Wake Forest University
UNC Pembroke (ex.)
Deacs Win Exhibition Over UNC Pembroke, 86-64
11/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Nov. 6, 2015
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Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@TieDyeNation)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest men's basketball team trailed at halftime, but finished strong for an 86-64 win over UNC Pembroke in an exhibition contest Friday evening at the LJVM Coliseum. The game was the Demon Deacons' final tuneup before beginning regular season play next week against UMBC.
Senior forward Devin Thomas led the way for the Demon Deacons, posting a double-double with 25 points and 16 rebounds against the Braves, who enter the season ranked No.10/13 in the Division II preseason polls.
Sophomore Konstantinos Mitoglou and freshman John Collins also scored in double figures, finishing with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
The Deacs came out strong against UNCP, opening up to 9-2 lead in the first four minutes thanks in part to seven points from Thomas. The Braves, however, went on a 12-point run of their own to take a five-point lead.
UNC Pembroke capitalized on 17 Deacon first-half turnovers to gain an eight-point advantage at 33-25, but Wake Forest went on a 7-0 run in the final 1:53 of the first half to cut its deficit to one.
Mitoglou scored nine of his 15 points and pulled down six of his seven rebounds in the opening 20 minutes. The Thessaloniki, Greece native's dunk in the closing seconds capped the scoring for the half.
A Brandon Watts 3-pointer out of the break gave the Braves a four-point edge, but the Deacs scored the next 11 points to get back in front, 43-36.
Wake Forest controlled play from there en route to a 22-point triumph. The Demon Deacons outscored UNC Pembroke, 54-31, in the second half.
Collins scored 10 of his 12 points in the second half and also finished with a team-best four blocks. Mitchell Wilbekin paced the Deacons with seven assists and finished with nine points.
On the night, Wake Forest outrebounded UNC Pembroke, 49-34, and outscored the Braves in the paint by a 38-20 margin.
OLD GOLD & BLACK DEBUTS
• Freshmen Bryant Crawford, John Collins and Doral Moore made their Wake Forest debuts Friday night.
• Crawford was the lone first-year player to start. He finished the game with eight points and six assists in 34 minutes.
• Collins posted 12 points and a Wake Forest-high four blocks in 12 minutes.
• The 7-foot-1 Moore played nine minutes and had four points, as well as a pair of blocks.
ON DECK
• Wake Forest will open its regular-season schedule next Friday, Nov. 13, against UMBC at the LJVM Coliseum at 8 p.m. in the Maui Jim Maui Invitational Opening Game on ESPN3.
• The Deacs will face their first road test of the year at Bucknell on Nov. 15. That contest will begin at 1 p.m. and will be televised on CBS Sports Network.
