Jake LaRavia poured in 19 points and undefeated Wake Forest was in control most of the way in defeating visiting Kennesaw State 92-61 on Tuesday night in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Isaiah Mucius scored 15 points, Alondes Williams notched 14, Khadim Sy had 12 and Cameron Hildreth supplied 11 for Wake Forest in the first meeting between the teams.
This completes a season-opening homestand for Wake Forest (5-0), which is off to its best start in seven years.
The Demon Deacons shot 56.1 percent, with Mucius going 4-for-7 on 3-point attempts.
Kasen Jennings scored 19 points off the bench and Chris Youngblood had 12 points for Kennesaw State (2-4).
The Owls had scored more than 70 points in four of their first five games, but they had trouble getting untracked and ended up shooting 37.7 percent. They were 8-for-15 on free throws.
LaRavia also supplied seven rebounds and six assists. If there was a drawback for the Demon Deacons, it might have been their 15 turnovers.
Dallas Walton's three-point play capped Wake Forest's 15-6 burst in the second half for a 72-49 lead.
Wake Forest led 45-32 at halftime, shooting 64 percent from the field and 7-for-7 on free throws. An 11-2 run across a three-minute period helped the Demon Deacons create some separation.
LaRavia had nine points and an assist across a stretch of slightly more than two minutes. Sy scored Wake Forest's last five points of the half.
Team scoring leader Williams, who has topped the Demon Deacons in scoring in three games, didn't score in the first half. He sat out a lengthy stretch after picking up his second foul.
Kennesaw State didn't put itself in much of a position for a comeback by missing its first six shots of the second half.
Kennesaw State dropped to 0-3 in road games.
--Field Level Media
Kennesaw St. | Wake Forest | |
Kasen Jennings 19 | Scoring | Jake LaRavia 19 |
Terrell Burden 6 | Assists | Jake LaRavia 6 |
Spencer Rodgers 9 | Rebounds | Jake LaRavia 7 |
Terrell Burden 3 | Free Throws Made | Jake LaRavia 6 |
Kasen Jennings 2 | Steals | Jake LaRavia 2 |
Terrell Burden 1 | Blocks | Dallas Walton 3 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Kennesaw St. | 61 | 37.7 | 7-23 | 8-15 | 12 | 23 | 3 | 8 | 13 |
Wake Forest | 92 | 56.1 | 10-25 | 18-24 | 19 | 38 | 5 | 9 | 15 |