Deacs’ Comeback Bid Falls Short at James Madison

HARRISONBURG, Va. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team dropped a 55-53 decision to James Madison Sunday evening at Atlantic Union Bank Center in Harrisonburg, Va.

The Demon Deacons (2-6) battled from 13-points down in the fourth quarter with the help of a 15-0 run to take the lead with 2:17 left in the game. On the next offensive possession, a Kaia Harrison layup put the Deacs back in front again, 53-51, but were unable to close out the win.

Wake Forest forced the Dukes (6-3) to 35.0 pct. from the field, 30.0 pct. from three and 50.0 pct. from the free throw line while also forcing 12 turnovers in the game. The Demon Deacons have forced double-digit turnovers in every game this season.

Junior guard Elise Williams led the Deacs in nearly every statistical category, posting a team-high 13 points, a team-high eight rebounds, a team-high four assists and a team-high three steals. Williams' eight boards, three steals, 38 minutes played, six field goals made and 60.0 field goal percentage were all season-highs.

Eight of the nine players who saw the floor scored with Harrison and freshman forward Madisyn Jordan each tallied nine points with Jordan leading the team with three triples including the one that put Wake Forest up with two minutes to play.

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

Alexandria Scruggs opened the scoring just over 60 seconds into the contest with a left-handed layup.
After a James Madison layup evened the ledger, Elise Williams canned a triple from the top of the key.
- The Demon Deacons held an 8-5 lead at the under-five media timeout.
Wake Forest outscored James Madison 6-1 over the following four minutes of action.
The Deacs held a 15-9 advantage after 10 minutes of action.
- Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced seven James Madison turnovers in the opening frame.
The Dukes went on a 9-4 run over the first six minutes of the second half.
- James Madison took its first lead of the contest with 2:15 minutes left in the second period.
Five consecutive points from Wake Forest gave the Demon Deacons a 24-20 lead late in the half.
- Raegyn Conley made a layup and Madisyn Jordan drained a three.
The Deacs led 24-23 at the halftime break.
- James Madison shot only 26.7 percent from the field during the first half.
  - Individually, Scruggs led the Demon Deacons with six points on 3-of-4 shooting from the floor.
The Dukes scored five unanswered to open the second half, taking a 28-24 lead.
- Both sides exchanged field goals over the following three minutes.
After a Malaya Cowles layup, the Deacs forced a turnover and Cowles made a free throw on the other end to pull the Deacs within two, late in the third quarter.
James Madison led 40-36 through 30 minutes of play.
The Dukes opened the fourth quarter on a 9-0 run.
- Wake Forest responded, scoring 15 unanswered, to take a 51-49 lead with 2:17 remaining.
  - The lead marked the Deacs' first of the second half.
James Madison outscored Wake Forest 6-2 over the remainder of the contest and earned the 55-53 victory.

Standout Stats

With 12 forced turnovers against the Dukes, the Deacs have forced double-digit turnovers in every game this season and have turned over opponents 128 times in eight games.

The average of 16 turnovers forced per game is an increase from last year's 14.4 turnovers forced per game.

After trailing by 13 in the fourth quarter, Wake Forest went on a 15-0 run to take a 51-49 lead with 2:17 remaining in the contest.
- Madisyn Jordan and Elise Williams combined for 10 of the Demon Deacons' 15 points during the spurt.

From Gebbia
"This one came down to so many small things in so many different areas and this is a learning lesson that we need to grow from on the road. We won the paint and we stayed together despite being down 13 points there in the fourth quarter. That tells me we have heart and fight. We followed the game plan but we didn't quite make the plays we needed to get this one on the road. We did a great job on defense and James Madison grabbed some timely rebounds and made some contested shots. A lot of great steps forward individually but I am proud of how we stayed together as a group. We just need a little more consistency. Madi and Raegyn came off the bench and hit some big shots which is growth for us. There are some little things that if we learn from, we can win the final few minutes of the game. The loss hurts but we need to continue to get this right and learn to play all 40 minutes. I look forward to the times when we come in the locker room and we are celebrating. That will come as we continue to work and find what we are missing in these close ones." - Megan Gebbia

Next Up
Wake Forest returns home for three of the next four games with the first coming on Wednesday against Charlotte as the Deacs play the 49ers for the eighth-consecutive year.

The 6:00 p.m. ET tipoff can also be seen on ACC Network Extra.

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

Elise Williams

Kaia Harrison

Madisyn Jordan

Raegyn Conley

Players Mentioned

Raegyn Conley

Malaya Cowles

Kaia Harrison

Madisyn Jordan

Alexandria Scruggs

Elise Williams

Wake Forest Athletics