Deacs Return Home for Final Stretch of Regular Season

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Holding a record of 11-2 inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season, the Wake Forest women's basketball team looks to end the season strong starting Thursday night against No. 23 Florida State.

The Deacs (14-13, 5-11 ACC) are still well positioned in the league standings, entering Thursday night in a tie for 10th place. Wake Forest is looking to split the season series with Florida State for the second consecutive season, winning in overtime against the Noles last season at home. Additionally, a sixth ACC win would give Megan Gebbia the most by a first-year head coach in program history. No Wake Forest coach has reached six wins in conference play until at least their third year on campus. Currently, Gebbia has the third-most overall wins by a first-year head coach in program history and is three away from the program record of 17 wins.

The Seminoles (22-7, 11-5 ACC) currently sit fourth in the ACC standings with a chance to earn a double bye in the upcoming conference tournament. The Noles have one of the most prolific offenses in the nation, scoring 82.3 points per game which leads the conference and ranks fourth in the country. Additionally, their 43.7 rebounds per game is eighth nationally while also ranking third in the country with 5.9 blocks per game. Offensively, Florida State has been led by freshman standout Ta'Niya Latson who is currently leading the conference with 22.1 points per game which also ranks seventh in the country. She also ranks in the top 10 nationally in total points, free throws made, free throws attempted and field goals attempted.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum. For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra. A live stats feed can be found here.

Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).

PLAY4KAY GAME

Thursday at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum will be the annual Play4Kay Pink game, spreading awareness for breast cancer awareness. There will be 100 rally towels, 250 Play4Kay wristbands and "I play for…" sheets handed out at the marketing tables.

Claim your spot for Thursday at GoDeacs.com/Tickets and be sure to arrive early.

HOME SWEET HOME

The Demon Deacons have been spectacular at home this season, holding a 11-2 record with the lone losses coming to nationally-ranked Duke and nationally-ranked NC State. Wake Forest is looking to finish with one if it's best winning percentages at home in program history:

Rank	Season	Wins	Losses	Win Pct.
1.	2022-23	11	2	84.6 pct.
2.	1987-88	11	2	84.6 pct.
T3.	2008-09	15	5	75.0 pct.
T3.	1988-89	9	3	75.0 pct.
5.	2009-10	14	5	73.7 pct.
6.	1989-90	10	4	71.4 pct.
7.	2016-17	12	5	70.6 pct.
8.	2011-12	14	6	70.0 pct.

The Deacs defense has been great all season long, but it has gone to a different level in home games this season, holding opponents to just 52.8 points per game. Additionally, only Coastal Carolina (61 points) and Duke (60 points) have scored more than 60 points in regulation at the Joel this season. Opponents are shooting just 35.8 percent from the field and just 25.1 percent from the three-point line. In the last five games against Clemson, Miami, Louisville and Georgia Tech, Wake Forest has held them to a combined 8-of-53 (15.1 percent) from behind the arc with Louisville and Miami managing just one make each. Additionally, the Deacs held No. 22 NC State without a three (0-of-10), marking the first time since Columbia on Jan. 4, 2010 that NC State was held to zero made three pointers. This ended a 434-game streak with a made triple for the Wolfpack.

Below are how ACC opponents have shot from three at the Joel this season:

Opponent	Date	Three Pointers
Pitt	Dec. 29, 2022	1-of-10 (10.0 pct.)
Duke	Jan. 5, 2023	6-of-14 (42.9 pct.)
Georgia Tech	Jan. 8, 2023	2-of-7 (28.6 pct.)
Louisville	Jan. 26, 2023	1-of-8 (12.5 pct.)
Miami	Jan. 29, 2023	1-of-11 (9.1 pct.)
Clemson	Feb. 5, 2023	4-of-17 (23.5 pct.)
NC State	Feb. 9, 2023	0-of-10 (0.0 pct.)
Total	7 GP	15-of-77 (19.5 pct.)

On the offensive end of the floor over that five-game stretch, the Demon Deacons have averaged 6.4 threes made per game. Additionally over the course of the home season, junior guard Jewel Spear has played her best basketball at home. She has averaged 19.7 points per game while shooting 43.0 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from behind the arc (42-of-103).

The Deacs also have a high assist rate at home, averaging 14.2 assist per game while assisting on 62.3 percent of their made baskets.

TOP-55 DEFENSE

Through 27 games this season, the Demon Deacons have done a stellar job of holding their opponents down in shooting and scoring. The Deacs have held their opponents to an average of 59.1 points allowed per game, ranking 54th nationally and fourth in the ACC.

This is a massive improvement in the rankings from a season ago when the Deacs ended the year ranked 164th nationally and ninth in the ACC in the category at 63.0 points per game.

Wake Forest has held their opponents to just 39.3 percent shooting from the field and just 27.1 percent shooting from behind the arc. The opponent shooting percentage ranks 137th in the nation, the Deacs also rank 92nd with 3.7 blocks per game and the three-point defense ranks 24th. The Deacs have achieved a block on 9.0 percent of possessions this season, the fifth-highest rate in the Her Hoops Stats era (2009-10 to present).

Over the last 22 games, the Demon Deacons have been playing their best defense of the season, holding 15 of 22 opponents to 61 points or less and nine opponents in that stretch to less than 55 points.

Over the last 14 ACC games, Wake Forest has forced 15.3 turnovers including 20 in the win over Pitt, 20 in the win over Louisville, 19 in the win over Clemson and 19 against nationally-ranked Duke.

