Travis McKie scored 10 of his 16 points in the second half to help the Demon Deacons beat the 19th-ranked Tar Heels 73-67 on Sunday in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams.
Codi Miller-McIntyre added 12 points for the Demon Deacons (11-3, 1-0), who took control with a 15-2 run midway through the second half to build a double-digit lead then hung on when the Tar Heels made a late rally.
Wake Forest hadn't beaten UNC (10-4, 0-1) since 2010, when Dino Gaudio was coach and the Tar Heels were struggling their way to the NIT.