Wake Forest University
East Carolina
Deacs Hit the Road for First Time in 2022-23
11/8/2022 9:49:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest travels to East Carolina to play against the Pirates on Thursday night.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team hits the road for the first time this season as the Deacs travel to Greenville, N.C. to take on East Carolina on Thursday night at 6 p.m. ET in Williams Arena at Minges Coliseum.
The Deacs (1-0) are coming off a 76-56 victory in the first game of the Megan Gebbia era behind an efficient team effort on the offensive end of the floor. Wake Forest assisted on 18 of the 29 made field goals while also shooting 48.3 percent overall from the field. Junior guard Jewel Spear netted a game-high 23 points including going 4-of-8 from behind the arc.
The Pirates (1-0) defeated South Carolina State, 71-35, on Monday night, holding the Bulldogs to single digits in three of the four quarters. Offensively, the Pirates shared the load as four players finished in double figures and the team tallied 20 assists on 28 made baskets. In her first collegiate game, forward Amiya Joyner totaled 12 points and eight rebounds while also adding three assists and two steals.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (ET) in Greenville. For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ESPN+.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
MAY I ASSIST YOU
After having 27 assists in the exhibition game against Winston-Salem State, the Demon Deacons again did a great job of sharing the basketball on Opening Night in the victory over Elon. Wake Forest finished with 18 assists on 29 made baskets (62 percent).
This is a big uptick from a season ago when the Deacs averaged 10.7 assists per game and assisted on just 44.9 percent of their made field goals.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Elon (Nov. 7)
Result: W, 76-56
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Wake Forest was led by preseason All-ACC selection and the league's returning scorer, Jewel Spear. The junior guard netted 23 points while shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 4-for-8 from beyond the arc. Additionally, The Colony, Texas native shot 7-for-7 from the charity stripe.
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Senior guard Kaia Harrison tied her career-high with 15 points and shot an efficient 7-of-11 from the floor in her 22nd-career start.
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Joining Spear and Harrison in double figures were Alexandria Scruggs and Alyssa Andrews with 11 points apiece.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus ECU
Series: East Carolina leads 7-5
Last: November 21, 2021
Result: W, 73-52
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The Demon Deacons attacked the basket and got to the free throw line, attempting a season-high 36 free throws in the victory over the Pirates.
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The Deacs were +12 rebounding and had 39 boards in total in the win.
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 ECU game with 862 career points, just 138 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.) |
152 |
STANDOUT STAT
On Monday, the Demon Deacons scored 24 points (36 percent) off turnovers. Wake Forest forced the Phoenix into 15 total turnovers during the contest. Scruggs, Williams and Harrison had two steals apiece, while Spear and Hinds recorded one as well.
UP NEXT
The first ACC game of the Gebbia era comes on Sunday when Wake Forest travels to Charlottesville, Va. for a 2 p.m. tipoff against Virginia on ACC Network.
