You can go glass-half-full or glass-half-empty on Wake Forest’s season opener.

Whatever way you see it, it's a win.

The Deacons won a slog of a 64-49 game over Coppin State on Monday night at Joel Coliseum, opening a season of lofty expectations with a narrower-than-expected win.

To start with what didn’t go according to plan: Wake Forest was 9-for-37 on 3-pointers. It’s the first time in Steve Forbes’ five seasons at Wake Forest (126 games) that the Deacons have attempted 30 or more 3-pointers and shot under 25%.

All nine players who entered the game for Wake Forest shot at least two 3s; Cameron Hildreth made 3 of 6 and Omaha Biliew made 2 of 3, so other than them, the Deacons were 4-for-28 (14.3%).

Hildreth led the Deacons with 15 points and added five rebounds and four assists. Biliew scored 11 points in his Deacons debut, and Hunter Sallis had 10 points and five assists, shooting 3-for-8 from the field.

As bad a night as Wake Forest had offensively, its defense kept the game from getting tight. The Deacons led by 20 at halftime (42-22) and it was never closer than a 15-point game in the second half.

Coppin State shot 17-for-60 from the field and 4 of 18 on 3-pointers. The Eagles turned the ball over 20 times — which Wake Forest turned into 18 points — and never had a lead.

Wake Forest held one team — twice — under 50 points last season. In both games against Virginia, a 19-point win in Winston-Salem and a two-point loss in Charlottesville, the Cavaliers were under 50 points.

TIP-INS: Wake Forest was 11-for-23 at the free-throw line. … Coppin State outrebounded Wake Forest 44-38, including 14 offensive rebounds that resulted in 10 second-chance points. … Tre’Von Spillers had nine points and nine rebounds in his Wake Forest debut.