Jackets coach Paul Hewitt said. "We've had some success in the past against him, but in the end, he created some shots."

Wake didn't simply keep the ball out of the hands of Favors and Gani Lawal, the Jackets' top post threats; it denied dribble penetration and allowed only two second opportunities in the final minutes.

The Deacons, who have won five of six, are one game behind Duke, which they do not face in the final five regular-season contests. Of those five, only Tuesday's contest at surging Virginia Tech (20-4, 7-3) comes against an opponent with a winning ACC record.

GEORGIA TECH (17-8) — Favors 2-3 0-0 4, Lawal 4-8 7-10 15, Udofia 0-3 0-0 0, Shumpert 0-7 0-0 0, Bell 1-2 2-2 5, M.Miller 3-7 5-6 12, Oliver 4-9 0-0 12, Peacock 1-8 0-0 2, Rice Jr. 4-8 2-2 14. Totals 19-55 16-20 64.

WAKE FOREST (18-5) — Aminu 7-18 3-3 19, McFarland 4-6 1-2 9, Smith 5-14 0-1 10, Harris 1-7 2-5 4, Williams 2-4 4-4 8, Clark 1-3 0-0 3, Stewart 4-7 0-0 10, Weaver 1-2 0-0 2, Woods 4-5 2-2 10. Totals 29-66 12-17 75.

Halftime—Tied 37-37.
3-point goals—Georgia Tech 10-25 (Rice Jr. 4-5, Oliver 4-9, Bell 1-1, M.Miller 1-2, Udofia 0-1, Shumpert 0-3, Peacock 0-4), Wake Forest 5-14 (Stewart 2-4, Aminu 2-5, Clark 1-1, Smith 0-1, Harris 0-3).
Fouled out—None.
Rebounds—Georgia Tech 37 (Lawal 12), Wake Forest 40 (Aminu 10).
Assists—Georgia Tech 10 (M.Miller 4), Wake Forest 16 (Smith 8).
Total fouls—Georgia Tech 18, Wake Forest 20.
Technical—Peacock.
A—14,296.