Deacs Register Opening Night Victory Over Wofford

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Behind a balanced offensive attack, the Wake Forest women's basketball team earned a 75-65 victory over Wofford Monday evening at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The victory marked Wake Forest's 17th-consecutive season-opening home win, dating back to the 2007-08 campaign.

After trailing by four (60-56) with just over seven minutes remaining in the contest, the Demon Deacons (1-0) used a 17-0 run down the stretch to secure Monday's win behind a combined 15 points from sophomore guard Kate Deeble and graduate student guard Kaia Harrison.

Defensively, the Deacs held the Terriers (0-1) to 38.6 percent shooting for the contest, including only 27.3 percent from the field and just 14.3 percent from behind the arc in the fourth quarter.

Individually, the Deacs were led by redshirt sophomore forward Malaya Cowles who tallied 19 points and seven rebounds, while shooting a stellar 8-of-12 from the floor, finishing just one point shy of her career-high set against ETSU during the 2021-22 season.

Of note, Deeble notched a career-high 19 points in her first-career start.

In total, four Demon Deacons recorded double-digit points on Monday. This marked the first time since High Point on Dec. 3, 2022 that the Deacs had four in double figures. Along with Cowles and Deeble, junior guard Elise Williams notched 14 points while Harrison pitched in 13 points of her own.

An exciting season awaits at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for 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 $60 season ticket package this season there are many added benefits exclusive only to those who buy season tickets.

How It Happened

Wake Forest opened the scoring 50 seconds into the contest on a free throw from Malaya Cowles.
- Rachael Rose of Wofford responded with a three-pointer seconds later.
On the ensuing Wake Forest possession, Cowles drained a triple giving the Deacs a 4-3 lead.
Rose of Wofford knocked down another jumper, but an Elise Williams three followed 20 seconds later.
After a Cowles layup, Wofford went on a 6-0 run to take an 11-9 lead.
- Kaia Harrison ended the Terriers' spurt, converting an and-one.
- Williams then scored five-straight, extending the Deacs' lead to six.
The Demon Deacons held a 23-15 lead through 10 minutes of action.
- The Deacs were paced by Williams and Cowles as they combined for 18 of the teams 23 points in the opening frame.
The two sides exchanged buckets over the first three minutes of the second quarter as Wake Forest held a 31-20 lead at the 7:00 mark.
Madisyn Jordan scored the first points of her collegiate career at the 6:08 mark as she drained a triple from the top of the key.
- Jordan then made a putback layup, extending the Demon Deacons' lead to 18.
Wofford outscored Wake Forest 11-3 for the remainder of the half to narrow its deficit to 10 at the halftime break.
- The Deacs led 41-31 through 20 minutes of play.
  - Individually, the Demon Deacons were led by Cowles, who notched 13 points and five rebounds.
  - Cowles shot an impressive 5-of-6 from the field in the first half.
Wofford knocked down a three to open the second half, but Cowles responded with back-to-back layups.
The Terriers went on a 6-2 run, before a Kate Deeble three extended the lead to double digits.
The two teams continued to trade baskets over the following three minutes as the Deacs held a seven point lead with one minute remaining in the third frame.
Wake Forest led 54-52 at the end of the third quarter.
Wofford opened the fourth period on a 8-2 run to take a 60-56 lead.
- The Demon Deacons then scored 17 unanswered to go up 73-60 with just two minutes remaining.
  - During the run, Deeble and Harrison combined to score 15 of the Wake Forest points.
Wofford connected on three free throws and cut the deficit to 10, before Williams scored the final Wake Forest basket of the evening with 39 seconds left.
Wofford made a layup with 26 seconds remaining as Wake Forest held on to win, 75-65.

Standout Stats

With the victory, the Demon Deacons have now won three-consecutive season-openers and nine of their last 10.
- Additionally, the Deacs have won the last 17 home openers.
The Deacs made 30 field goals against the Terriers, marking the most in a single game since the victory over Longwood last season (12/15/22).
Wake Forest finished the opener with a +11 rebounding margin, the best mark in the regular-season since the victory over Longwood on Dec. 15, 2022.
- Additionally, 43 total rebounds is also the most for the Demon Deacons in the regular season since the Longwood game (12/15/22).
Wake Forest finished with eight threes in the contest. Last season the Deacs hit eight or more threes 13 different times. The Demon Deacons ended the season ranked third in the ACC with 6.7 threes made per game.
- The 227 threes made in 2022-23 were the second most in school history.

From Gebbia
"I am really proud of the way that we came out and played from the jump. We will continue to grow and learn from both the good and the bad. Obviously, this is only game one and having a new group, we are still learning all of the new roles. Malaya and Kate for not playing much or at all last year I am proud of the way they led us offensively. Give credit to Wofford they are a good team and a conference champion last year. They fought and really challenged us there in the third quarter. I am proud of the way that the team responded and finished tonight." - Coach Megan Gebbia

NEXT UP
The Demon Deacons will hit the road for the first time this season, as they take on Davidson on Saturday, Nov. 11.

Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m., and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

Claim Your Spot for the 2023-24 Season
Claim your spot in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for what is shaping up to be another exciting season for Megan Gebbia's second season with the Demon Deacons! Season tickets for 2023-24 Wake Forest women's basketball season tickets are now open at GoDeacs.com/tickets with tickets starting at $60.

Along with your purchase of a women's basketball season ticket package this season there are many added benefits exclusive only to those who buy season tickets. Admission to all 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 The 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 video board graphics made for them as well

Go to GoDeacs.com/Tickets or call the ticket office at 336-758-3322 for more information.

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Team Stats

Malaya Cowles

Kate Deeble

Elise Williams

Kaia Harrison

Players Mentioned

Malaya Cowles

Kate Deeble

Kaia Harrison

Madisyn Jordan

Elise Williams

Wake Forest Athletics