Wake Forest University
Mercer
Deacs Return Home for Thursday Matinee
11/16/2022 2:45:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons look to bounce back at LJVM Coliseum Thursday against Mercer.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After opening the ACC season on Sunday at Virginia, the Wake Forest women's basketball team returns home to Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Thursday morning against Mercer.
The Deacs (2-1) are looking to continue their winning ways in the non-conference slate after picking up wins over in-state Elon and ECU last week. So far this non-conference season, junior guard Jewel Spear has netted 23 points in both contests while also going 8-of-15 (.533 percent) from behind the arc. Additionally, her backcourt mate, sophomore guard Elise Williams, has averaged a career-best 4.3 assists per game through three games this season.
The Bears (1-0) have been idle since playing their opening game against Middle Tennessee State on Monday, Nov. 7 after multiple road games in the state of Florida were canceled due to weather. In the lone game of the season, guard Amoria Neal-Tysor led the Bears with 32 points, going 10-of-14 from the field and 4-of-6 from behind the arc.
Tipoff is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. (ET) in LJVM Coliseum. For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
CLEANING THE OFFENSIVE GLASS
Through three games this season, junior forward Demeara Hinds has been one of the best players on the glass in the country, pulling down 27 rebounds. Additionally, she has collected 16 offensive rebounds.
Through three games played, she leads all Power-5 players with that offensive rebound total and her total is tied for eighth nationally.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest at Virginia (Nov. 13)
Result: L, 72-52
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The Deacs were led by a strong effort from Williams who finished the game with a near double-double performance. The sophomore guard ended the conference opener against Virginia with a new career high on the glass, posting nine rebounds against the Cavaliers.
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In addition to the rebounding effort, Williams also finished in double figures in the score column, tallying 10 points in the loss, a team best. The sophomore was nearly perfect at the line, going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe which was also a team-high.
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She also led the team with six assists in an all-around effort for Wake Forest.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus Mercer
Series: Mercer leads 5-1
Last: November 9, 2021
Result: W, 68-55
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Senior forward Christina Morra led the way for the Demon Deacons with a career-high tying 19 points in the victory over the 2021 Southern Conference Champions.
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Sophomore Jewel Spear added 14 points and junior Niyah Becker totaled 10 points in her Wake Forest debut.
CHASING 1,000
After breaking the program record with 30 double-figure scoring games, netting the fourth-most points in school history a season ago with 567 and leading the ACC in scoring with 18.3 points per game, junior Jewel Spear has put herself in position to join exclusive company in the 1,000-point club early in the season.
She goes into the Virginia game with 894 career points, just 106 points away from becoming the 30th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone.
Additionally, Spear went into the year with a chance to break the all-time threes record in program history:
|
Rank |
Player |
Career Threes |
|
1. |
Cotelia Bond Young (2003-06) |
267 |
|
2. |
Chelsea Douglas (2010-14) |
257 |
|
3. |
Nicole Levesque (1991-94) |
193 |
|
4. |
Heidi Coleman (1995-99) |
191 |
|
5. |
Lakevia Boykin (2009-13) |
167 |
|
6. |
Jewel Spear (2020-Pres.) |
157 |
STANDOUT STAT
The Deacs will look to continue its winning ways in regular season non-conference action, winning 11 of 12 over the last two seasons. The lone loss came at the hands of Nebraska in the 2021 ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Cornhuskers went on to earn a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament last season.
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons head to the Bahamas for the Baha Mar Hoops Pink Flamingo Championship with the first game against Missouri on Monday, Nov. 21 at 5:30 p.m. The second game comes on Wednesday, Nov. 23 at 11 a.m. against Alabama.
