CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Guards Sheldon McClellan and Ja'Quan Newton came alive at the right time to save cold-shooting Miami from upset-minded Wake Forest in an Atlantic Coast Conference game on Saturday.

Newton scored 13 of his game-high 18 points and McClellan 10 of his 14 in the second half as the 15th-ranked Hurricanes (15-3, 4-2 in the ACC) buried the Demon Deacons (10-9, 1-6) with a 29-15 barrage over the final 10 minutes to secure their 14th double-digit victory of the season and fourth in conference play.

Second-half surges seemingly have become common for McClellan, Miami's leading scorer. Two weeks earlier, he scored 20 of his game-high 21 points in the second half to key a win over Florida State.

"I don't know what it is about the first half," McClellan said. "I just can't score in the first half. I don't know if I need to, like, not play the whole first half and come in the second half.

"I don't know. It's been tough for me in the first half the last couple of games. I guess I'm a second-half person."

The Hurricanes needed the late boost to subdue Wake Forest team, which recovered from an 11-point deficit to gain a 48-48 tie with just over 10 minutes left in the game.

Miami, which shot below 40 percent from the field (35.9 percent) for only the third time this season, then went on a 17-3 run that made it a 14-point game with just over four minutes left.

Wake could get no closer than 11 points the rest of the way.

Miami's biggest lead was 17 points, 73-56, on two free throws with 1:56 remaining by guard Angel Rodriguez, who scored 14 points.

"I thought the biggest swing of the game came when it was tied 48-48 and Miami stepped on the gas and created some separation from us," Wake Forest coach Danny Manning said. "We couldn't keep up."

Miami coach Jim Larranaga credited his team's defense and contributions of his bench as keys. In addition the Newton's 18 points, forward Ivan Cruz Uceda and guard James Palmer combined for 15 points in relief.

"Palmer had seven crucial points and Ivan Cruz Uceda had a game as well," Larranaga said. "Our defense in the second half was the difference."

The Deacons were 13-of-27 (48.1 percent) from the field in the first half and closed on a 7-0 run to leave Miami with a 35-33 lead at the break.

In the second half, the Deacons were only 10-of-32 from the field (31.3 percent).

"I think our defense and our energy just stepped up," Newton said. "Our energy was there, and we got stops and that led to fast breaks and open dunks."

Wake put four players in double figures but its leading scorers, forward Devin Thomas and guard Bryant Crawford, finished with only 12 points each. Guards Mitchell Wilbekin and John Collins had 10 each.

"We have to do much better to win," Manning said. "We know that the league we play in night-in and night-out is going to be a beast, the best league in college basketball. But we've still got to find a way.

"We've got to put two halves together, and we really haven't done that yet."

NOTES: Miami faces a quick turnaround with a Monday night home game against Duke. ... Wake Forest's home game with Virginia was delayed to Tuesday night from Monday because of the blizzard that inundated the East Coast. ... Wake Forest fell to 1-6 against ranked opponents for the season. The Demon Deacons' only win was over then 13th-ranked Indiana. ... Miami G Angel Rodriguez came into the game having gone only 2-of-25 from 3-point range the previous five outings, but hit his first two long attempts to help get Miami out to an early 8-3 lead. He ended up 2-of-5 on 3-pointers. ... The 77 points are a season high for Miami in ACC play.