Spear Late Three Boosts Deacs to Road Victory

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Behind a clutch performance from junior guard Jewel Spear, the Wake Forest women's basketball team captured a 63-59 victory Wednesday night at Williams Arena against Minnesota as a part of the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

With less than 10 seconds remaining in the game, a ball screen at the top of the key freed up Spear who hit a game-winning three with 3.0 seconds remaining to lift the Deacs (5-3, 0-1 ACC) to a road win over the Gophers (4-3, 0-0 Big Ten).

The triple put the Demon Deacons up 62-59 and after a defensive stop, Alexandria Scruggs clinched the victory with a free throw with 1.7 left in the game. She purposefully missed the second free throw and the final seconds ticked off.

Spear came alive in the second half, netting 15 of her team-best 19 points in the final 20 minutes. Additionally, she scored 11 of those during a key 22-5 run in the third quarter that helped the Deacs control much of the second half. With a game-high and career-high tying 10 rebounds, The Colony, Texas native notched her third career double-double and the first for her this season.

Wake Forest was also led in the score column by sophomore guard Elise Williams, who poured in 16 key points, while senior forward Olivia Summiel ended the night with 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting.

Williams also led the Demon Deacons with four assists in the victory over the Gophers.

An exciting season awaits at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum as the Wake Forest women's basketball team! There is no better time than now to become a season ticket holder and support your Demon Deacons at home this season.

Along with your purchase of a $50 season ticket package this season there are many added benefits exclusive only to those who buy season tickets.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Both teams were held scoreless over the first 90 seconds of action before Kaia Harrison knocked down a pair of free throws to give the Deacs a 2-0 lead.
Harrison made a mid-range jumper at the 7:02 mark to give the Demon Deacons a 4-0 advantage.
Minnesota quickly responded 17 seconds later as Alanna Micheaux drove to the basket and finished a layup.
- Wake Forest held Minnesota to 1-of-6 shooting from the field over the first five minutes of play.
Amaya Battle of Minnesota evened the ledger (4-4) at the 4:44 mark, converting an and-one going into the under-five media timeout.
Olivia Summiel knocked down consecutive jumpers, giving the Demon Deacons an 8-4 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first quarter.
In her first trip to the charity stripe, Mallory Heyer of Minnesota made one of two free throws to narrow the Gophers' deficit to three.
Jewel Spear scored her first points of the game on a pullup jumper with 1:03 remaining in the first quarter to extend the Demon Deacon advantage to five.
Wake Forest held a 10-5 lead after 10 minutes of action.
- The Deacs were led offensively by Harrison and Summiel as they combined for eight of Wake Forest's 10 points.
- The Demon Deacons held the Gophers to 2-of-11 shooting from the field and 0-for-2 shooting from beyond the arc.
Minnesota opened the second quarter on a quick 7-4 run to make it a two point game (14-12) midway through the frame.
Elise Williams made a free throw and finished a layup to give the Deacs a 17-12 lead with 5:30 remaining in the second quarter.
Minnesota scored four unanswered to make it a one point game (17-16) before Williams made a layup and two free throws.
The Gophers immediately responded with a blistering 9-0 run to take a 25-21 lead with 1:51 remaining in the first half.
Both teams traded buckets over the final 48 seconds of the half as Minnesota took a 27-23 lead into the halftime break.
- Defensively, Wake Forest held the Gophers to 35.7 percent shooting in the first half and forced nine turnovers.
  - Additionally, the Deacs protected the rim well, holding Minnesota to just 5-of-11 in layup opportunities
Williams had a stellar second quarter as she finished the frame with 11 points, while shooting a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
Minnesota came out aggressive, knocking down a three-pointer six seconds into the third quarter, but Wake Forest responded with a 8-0 run to take a 31-30 lead.
- Hinds finished a putback layup and Spear made consecutive three's over a 25-second span.
Neither side was able to pull away over the ensuing three minutes as the contest remained a one point game until the 5:17 mark when Wake Forest went on a 5-0 run to take a four point lead (38-34).
Summiel extended the Demon Deacon lead to six as she finished a tough layup on an assist from Williams.
- The Gophers made a free throw 21 seconds later, but Wake Forest responded with a three from Spear and a layup from Alexandria Scruggs to take a 10 point lead with 2:04 remaining in the third quarter.
  - Scruggs' layup marked the Demon Deacons' first double-digit lead of the contest.
Wake Forest held a 47-39 lead after three quarters.
- Through three, the Demon Deacons were led by Spear as she tallied 15 points and a season-high eight rebounds over the first 30 minutes of action.
- During the third frame, Wake Forest shot a staggering 69.2 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from three-point range.
  - Defensively, the Deacs forced six turnovers, while holding the Gophers to only 29.4 percent shooting from the field.
Mara Braun of Minnesota opened up the fourth quarter scoring as she finished a layup to pull the Gophers within six; however, Summiel quickly responded with a layup of her own.
The two teams then traded layups before a Williams score gave the Deacs another 10-point lead.
Braun of Minnesota knocked down consecutive threes, forcing a Wake Forest timeout at the 5:21 mark.
- Braun's trey's narrowed the Demon Deacons' lead to four (53-49) with just over five minutes remaining in the contest.
Alyssa Andrews made a layup at the 4:13 point of the fourth, but Minnesota responded with another three to make it a one-possession game (55-52) with just over three minutes left.
After a Spear free throw gave the Deacs a four point advantage, the Gophers knocked down their fourth three of the quarter.
- Williams then converted a pivotal and-one to regain the Demon Deacons' four-point lead.
After a missed three from Spear, Micheaux of Minnesota finished a fastbreak layup to make it a two point game (59-57).
Wake Forest then committed a turnover which resulted in another Gopher possession.
- Minnesota tied it up on a layup with 16 seconds remaining (59-59).
With three seconds left in regulation, Spear knocked down a clutch three from the top of the key to give the Deacs a three point lead (62-59).
Scruggs then sealed the 63-59 victory as she made a free throw with one second remaining.

