WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (AP) Devin Thomas had 21 points and 17 rebounds, Dinos Mitoglou added 19 points and 16 rebounds, and Wake Forest relied on inside muscle to hold off hot-shooting Maryland-Baltimore County 78-73 on Friday night.
It was a nervous start to coach Danny Manning's second season with the Demon Deacons (1-0). The Retrievers, who went 4-26 last season, hit nine 3-pointers, led with under 7 minutes left, and got within 72-71 on Rodney Elliott's steal and layup with 1:45 left.
But Wake Forest hit enough free throws down the stretch and used a 59-36 rebounding edge to avoid the upset.