WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. ? Eric Williams figures it’s going to take time for No. 18 Wake Forest to adjust to new roles and changed faces this season.

That much was clear Thursday night.

Williams had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead the Demon Deacons past Mississippi Valley State, 78-64, in the first round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic, an uneven debut for a team that looks quite different from the one that ranked among the nation’s best last year.

Trent Strickland added 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds for the Demon Deacons, who have won 12 straight season openers. Wake Forest hasn’t lost a home opener in 17 years and advanced to face George Mason in today’s second round.

The Demon Deacons built an early double-digit lead in this one, but couldn’t put the game away and ended up tussling with a scrappy, undersized opponent much of the way. They also struggled to defend against dribble penetration and looked out of sync at times on offense.

But some of that trouble was understandable, coach Skip Prosser said.

“It’s going to take awhile for us to function like we want to function because so many guys are in new roles,” Prosser said.

All-American point guard Chris Paul led Wake Forest to a 27-6 record and helped the school earn its first No. 1 ranking in 2004-05. But he took his game to the NBA after two seasons, joining seniors Taron Downey, Vytas Danelius and Jamaal Levy on the way out of town.

Mississippi Valley State's Mike Thomas, center, looks for a friendly face as he's guarded by Wake Forest's Kyle Visser, left, and Eric Williams. Wake won, 78-64, Thursday in Winston-Salem, N.C.

That leaves the Demon Deacons with just five returnees with Division I experience, with all-conference performer Justin Gray moving from shooting guard to the point to serve as Paul’s successor. Throw in a youth-laden roster, and the Demon Deacons could be in for some ups and downs to start the season.

“It’s just all about adjustment,” said Williams, who went 10-for-12 from the field and had seven dunks. “We’ve got guys who have never played college basketball before, and we’ve got seniors trying to lead them and play our own game.

“It’s a clash, but it’s got to be a balance as well. We’ll be fine. It’s just something we have to work on.”

The 6-foot-9, 280-pound Williams — a second-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference pick last year — dominated inside against smaller defenders, going 9-for-10 in the second half to help Wake Forest shoot 72 percent after the break.

Gray had 10 points with a career-best eight assists and just two turnovers. But the player who made a living knocking down big shots off feeds from Paul didn’t hit a three-pointer, snapping his streak of 53 games with at least one made three.

“It’s a new position for me, but as long as I’m getting better every game,” Gray said. “I’m more focused on not scoring, but not turning the ball over. I’m trying to make smart plays.”

The Demon Deacons also got a boost from Strickland — a career reserve — and freshman Harvey Hale, who had 11 points in 22 minutes.

Still, this was not exactly how the Demon Deacons wanted to start.

They shot 66 percent and had a 36-26 edge on the glass, but committed 19 turnovers and gave up plenty of uncontested looks off penetration. Mississippi Valley State scored 18 points off turnovers, got 17 more shot attempts and hit nine three-pointers to hang around before Wake Forest finally pulled away late.

“We’re trying to be happy with this, but we came here to win and we fell short,” said Richard Cannon, who led the Delta Devils with 19 points and tried defending Williams at times despite giving up five inches and 85 pounds.

Mississippi Valley State — which trailed by 14 midway through the first half — even tied it at 52 when Stanford Speech banked in an open three-pointer with 9:42 left.

But Wake Forest pushed the ball upcourt to Strickland, who hit a hanging layup in the lane only five seconds later. He completed a three-point play, putting the Demon Deacons ahead to stay at 55-52.

Then, with Wake Forest holding a 59-56 lead, Michael Drum hit a spinning shot and drew the foul. It was the first of two three-point plays from Drum, the first non-scholarship starter for the program in five years, and helped the Demon Deacons take a 65-58 lead with 6:16 left.