The Associated Press

CLEMSON, S.C. - Justin Gray scored a career-high 29 points, and No. 20 Wake Forest ended a two-game losing streak with a 82-67 victory over Clemson on Thursday night.

The Demon Deacons (14-6, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) have had a rough few weeks, losing six of their past eight coming into Littlejohn Coliseum after rising to No. 4 with an 11-0 start.

Despite the ease they showed in winning this one, things get considerably harder for the Deacons their next three games - home games with No. 13 Cincinnati Sunday and No. 1 Duke, then a road trip to No. 15 Georgia Tech.

Gray's outside shooting got Wake Forest back on track. The Deacons beat Clemson (9-12, 2-8) for the 11th time in 12 meetings.

Gray had 16 points in the first half, 12 of them coming in the last 10 minutes as the Deacons built a 32-25 lead. Then when the Tigers cut a 12-point deficit to 51-48 with 10:31 to go, Gray struck for back-to-back 3-pointers to make things a bit more comfortable for Wake Forest.

Clemson, struggling in its first year with coach Oliver Purnell, could not recover. By the time Gray stole a pass and got an uncontested layup less than four minutes later, Wake Forest was ahead 67-50 and well in control.

Gray's point total broke his mark of 27 set last month in a loss to Texas.

Freshman Chris Paul had 16 points and Jamaal Levy 12 for the Deacons.

Olu Babalola led Clemson with a career-high 22 points. Sharrod Ford, the Tigers' leading scorer at 12 points a game coming in, was never a factor after picking up his third and fourth fouls less than a minute into the second half. He fouled out of the game with five points.

The Tigers have lost six of their past seven.

WAKE FOREST (14-6)-Levy 5-7 2-2 12, Danelius 1-2 0-0 2, Visser 2-3 1-2 5, Gray 7-13 11-12 29, Paul 3-9 9-10 16, Ellis 3-4 2-2 8, Downey 2-6 0-0 5, Williams 1-6 3-6 5, Hendley 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 24-50 28-35 82.

CLEMSON (9-12)-Babalola 5-7 10-12 22, Hobbs 3-3 1-4 7, Ford 1-3 3-6 5, Christie 4-8 1-2 10, Robinson 1-6 0-0 2, Rice 3-3 1-2 9, Hamilton 3-7 1-8 8, Hudson 0-1 0-0 0, Akingbala 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 22-41 17-34 67.

Halftime-Wake Forest 32-25. 3-Point goals-Wake Forest 6-16 (Gray 4-9, Paul 1-3, Downey 1-3, Levy 0-1), Clemson 6-11 (Rice 2-2, Babalola 2-3, Hamilton 1-1, Christie 1-4, Robinson 0-1). Fouled out-Levy, Ford, Hamilton. Rebounds-Wake Forest 30 (Levy 8), Clemson 27 (Hamilton, Akingbala 5). Assists-Wake Forest 16 (Gray, Paul 5), Clemson 13 (Christie 5). Total fouls-Wake Forest 29, Clemson 28. A-7,000.