WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — On Thursday night, Wake Forest defeated North Carolina A&T with a final score of 80-64, powered by an impressive performance from Tre’Von Spillers, who contributed 15 points and secured 16 rebounds. This marks a notable achievement for Spillers, a transfer from Appalachian State, as he matched his career-high for rebounds with a shooting accuracy of 7-for-14. He was joined by Hunter Sallis, who scored 14 points, Efton Reid with 12, Cameron Hildreth adding 11, and Parker Friedrichsen contributing with 10 points.

Wake Forest (now 2-0) displayed a solid shooting game, hitting 44% from the field while managing to connect on only 6 of 25 attempts from beyond the arc. However, their performance at the free-throw line was exceptional, sinking 20 out of 22 attempts, and they dominated the paint by a margin of 22 points.

For the Aggies (1-1), Landon Glasper was the standout player, leading his team with 23 points, all of which came from three-pointers. Glasper finished the night 7-for-20 from beyond the arc and 7-for-29 overall. Ryan Forrest also contributed with 10 points.

Wake Forest established their most significant lead of the night at 20 points halfway through the second half. However, the Deacons struggled with ball control, finishing the game with 19 turnovers. The Aggies took advantage of this, hitting four three-pointers in a row—two made by Glasper—which narrowed Wake’s lead to 11 points with just over four minutes left in the game. But Sallis responded with a jumper and then a transition dunk following a steal by Hildreth, pushing the Deacons’ lead back up to 18 late in the contest.

The second half saw the Deacons quickly widen the gap with a double-digit lead, capitalizing on the Aggies’ struggles, who only managed to shoot 1-for-17 during a ten-minute segment that spanned the two halves. Initially, the Aggies took control, pulling ahead with a 14-2 scoring run that gave them a seven-point advantage about eight-and-a-half minutes into the game. Wake Forest, however, fought back, and Glasper’s consecutive three-pointers illuminated the Aggies’ brief four-point lead. Nevertheless, Wake Forest surged ahead with a 12-2 run, culminating in a three-pointer from freshman Juke Harris, who achieved his first collegiate basket. Harris followed this up with another bucket, sending Wake Forest into halftime leading 39-33.

Looking ahead, Wake Forest is set to face off against Michigan in Greensboro, N.C., on Sunday.