The Deacons started the season off strong Friday, Nov. 13 as they overpowered Oral Roberts 76-56.The game marks the 16th consecutive season that Wake Forest has won their season opener. Sophomore Al-Farouq Aminu led the Demon Deacons with 25 points and 13 rebounds. Ari Stewart did exceptionally in the opener, adding 11 points in only 14 minutes of play.

Kelly Makepeace/Old Gold & Black

The Deacons played great defense as Oral Roberts struggled at times to run their offensive sets. Wake did have some trouble with turnovers, particularly in transition, finishing the game with 18 turnovers. However, the Deacs made up for their turnovers by out-rebounding the Golden Eagles 51 to 25. To add to this stat, the Deacons had 20 offensive rebounds.

“We show toughness through rebounding,” senior guard L.D. Williams said after the game.

Oral Roberts did make a run, cutting the lead to 11 with six minutes left in the game. However, the Deacons relied on Aminu, who scored 11 straight points and shut down the Golden Eagles’ chance of a comeback.

“Al-Farouq showed why he is one of the best players in the country tonight,” Williams said. “The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores.”

Head Coach Dino Gaudio was satisfied with how his team responded to the Golden Eagles’ run.

“Every game we’re going to face adversity. How we handle it will define us,” Gaudio said.

The Deacons returned to the court on Sunday, Nov. 15 to face the East Carolina Pirates. The game, which was played in Greensboro Coliseum, was never in question as the Demon Deacons never trailed and won 89-58.

Aminu once again led the team with 23 points and nine rebounds. Senior Ishmael Smith contributed with 14 points and a team high four assists.

The Deacons started off strong, taking an 11-2 lead within the first five minutes. After a Pirates’ run cut the lead to six midway through the first half, the Deacons responded and finished the half on a 22-10 run. East Carolina shot just over 19 percent in the first half as the Wake defense played well.

East Carolina finished the game with a field goal percentage of just over 24 percent and struggled to keep up with the Demon Deacons.
Wake Forest had shot the ball well with a  percentage of 54.8. The Deacons also dominated the paint, outscoring East Carolina 58-20. This was due in large part to sophomore Tony Woods, who matched a career high in points with 12. Wake Forest has now beaten the Pirates in all seven of their meetings.

The Deacons continued their winning streak on Wednesday, Nov. 18 as they defeated High Point 83-60.

Aminu recorded a double-double, scoring 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Senior Chas McFarland led the team with 12 rebounds. Smith had his best game so far, scoring 13 points and recording a team high five assists.

The game was no walk in the park, as the Panthers led nearly the entire first half and shot 44 percent from the field.

However, the second half was a different story. The Deacons went on an 11-2 run to start the half and changed up their defense, causing High Point to struggle offensively.

“This was a really hard-played basketball game,” Gaudio said. “In the second half we were forced to adjust and focus on the guy driving to the basket. This is something different than what we have been working on since Oct. 16.”

The Deacons went to the line 36 times during the course of the game, and Gaudio was pleased.

“The free throw percentage was the big difference in the game,” Gaudio said.

It was clear that the Deacons had a battle on their hands when High Point took a nine point lead in the first half, but Wake responded well.

“We did a good job of weathering the storm,” Smith said.

The big play of freshman C.J. Harris also helped the Deacons come out on top. Harris had 12 points and two assists off the bench.

“C.J. (Harris) doesn’t get flustered at all and is really mature. I’m really, really pleased with his progress. With that young man, you know what you’re getting,” Gaudio said.

The Deacons hope to stay undefeated as they play Winston-Salem State on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 7:30 p.m.