North Carolina A&T Aggies vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 7th 2024

Preview and Prediction

Wake Forest is striving for a 2-0 record on Thursday evening as they welcome North Carolina A&T to Winston-Salem, N.C.

The Demon Deacons (1-0) emerged victorious in their first game of the season on Monday, defeating Coppin State 64-49 with the help of Cam Hildreth's 15 points, five rebounds, and four assists.

Hunter Sallis contributed 10 points and five assists, while Omaha Biliew, a transfer from Iowa State, made his debut for Wake with 11 points in just 15 minutes of play.

In his fifth year at the helm of the Demon Deacons, head coach Steve Forbes boasts a perfect 10-0 record in season openers as a Division I coach.

Forbes was satisfied with the team's defensive performance, as they forced 20 turnovers and limited Coppin to a 28.3 percent shooting percentage. However, he was not as impressed with their offense.

"Our offense was lackluster, putting a lot of pressure on our defense," he stated. "I was proud of our defensive effort, and we will need to continue to defend well as the season progresses."

Wake struggled from beyond the arc, shooting just 24.3 percent from 3-point land and 39.3 percent overall (22 of 56).

"It's difficult to win big games when you shoot that poorly," Forbes acknowledged. "Am I worried? No. I know what this team is capable of, but they need to execute."

North Carolina A&T (1-0) also started their season with a win, defeating NCAA Division II Cheyney University of Pennsylvania 107-55 at home on Monday. The Aggies, who finished last season with a 7-25 record, shot an impressive 50.6 percent from the field in their victory.

Sophomore transfer Jahnathan Lamothe led the way for the Aggies with 27 points, shooting 6-of-11 from beyond the arc, along with six rebounds and four assists. Will Felton, making his collegiate debut after two years of knee injuries, recorded 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Coach Monte Ross, in his second year at the helm of A&T, praised Felton's performance, saying, "You can't say enough about Big Will. He was bigger and stronger than those guys, and he dominated because of it."

PREDICTION

North Carolina A&T Aggies

Wake Forest Demon Deacons

North Carolina A&T Aggies vs. Wake Forest Demon Deacons Recap NOV 20TH 2021

Alondes Williams racked up 19 points as Wake Forest took control in an 87-63 victory against visiting North Carolina A&T on Saturday at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Daivien Williamson had 18 points and Isaiah Mucius added 16 points for the Demon Deacons (4-0).

Milton Matthews posted 15 points and six rebounds for North Carolina A&T (1-4), which notched its lone victory against Division III Greensboro College two days earlier. Demetric Horton added 11 points and Webster Filmore supplied 10 points.

Williamson and Mucius both made four 3-pointers and Williams had three 3s. That was part of the Demon Deacons' 16-for-35 shooting on 3-pointers. Jake LaRavia provided nine points and a team-high five assists.

North Carolina A&T didn't have a starter with a double-digit point total. The team's starters combined for 15 points in the fourth road game of the season, all resulting in defeats.

Wake Forest, which was playing its fourth straight home game to begin the season, built a 50-29 halftime lead. That edge was boosted by 11 successful 3-point shots on 18 attempts, with Mucius draining four of those.

The Demon Deacons bolted to a 15-4 lead less than six minutes into the game.

Williams scored 13 of Wake Forest's first 21 points.

The Demon Deacons later led 24-19. Williamson and Mucius made 3-point baskets during Wake Forest's ensuing 10-2 run.

Of N.C. A&T's first-half points, only four of those were scored by starters. The Aggies host 38.5 percent from the field in the opening half. Despite missing 17 shots from the field, they collected only four offensive rebounds.

The Aggies managed only six points across the first eight minutes of the second half as they were unable to stage a comeback. They ended up shooting 39 percent from the field and 50 percent (7-for-14) from the free-throw line. Those were rough numbers, particularly with 17 turnovers.