Wake Forest defeats Winston-Salem State 82-69 in exhibition game
Wake Forest men’s basketball returned to action in the Joel on Tuesday, shaking off the rust with an 82-69 victory over Winston-Salem State in an exhibition game. The Deacs got off to a hot start and went on an 11-0 run to begin the game, but the Rams would keep things close throughout.
“I thought we got off to a great start,” Forbes said. “Got them down 11-0 and were playing really well offensively. I thought they played a little bit harder than we did in the second half. They played a little bit more physical and it showed.”
The Deacs were outscored in the second half 42-41. The players know that in order to be successful in the regular season, the team will have to stay locked in throughout the entire contest.
“We have to play a full 40-minute game,” guard Tyree Appleby said. “But we got lax and they started hitting shots. We can’t let them start hitting shots and let that determine the game.”
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“It starts with us as the captains being able to set that tone,” forward Andrew Carr added. “Basketball is a game of runs. So when you notice a team going on a run like that, just being able to reel our guys in and try to limit their runs as [much] as possible.”
Wake wasn’t perfect defensively, giving up 10 threes and sending the Rams to the line for 26 free-throw attempts. The performance highlighted some areas to improve on prior to the season opener against Fairfield next week.
“We were guilty of that in the first half, over-helping and not stripping and ripping,” Forbes said. “There’s a difference when you strip and rip and take the ball. Sometimes you just give false help and leave your man open. And we fouled too much and they got to the free throw line.”
Forbes went deep into his bench throughout the game — nine different players saw at least 10 minutes of action. Giving a lot of guys playing time will help clarify a rotation as the regular season rolls around.
“We have to get some separation off the bench,” Forbes said. “Right now we’re trying to play guys to see how they play. I’d rather see some guys step up and take some minutes.”
Guard play was an area of strength for Wake on Tuesday night. Daivien Williamson lit it up for 25 points on 7-10 shooting, and Tyree Appleby added 17 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Off the bench, Lucas Taylor provided a nice boost, scoring 6 points in 15 minutes.
“Ty had the ball in his hands a lot and I thought he made some good decisions,” Forbes said. “Daivien moved it. He can really shoot the ball. It comes to him, he rarely forces it. Lucas did a good job, hit a couple shots and drove it. I thought the guards played solid.”
The regular season begins on Monday, when Wake Forest welcomes the Fairfield Stags to the Joel. Forbes and the team will use the week ahead to sharpen things up and build on Tuesday’s performance.
“We’ve got to learn from it and move on and get ready to play on Monday, which will be a tough game,” Forbes said. “Fairfield has a really good team, a good coach, a good program. We have a lot to work on before we get ready to play.”
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