, he has really kept us engaged in the competit

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- John Collins sure liked the statistics next to his name in the first game of his second season for Wake Forest.?? The sophomore forward had career highs of 18 points and 12 rebounds as the Demon Deacons defeated Radford 80-59 in the season opener Friday night.?? I feel I came out with a solid start to my sophomore campaign, Collins said. Statistically, it says it is my best game.?? Devin Thomas was a four-year player for Wake Forest and often helped control the lane. He has moved on, so Collins said he understands the importance of picking up the slack.?? Theres no DT any more to get those tenacious rebounds, Collins said. Somebody needs to fill that void.?? Collins, who made 7 of 11 shots from the field, had plenty of help. Keyshawn Woods scored nine points in the first 12 minutes of the second half on his way to 14 points in his Wake Forest debut.?? Bryant Crawford also added 14 points and eight assists for the Demon Deacons, though he went down with what he later described as a foot cramp after a dunk with less than two minutes to play.?? Wake Forest shot 62.5 percent from the field in the second half. At the other end, the Demon Deacons racked up 10 blocked shots, contributing to Radfords 35.8-percent shooting from the field.?? I thought we played hard enough to win the game for the majority of the game, Radford coach Mike Jones said. As the game wore on, I thought their size really affected us. I thought it took a toll on us in the second half. I thought we got a little tired.?? Ed Polite Jr. paced Radford with 11 points.??? Woods, a redshirt sophomore who sat out last season after transferring from Charlotte, scored all but three of his points in the second half. He made consecutive jumpers as part of a personal 5-0 run as the Demon Deacons built a 56-39 edge.??? Wake Forest coach Danny Manning liked what Woods provided.?? Hes kind of a jack-of-all-trades for us, Manning said. Were very happy that hes out there on the court with us.?? Wake Forest held several 11-point leads in the first half, but led 36-28 at the break.?? Still there were moments in the game we could have put them away earlier, Crawford said.? The Demon Deacons came into the season touting improved perimeter shooting and the games first basket was a 3-pointer by graduate transfer Austin Arians. But by the end of the half, they were 3 of 12 on 3s.?? Radford sputtered offensively early, shooting 2-for-15 from the field in the first 10 1/2 minutes.?? We were not in sync. They disrupted our flow, Jones said. We got some good looks and didnt capitalize and I think a lot of that was their defense.?BIG PICTURERadford: The Highlanders had seven seniors on last years team, leaving only fourth-year junior guard Justin Cousin and sophomore forward Ed Polite Jr. as primary returners. They combined for 14 points in the opener.The Highlanders couldnt repeat the type of result they earned in last years opener when they notched a triple-overtime triumph at Georgetown.Wake Forest: Wake Forest opened the season with a home game for the 13th year in a row, stretching its first-game winning streak to six seasons.?UP NEXTWake Forest is back in action Sunday at home against Bucknell before heading to the Charleston Classic for three games next week.Radford plays its lone home game among its first seven games when Central Penn visits Wednesday. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. 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Dalvin Cook Jersey . -- On the field, it was business as usual for Jameis Winston and No. Shane Mumford has avoided serious injury and is set to face Richmond in a major boost to Greater Western Sydneys hopes of securing a maiden AFL finals berth.Mumford hurt his knee in round 18 when he landed awkwardly in a marking contest during the Giants win over Port Adelaide.The club revealed on Tuesday that scans had cleared Mumford of any structural damage.GWS expect he will be fit for Saturdays clash with the Tigers in Canberra.The ruckman is one of the clubs most-important players.He missed the second half of the 2015 season through injury, coinciding with a slump that resulted in the Giants crashing out of finals conttention.ddddddddddddThe expansion side are second on the ladder and will go a long way to sealing their spot in the finals with a win this weekend over Richmond.GWS coach Leon Cameron is unlikely to make many changes after an impressive 19-point win over Port in Adelaide.But veteran midfielder Ryan Griffen will soon demand a recall.Former Western Bulldogs captain Griffen faces a fitness test this week, having overcome the worst of a hamstring injury that has kept him on the sidelines this month. 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