GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Redshirt freshman Reggie Johnson scored a season-high 22 points against his hometown school and 12th-seeded Miami routed fifth-seeded Wake Forest 83-62 on Thursday in the first round of the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament.
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Johnson was 8 for 8 from the field and 6 for 6 from the line, and James Dews added 15 points for the Hurricanes (19-12).
They led by 25, shot nearly 52 percent against one of the league's toughest defenses and made a huge early run stand in advancing to Friday's quarterfinal matchup against fourth-seeded Virginia Tech.
Ishmael Smith had 14 points to lead the Demon Deacons (19-10).
They didn't get closer than 16 in the second half in falling to 0-3 in ACC tournament games under coach Dino Gaudio. They've lost five of six, and that can't help but damage their seeding -- if not drop them onto the NCAA tournament bubble -- when Selection Sunday rolls around.
