Wake Forest Demon Deacons vs Arizona Wildcats Box Score on Dec 01, 2019

Arizona seniors Dylan Smith and Chase Jeter combined for 37 points as No. 14 Arizona held off Wake Forest 73-66 to win the championship game of the Wooden Legacy on Sunday night in Anaheim, Calif.

Smith, a guard who transferred from UNC-Asheville after his freshman season, set a career high at Arizona with 20 points, including two free throws with 23.0 seconds left for a 72-64 lead. Jeter, a center, had 17 points and nine rebounds.

Wake Forest was led by junior 7-footer Olivier Sarr, who had 13 rebounds to go with his career-high-tying 21 points.

Arizona (9-0) extended a six-point halftime advantage to 15 when Nico Mannion whipped a pass inside to Jeter for a dunk at the 12:06 mark to make it 56-41.

Wake Forest (5-3) battled back to get within 66-61 on a layup by Torry Johnson with 2:17 to go. The teams traded baskets before Sarr hit a free throw with 45 seconds left to make it 68-64, but Arizona's Josh Green responded with two shots from the line with 43.3 seconds left.

Wake Forest point guard Brandon Childress missed a contested 3-pointer before Smith's free throws helped seal the win.

Childress finished with 19 points, making all nine free-throw attempts but going just 4 of 18 from the field.

Arizona freshman Zeke Nnaji, the team's leading scorer at 18.6 points per game, scored just five before fouling out with 4:14 to go. Green had eight points and 12 rebounds.

Wake Forest hit back-to-back 3-pointers as part of a 10-0 run for a 23-16 lead before Arizona's Max Hazzard responded with 3-balls on consecutive possessions to fuel a 14-0 Wildcats spurt, capped by a running bank shot by Jemarl Baker Jr. with 5:58 to go for 30-23 lead.

Arizona led 39-33 at the break.

The Wildcats, who entered the game leading the nation shooting 54.0 percent, made 43.1 percent (25 of 58) against Wake Forest.

Arizona was without backup post player Stone Gettings (5.4 points, 2.5 rebounds per game), who suffered a concussion against Penn on Friday night.

Wake Forest held out backup guards Jahcobi Neath and Michael Wynn. The school released a statement before the game saying "a few of our student-athletes may have behaved in a manner that does not reflect the standards" of the program.

--Field Level Media