STANDOUT STAT

After a made basket to start the second half by Minnesota put the Gophers up seven, the Demon Deacons answered with a run to take the lead and control of the game. Wake Forest answered the made basket with a 22-5 run until Minnesota had a basket with 1:13 remaining in the third quarter.
- Wake Forest turned a seven-point deficit into a 10-point lead, the largest of the game at that point.
- During the run, Spear accounted for half of the Wake Forest points, putting in 11 including three baskets from behind the arc.
  - Spear finished the game with a team-high 19 points and now is just 29 points from the 1,000-point barrier.

FROM GEBBIA
"It was just really hard to win at any school especially a scholl like Minnesota. Overall, it was a really good team effort and really good half court defense. I am proud of execution down the stretch. We needed to execute well and we were able to do that. Obviously, Jewel hitting the shot at the end was pretty amazing. She took it when she knew she was open. Jewel getting a double-double is a credit to her and how much she wanted to win. Elise Williams kept us in the game in the first half. And Liv just did a really good job of scoring when we needed a bucket, getting some rebounds and just playing her heart out. After going through this game, it's something to build off of, especially since we executed well late in the game. That's important and a sign of growth for this group. Overall, the bench was locked in the game. Alex came in and got that charge and made the free throw we needed her to make. Everyone that played contributed and Alyssa Andrews really didn't show up on the stat sheet that much but boy does she play great defense and really helped our defense go and get stops. It's a team that averaged 78 points. We held them to 59 on their home court. That is what we needed to do." - Head Coach Megan Gebbia

NEXT UP
The Demon Deacons are back at home Saturday when the Deacs host High Point at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.

For those who cannot attend, the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra.

Claim Your Spot for the 2022-23 Season
The best way to see your Demon Deacons' women's basketball team this season is by purchasing season tickets for just $50.

Along with your purchase of a $50 season ticket package this season there are many added benefits exclusive only to those who buy season tickets. Admission to all 16 home games for this price Additional perks include:

A lunch opportunity with the Wake Forest women's basketball team
Only season ticket holders can sit in floor level seats
Access to Blue Ridge Room for free light refreshments and snacks before and during each home game
"Season Ticket Holder of the Game"
- A season ticket holder will be recognized at each game
  - They will be brought onto the floor during a quarter break or timeout to be recognized
  - They will be presented with a signed picture of the team
  - They will also have videoboard graphics made for them as well

The quickest and most efficient way to order season tickets is to visit GoDeacs.com/Tickets and purchase online or call the Wake Forest Ticket Office at 336-758-3322 ext. 1. Office hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

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Team Stats

Jewel Spear

Elise Williams

Olivia Summiel

Kaia Harrison

Players Mentioned

Kaia Harrison

Alexandria Scruggs

Olivia Summiel

Players Mentioned

Kaia Harrison

Alexandria Scruggs

Olivia Summiel

Wake Forest Athletics