courtesy GoDeacs.com
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Wake Forest (4-0) dropped North Carolina A&T (1-4) on Saturday evening at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, 87-63. The Demon Deacons are 4-0 to start the season for the first time since the 2013-14 season.
Alondes Williams, the Atlantic Coast Conference’s second-leading scorer, continues his stellar start to his Wake Forest career as he led the Deacs with 19 points, shooting seven-of-nine from the field including three triples.
The graduate transfer from Oklahoma has led Wake Forest in scoring in three of the four games this season, combining to score 83 points in the first four games of the season.
Senior guard Daivien Williamson recorded his fourth-consecutive game in double digits as he racked up 18 points. Williamson was 6-of-11 from the field and logged a team-high 29 minutes of action. Through four games, the senior is a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line.
Senior forward Isaiah Mucius racked up a season-high 16 points against the Aggies. Mucius ended the first half with four consecutive three-pointers. His four first-half triples marked a season-high for the senior.
The Deacs netted 16 three-pointers against the Aggies, the second consecutive game in which the Deacs have recorded double digit three-pointers. It was the first time since December 22, 2016 against LSU, that Wake Forest has drained 16 three-pointers in a single contest. The Demon Deacons recorded 50 points in the first half for the first time since the opening night of the 2020-21 season against Delaware State.
How It Happened
Alondes Williams got the Deacs on the board quickly with a layup 16 seconds into the game.
An Aggie turnover led to Daivien Williamson hitting the first three-pointer of the contest to give Wake Forest a 9-2 lead with 16:55 remaining in the first half.
After Willamson’s three-pointer, Wake Forest went on a 12-5 run to lead the Aggies 21-7 at the 12:15 mark.
Williams scored 11 of the 12 Wake Forest points. Williams hit a trio of triples and added a layup during the run.
The Aggies responded with a 10-3 run to make it 24-19 with just under eight minutes left before the intermission.
Williamson and Isaiah Mucius each connected from deep to extend the Wake Forest lead to double digits (34-21) entering the under-four timeout.
Moments later, Mucius hit three-straight triples on consecutive possessions to extend the Wake Forest lead to 17 (43-26).
Mucius finished 4-of-5 from three in the first half. His 16 points already set a season high in the opening half of game action.
Williamson tallied his third three-pointer of the half in the final seconds to go into the break with a 50-29 lead.
Wake Forest shot 64 percent from the field in the first half, while holding the Aggies to 37 percent shooting (10-of-27).
Three Demon Deacons were in double figures after the first twenty minutes.
Williams led all scorers with 17 points in the first half.
Khadim Sy had a game-high six rebounds at the break.
Williamson connected on a pair of free throws to extend the Wake Forest lead to 20 points (52-32) early in the second half.
Jake LaRavia splashed a three-pointer with 16:42 left in the half to put the Deacs up 60-35. LaRavia was the fifth Deacon of the game to record a three-pointer.
LaRavia added his second three-pointer of the game a few possessions later to put the Deacons up 67-35 with just over 12 minutes left in the half.
Robert McCray led the Deacs on a 5-0 run in less than a minute to put Wake Forest up by 30.
McCray began the run with a dunk and followed it up with a three-pointer on the following possession.
McCray was the sixth Deac to record a made triple during the game.
Matthew Marsh recorded his first collegiate points after a steal and fastbreak dunk.
Marsh went on to score two more buckets and collected a pair of free-throws to total eight points.
The Deacons finished the game shooting 53 percent while holding the Aggies to 39 percent shooting and 23-of-59.
Mucius and Alondes Williams each recorded a game-high four three-pointers.
Jake LaRavia recorded a game-high five assists.
Defensively, Wake Forest created 17 Aggie turnovers in the 87-63 win.
Stat of the Game
Wake Forest connected on 16 three-pointers against the Aggies, marking the second consecutive game in which the Deacs have hit double digit three-pointers.
16 triples is the most the Deacs have made in a single game since LSU on Dec. 22, 2016
Key Moment
In the last four minutes of the first half, Isaiah Mucius knocked down four consecutive three-pointers on four consecutive possessions to help put the Demon Deacons up 21 at the break.
Mucius finished 4-of-5 from three in the first half. His 16 points already set a season high in the opening half of game action.
Coach’s Comments
“Our team came out ready to play today, especially offensively. We won the first four minutes by eight, the middle eight minutes by twelve and finished the half scoring on nine of our last 10 possessions. At halftime, we were scoring one and a half points per possession. We shot the three at a high level tonight and did a nice job of sharing the basketball. We got a bit relaxed in the first half because of how easy things were coming to us, but we turned it back on in the second half. We did a nice job in the second half. Tonight was a good team win.” – Head Coach Steve Forbes
Up Next
Wake Forest will be back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 23 for a matchup versus Kennesaw State in LJVM Coliseum.
Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. and the game will stream live on ACC Network.
