Wake Forest University
12-11,2-10ACC
Duke
15-7,6-6ACC
Spear Goes for 27 Points in Close Loss at Duke
2/6/2022 8:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The sophomore guard from The Colony, Texas finished the night with her 10th 20-plus point game of the season, nearly lifting the Deacs to a road victory over the Blue Devils.
DURHAM, N.C. -- Despite 27 points from sophomore guard Jewel Spear, the Wake Forest women's basketball team dropped a tightly-contested contest, 81-76, Sunday evening at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Demon Deacons (12-11, 2-10 ACC) nearly grabbed their second consecutive victory on the road against the Blue Devils (15-7, 6-6 ACC), which would have been the first time since the 1988 and 1989 seasons. Additionally, the 76 points marked the highest for the Demon Deacons in conference play this season.
Spear erupted during the second half, posting 19 of her game-high 27 points. The performance marked her 10th game of 20 or more points this season.
Well-rounded scoring by the Deacons featured three other starters finishing in double figure scoring. Junior forward Niyah Becker, junior forward Olivia Summiel, and junior guard Kaia Harrison each chipped in 12 points, the total being a career-high Harrison. Additionally, Becker grabbed a team-best nine rebounds, falling just short of her second double-double of the year.
Scoring 34 points in the paint, Wake Forest played a very efficient game from all areas of the floor. The Deacs shot 46.9 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point territory. The team also ended the evening on a perfect 8-of-8 mark at the free throw line.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Kaia Harrison scored the first two points for Wake Forest, right out of the gate.
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Ensuing jump shots from Olivia Summiel and Jewel Spear added into the Deacs' lead to make it 7-2 at the 7:44 mark of the first.
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Spear knocked down another jumper at the 6:12 mark in the opening quarter, keeping her team ahead, 11-6, as Duke suffered a few turnovers before the first media timeout was signaled.
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Coming out of the timeout, the Blue Devils sent in a three-pointer, but Niyah Becker immediately responded by tallying two consecutive baskets for an early six points.
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After a few defensive possessions by both sides, Christina Morra completed a traditional three-point play with seconds remaining in the period. Duke found its way to the rim twice late, but Wake Forest ultimately took the first frame, 18-13.
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Becker made three of her four first attempts from the field.
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Elise Williams scored her first points of the night to open the second quarter.
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Paint points continued to work best for Duke, trailing narrowly behind, 20-19, after Wake Forest called a 30-second timeout with 7:27 on the clock.
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Spear gave her Deacs a contested, made jumper a minute later.
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Turnovers continued to hurt Duke, totaling seven in 14 minutes.
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A hustle play led to a three-pointer from the top of the key for Duke, tying the scoreboard at 22-22, halfway in the second. A possession later, the Blue Devils took their first lead of the game.
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Nonetheless, Spear gave a jab right back to the host squad. Williams and Alexandria Scruggs each connected on corner triples to put Wake Forest back in front, 30-24.
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Scoring momentum picked up in the quarter, as Duke caught fire quickly during an 8-0 push within a two-minute span.
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Becker continued her effective first-half performance, driving in a high layup with time winding down.
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The Blue Devils took advantage of four free throws right before halftime, holding a 36-32 advantage at the break.
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Becker posted eight points and four rebounds in 19 minutes of action. Joining her was Spear, having plugged in eight points of her own.
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Making five of its last seven field goals, Duke ended the half of a 12-2 run.
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Both teams displayed efficiency in the first half, going a combined 27-of-56 (48%) from the floor.
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Right away in the third quarter, Harrison sliced her way to the basket for an off-hand finish, plus a foul, to have Wake Forest down by one point.
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Duke worked to pick up their pressure, but Wake Forest stayed in it with quick ball movement that found open looks.
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Amid a scoring spree, Summiel rang in back-to-back threes to tie things up once again, 43-43.
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Spear was the first Deac to enter double-digits in scoring.
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Summiel splashed her third straight triple from the right corner at the 4:53 mark.
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Traded points persisted up to the quarter's media timeout. The score again sat tied up, 51-51.
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Duke's efficient game continued, keeping the Blue Devils up by a slight margin, 57-53.
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Spear especially stayed aggressive on the offensive end for Wake Forest, going for ten points on 4-of-7 shooting in the period. With time expiring, the sophomore converted a layup off the glass to give the Deacs a 61-60 lead as the third quarter buzzer sounded.
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Wake Forest had three players with ten or more points after the three quarters of play
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Spear scored her 20th point to open the fourth.
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This marked the tenth time this season she has gone for 20 or more points in a single game.
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Duke again found a way to jump back ahead, 67-63. Wake Forest subsequently called for a timeout.
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The Deacons came right back with focused looks around the perimeter, as Becker forced yet another tie, 67-67.
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Succeeding on three of its next four tries, another lead change went the way of the Blue Devils, now leading 73-69.
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Spear hit an off-balance shot from deep to cut into the deficit, followed by two makes at the foul line. However, Duke needed just enough to stay alive, making free throws down the stretch once Wake Forest was forced to foul.
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Wake Forest fell, 81-76, on the road.
STANDOUT STAT
Saturday night added into Jewel Spear's list of high-scoring games this season. On four different occasions, she has poured in 27 points or more. This also marked her season-best performance in a road game:
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vs. ETSU (Dec. 13, 2021) - 40 points
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vs. Cornell (Nov. 12, 2021) - 32 points
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vs. Troy (Dec. 4, 2021) - 30 points
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at Duke (Feb. 6, 2022) - 27 points
The last time Wake Forest had four players score ten points or more took place earlier this season on Dec. 15, 2021 against South Carolina State. Saturday's team performance was the first time in ACC play this season that the Deacons had four members rack up double-digit numbers.
FROM HOOVER
"This is the kind of effort and fight I knew we were capable of. We fought and were locked in from the opening whistle and battled to the very end against a talented Duke team. We got scoring from a variety of players as four of our starters finished in double figures. This really opened up Jewel especially in the second half. If we continue to play with that intensity, we will find a way to win games the rest of the regular season." - Head Coach Jen Hoover"This is the kind of effort and fight I knew we were capable of. We fought and were locked in from the opening whistle and battled to the very end against a talented Duke team. We got scoring from a variety of players as four of our starters finished in double figures. This really opened up Jewel especially in the second half. If we continue to play with that intensity, we will find a way to win games the rest of the regular season." - Head Coach Jen Hoover.
NEXT UP
Wake Forest is back on the road on Thursday when the Demon Deacons travel to Clemson, S.C. as the Deacs play against the Tigers for the second time this season. Tipoff is scheduled for at 2 p.m.
For those not in attendance on Thursday, the game will also air on ACC Network.
