Deacs Fall at No. 7 Notre Dame

SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Despite a strong scoring performance from sophomore guard Elise Williams, the Wake Forest women's basketball team suffered an 86-47 defeat to No. 7 Notre Dame Thursday evening at Purcell Pavilion.

The Demon Deacons (11-7, 2-5 ACC) were led in the score column by Williams who was helped by a big night at the free throw line. The Raleigh, N.C. native netted 5-of-6 at the charity stripe and the sophomore is now shooting nearly 80 percent from the free throw line this season.

Williams recorded her 10th double-figure scoring game of the season. This is the fifth consecutive for the sophomore guard and five of her 10 double-figure games have come in conference play this season. She also led the way in the assist column, totaling three helpers.

The Fighting Irish (13-2, 4-1 ACC) came into the game with nearly five players averaging double-figure points. The Demon Deacons limited just two of Notre Dame's double-figure scorers to double digits Thursday night.

Senior guard Kaia Harrison also had a strong game for the Demon Deacons, posting 10 points with most coming in transition. She also led the team in rebounds, tallying six in the loss. Senior forward Olivia Summiel totaled five rebounds in the defeat to go along with seven points.

There are only a limited number of home games remaining at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. Be sure to claim your spot for exciting ACC matchups at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Notre Dame jumped out to an early 7-0 lead before a pair of Elise Williams free throws opened the scoring for Wake Forest at the 6:46 mark.
Maddy Wesbeld then knocked down a jumper before an Olivia Summiel triple brought the Deacs within four.
- The trey marked Summiel's 21st three-pointer of the season.
  - The Dayville, Conn. native is only five three's shy of passing her season total (25) from a year ago.
The Fighting Irish then scored six unanswered to take a 15-5 lead.
The two sides traded baskets before a Williams free throw made it a nine point game.
Notre Dame scored four-consecutive points over the final 15 seconds of the frame to take a 21-8 lead after 10 minutes of action.
- Despite facing a double-digit deficit after the first quarter, Wake Forest forced four Notre Dame turnovers.
  - Additionally, the Deacs held the Irish to 1-of-5 shooting from three in the opening frame.
Notre Dame went on an 8-2 run to start the second quarter before a Williams triple narrowed the Deacs' deficit to 16.
After a jumper by Olivia Miles of Notre Dame, Jewel Spear canned her first trey of the contest.
Over the ensuing three minutes, the two teams exchanged field goals as Notre Dame held a 38-23 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first half.
The Fighting Irish closed the first half on a 6-2 run to take a 44-25 lead into the halftime break.
- Wake Forest was led by Williams in the first half as she tallied a team-high 11 points.
- Defensively, the Deacs forced nine turnovers during the first 20 minutes of play.
The Demon Deacons were unable to cut into the deficit early in the third quarter as the two sides traded baskets over the first 90 seconds of the frame.
The contest continued to be a back-and-forth affair over the ensuing four minutes as Notre Dame continued to hold a 19-point lead at the under-five media timeout.
Notre Dame then went on a 12-2 run to take a 29-point lead into the fourth quarter.
- Kaia Harrison had a stellar third quarter as she led the Deacs with six points.
  - Harrison also posted a game-high four rebounds in the third quarter.
The Fighting Irish opened the final frame scoring four unanswered before an Alyssa Andrews layup opened the fourth quarter scoring for Wake Forest.
The Irish then went on an 11-2 run before a pair of Harrison free throws made her the second Deac to score in double-figures.
Notre Dame held on to earn the 86-47 victory.

STANDOUT STAT

Eilise Williams recorded her 10th double-figure scoring game of the season.
- This is the fifth consecutive for the sophomore guard and five of her 10 double-figure games have come in conference play this season.
- Williams finished the game 5-of-6 from the free throw line, posting all five of the Deacs' makes at the line.
  - She is now second on the team at the charity stripe this season, knocking down 36-of-47 (76.6 percent)

FROM GEBBIA
"That was an uncharacteristic performance from us tonight especially on the defensive end of the floor. These types of games are hard to win when playing against a top-10 team on the road. They showed us what we need to work on going into Sunday. Now it is about how we respond and learn from this. We can take a lot from this in our growth process and that starts tonight in terms of reflecting on what happened tonight and how we go about fixing it." - Head Coach Megan Gebbia

NEXT UP
The Demon Deacons continue their three-game road stretch on Sunday when the Deacs head south to play Miami. Tipoff for the road clash is scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Watsco Center.

For those who cannot attend, the game will air on ACC Network Extra.

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Team Stats

Elise Williams

Kaia Harrison

Olivia Summiel

Demeara Hinds

Players Mentioned

Alyssa Andrews

Kaia Harrison

Jewel Spear

Olivia Summiel

Elise Williams

Players Mentioned

Alyssa Andrews

Kaia Harrison

Jewel Spear

Olivia Summiel

Elise Williams

Wake Forest Athletics