WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — In a tense Atlantic Coast Conference women’s basketball opener defined by defense and a decisive final minute, the Miami Hurricanes edged the Wake Forest Demon Deacons 64-61 on Thursday night at Joel Memorial Coliseum.

Miami, which improved to 7-4 overall and 1-0 in the ACC, survived a chaotic final sequence to secure the road victory. Wake Forest, which fell to 10-3 and 0-1, had a chance to tie in the closing seconds but could not convert.

The game’s most critical stretch unfolded in the final 33 seconds with Miami clinging to a 62-61 lead. After a Wake Forest full timeout, the Demon Deacons’ Aurora Sørbye drove the lane, but her layup attempt was blocked by Miami’s Soma Okolo with 11 seconds remaining. The Hurricanes’ Ra Shaya Kyle secured the rebound and was immediately fouled by Opal Bird.

Kyle missed the first free throw but calmly sank the second to extend Miami’s lead to 63-61. Following another Wake Forest timeout, the Demon Deacons inbounded to Sørbye, whose driving layup attempt to tie the game rolled off the rim as time expired. Meredith Tippner secured the final rebound for Miami and was fouled, adding one more free throw for the final margin.

The contest was a defensive struggle throughout, with both teams enduring scoring droughts and committing a combined 45 turnovers. Miami never trailed after the first quarter but could never fully shake the persistent Demon Deacons.

Wake Forest opened the game strong, building a 20-18 lead after the first quarter behind early scoring from Grace Oliver and Mary Carter. The Hurricanes responded with a 14-14 second quarter, fueled by back-to-back three-pointers from Vittoria Blasigh, to enter halftime tied at 32.

The third quarter saw Miami establish its largest lead at seven points, going ahead 45-38 after a three-pointer from Tippner. Wake Forest closed the period on a 9-3 run, capped by a Mary Carter jumper assisted by Sørbye, to trim the deficit to 47-46 heading to the fourth.

The final quarter featured six lead changes and two ties. Wake Forest took its first lead since the opening period, 51-49, on a Carter layup with 5:53 to play. Miami answered with a 7-0 run, keyed by a Tippner steal and layup and a three-pointer from Blasigh, to go up 56-51 with 3:24 left.

Wake Forest fought back again, tying the game at 58 on a Carter layup with 26 seconds remaining. On the ensuing possession, Miami’s Danielle Osho was fouled on a shot attempt and made both free throws to put the Hurricanes ahead for good at 60-58, setting the stage for the frantic finish.

Miami was led by guard Amarachi Kimpson, who played 37 minutes and scored a team-high 17 points. Freshman Meredith Tippner provided a crucial spark off the bench, scoring 19 points in just 21 minutes, including three three-pointers and several key free throws down the stretch. Vittoria Blasigh added 11 points.

For Wake Forest, Mary Carter posted a double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Aurora Sørbye directed the offense with 7 assists to go with 10 points, while Milan Brown and Grace Oliver each scored 10 points. Opal Bird contributed 9 points, 3 assists, and disruptive defense with 3 steals and a block.

The Hurricanes shot consistently across all four quarters, scoring 18, 14, 16, and 16 points respectively. Wake Forest’s scoring declined as the game progressed, putting up 20, 14, 13, and 14 points per period.

The win marked a positive start to conference play for Miami following a 26-point loss to North Carolina State in its previous outing. Wake Forest saw its three-game winning streak snapped and will look to rebound in its final non-conference tune-up.

Attendance was 977 at Joel Coliseum.

Miami next hosts a doubleheader against Kennesaw State and Keene State on Sunday. Wake Forest welcomes Gardner-Webb on Monday.