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The High Point men's basketball got an eight-point deficit down to two with 30 seconds remaining but couldn't tie it in an 87-83 loss to Wake Forest before a crowd of 1,801 at the Millis Center on Wednesday night. Senior Nick Barbour scored a season-high 35 points including 24 in the second half for HPU.

"My guys gave a really good effort in front of an amazing atmosphere tonight at the Millis Center," said HPU head coach Scott Cherry. "You could tell as soon as you walked into the gym tonight that it was going to be a great atmosphere. We put ourselves in a position to beat an ACC team and we were right there at the end. A few things didn't go our way and Wake Forest made some tough shots in the second half. It was a really good game between two good teams tonight."

Barbour's 35 points led all scorers and his seven three-pointers were a season high. Senior guard Shay Shine scored 19 points and junior Corey Law scored 11. Junior forward Branimir Mikulic scored eight points with eight rebounds.

Wake Forest had a pair of 20-point scorers in C.J. Harris and Tony Chennault. Harris went 7-for-8 from the floor and 4-for-5 from three-point range. Travis McKie scored 18 points and Nikita Mescheriakov scored 12 with seven rebounds. The Demon Deacons shot 70 percent from the floor and 70 percent from three-point range in the second half to quell each HPU comeback attempt.

High Point dropped to 2-6 overall while Wake Forest improved to 6-3.

The Panthers trailed, 83-75, with under two minutes to play when sophomore Xavier Martin hit a three-pointer. After Chennault hit a jumper, Barbour hit a pair of free throws and a three-pointer to get the Panthers within two points (85-83) with 30 seconds remaining. After several stoppages, Wake Forest inbounded the ball and Barbour fouled Mescheriakov, who drained a pair of free throws to finish the game for the Demon Deacons. Down four, the Panthers attempted a pair of three-pointers in the closing seconds but neither went in.

Wake Forest opened the scoring in the game with a three pointer off the opening tip by Nikita Mesheriakov but High Point responded with an ally oop connection from Martin to Law. The Panthers took an early 6-3 lead. A Chennault trey made it 6-6 and the Panthers never led again in the game.

Wake Forest scored the first seven points of the second half to take a 15-point lead (52-37), the Deacons' largest of the game, but High Point responded with a three by Mikulic and a dunk by Law to close to within 10 with 17:26 remaining.

Down 60-47 with 13 minutes to go, High Point began to climb back into the game behind Barbour's hot shooting. The senior scored 10 points on a 14-4 Panthers run that pulled HPU within three at 64-61. Wake Forest's outside game proved the difference as the Deacons responded with back-to-back three-pointers by Carson Desrosiers and Harris.

In the final minutes, HPU pulled within four on a Law layup and pulled within three when Shine hit a three-pointer with 2:47 left, but Wake Forest responded with consecutive baskets on each occasion. That set up HPU's final minute push.

Wednesday's game marked the first time High Point University hosted an ACC opponent in men's basketball. The crowd of 1,801 was standing-room-only.

It was "Tubby Smith Night," as High Point honored the 1973 graduate with a banner in the Millis Center at halftime. Smith greeted students, fans and addressed the media during the game.

High Point University will be back in action on Saturday when the Panthers host Averett University at 7 p.m. It will be the first meeting between the Panthers and the Cougars.