Cameron Hildreth scored 15 points and Wake Forest took care of business early in a season-opening 64-49 home victory against Coppin State on Monday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Omaha Biliew had 11 points and Hunter Sallis scored 10 points for the Demon Deacons. Tre’Von Spillers, a transfer from Appalachian State, finished with nine points and nine rebounds in his debut for Wake Forest (1-0).
A strong first half for the Demon Deacons was followed with a rather mundane second half. Coppin State outscored Wake Forest 27-22 in the second half.
By the end, the Demon Deacons had shot 39.3 percent from the field, including going 9-for-17 on 3-pointers.
Derrius Ward led Coppin State with 19 points on 5-for-13 shooting from the field. The Eagles, who shot 28.3 percent from the floor, were hurt by 20 turnovers, but they finished with a 44-39 edge in rebounding. They also went 4-for-18 on 3-pointers.
Hildreth, who ended up 3-of-6 from deep, drained his first two 3-point attempts to help Wake Forest start strong. For most of the first half, the Demon Deacons showed flashes of promise that eventually waned.
Wake Forest, playing in the first of three games in seven days, was up 42-22 at the half against the Eagles, who were coming off a two-win season. The Demon Deacons shot 45.2 percent in the first half, but Coppin State couldn’t keep up. Part of the Eagles’ problems stemmed from 13 first-half turnovers.
Wake Forest’s production took a dip when it managed only 10 points across the first eight minutes of the second half.
Coppin State made it frustrating for the Demon Deacons by collecting 14 offensive rebounds, and those tended to stall Wake Forest’s ability to benefit from transition opportunities.
Wake Forest went 21-14 last season with a second-round loss in the NIT. This was the second meeting between the teams, with the other coming in 1989.