LAST TIME

Wake Forest at No. 19 North Carolina (Feb. 19)

Result: L, 71-58

The Demon Deacons came out shooting well from behind the arc and the field in the first quarter, knocking down 4-of-7 threes and shooting 54.5 percent overall from the field. This helped the Deacs take an early lead over the nationally-ranked Tar Heels.
The contest remained tight throughout the second quarter with the teams trading leads. At the halftime break, the Tar Heels held a slim four-point lead.
Offensively, Wake Forest was led by the eighth-consecutive double-figure game from junior guard Jewel Spear. The Colony, Texas native finished the game with 19 points including dialing up five threes.
In total, the Deacs hit eight threes in the game. This is the eighth time this season the Demon Deacons have registered eight or more threes in a contest.

SERIES HISTORY

Versus Florida State

Series: Florida State leads 34-19

Last: Feb. 2, 2023

Result: L, 72-44

The Demon Deacons were in search of their first Quad 1 win and road ACC win of the season against the Seminoles. This ended the two-game winning streak for the Deacs which coming into the game was the third-longest streak in the conference.
Wake Forest had a balanced scoring effort with junior guard Jewel Spear leading the way offensively. All but one of the 10 Demon Deacons who played found the score column.
- Spear ended the night with 11 points including going a perfect 4-of-4 from the free throw line.
Sophomore guard Elise Williams had another strong game for the Demon Deacons, recording a career-best seven steals in the game to go along with nine points. This ended her nine-game streak of scoring in double figures.

MAY I ASSIST YOU

Under head coach Megan Gebbia, the Demon Deacons have seen a huge increase in number of assists and percentage of assists on made baskets. Wake Forest currently ranks in the 85th percentile country, assisting on 60.6 percent of made baskets versus a season ago where their 45.0 percent of assists on made baskets ranked in the 4th percentile in the country.

The Demon Deacons had their best game in terms of assisting the basketball in over three seasons as the 23 assists in the win over Longwood marked the most since Nov. 8, 2019 against College of Charleston. Additionally, sophomore guard Elise Williams tied her career-best with eight helpers in the victory. In total, seven Demon Deacons finished the night with at least one assist including five from guard Kaia Harrison and four from guard Jewel Spear.

1,000 AND COUNTING

Junior guard Jewel Spear reached a career milestone in the victory over Charlotte on Dec. 11 as she became the 30th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point club, totaling 17 points. She becomes the first Wake Forest player to join the 1,000-point club since 2020-21.

She continued to climb the rankings as she moved into 16th against No. 22 NC State. She needs 14 points to move into the top 15:

Rank	Player	Career Points
10.	Liz Strunk (2002-06)	1,352
11.	Lisa Stockton (1982-86)	1,347
12.	Jane Jackson (1977-80)	1,342
13.	Lakevia Boykin (2009-13)	1,309
14.	Elisa Penna (2015-19)	1,269
15.	Brittany Waters (2007-11)	1,267
16.	Jewel Spear (2020-Pres.)	1,253
17.	Alice Neal (1985-89)	1,214
18.	Alex Tchangoue (2005-09)	1,212
19.	Barbara Durham (1979-83)	1,203
20.	Sandra Garcia (2009-13)	1,201

Additionally, Spear went into the year with a chance to break the all-time threes record in program history and moved into the top three and became the third player in program history to reach 200 threes at Virginia Tech and is 36 threes away from moving into second in program history:

Rank	Player	Career Threes
1.	Cotelia Bond Young (2003-06)	267
2.	Chelsea Douglas (2010-14)	257
3.	Jewel Spear (2020-Pres.)	221
4.	Nicole Levesque (1991-94)	193
5.	Heidi Coleman (1995-99)	191

OWNING THE ARC

Junior guard Jewel Spear ranks third in the conference with 73 three pointers made (23rd nationally) and second in the conference with 2.81 threes made per game (22nd nationally). Additionally, her 73 threes this season ranks in the top five in single-season program history.

On the defensive side of the floor, Wake Forest is limiting opponents to just 27.1 percent shooting from behind the arc, ranking 24th in the country.

The trio of senior Olivia Summiel, Spear and sophomore Elise Williams has been shooting the basketball from behind the arc at high clips. They have combined to knock down 136-of-388 attempts from distance or 35.1 percent. Spear has hit 73-of-207 (35.3 percent), Summiel has knocked down 29-of-86 (33.7 percent) and Williams has hit 34-of-100 (34.0 percent).

The Demon Deacons have been one of the best teams in the ACC at shooting the three-point shot so far this season, knocking down 6.6 threes per game over their first 27 games. This also ranks 118th nationally:

Rank	Team	Threes Made Per Game
1.	Virginia Tech	7.9
2.	Florida St.	7.3
3.	Wake Forest	6.6
4.	North Carolina	6.3
5.	Clemson	6.1

BLOCKAGE

Olivia Summiel a block against Clemson Sunday. She now ranks 60th nationally with 37 blocks on the season and her total already is the most by a Demon Deacon since the 2018-19 season when Ona Udoh had 41 blocks for the season. Additionally, Summiel is now tied for ninth in program history in blocks in a single season:

Rank	Player	Year	Total Blocks
1.	Lisa Dodd	1987-88	60
2.	Mekia Valentine	2006-07	50
3.	Milan Quinn	2015-16	49
4.	Meki Valentine	2007-08	44
5.	Lisa Dodd	1986-87	43
6.	Kandice Ball	2015-16	42
7.	Ona Udoh	2018-19	41
8.	Jenny Mitchell	1989-90	40
9.	Olivia Summiel	2022-23	38
T10.	Dearica Hamby	2012-13	36
T10.	Ona Udoh	2017-18	36

Her 1.41 blocks per game also rank third in the ACC and 76th nationally.

As a team, the Deacs have blocked 3.7 shots per game which is close to a school record and ranks 92nd nationally. The school record was set in 2010-11 when that squad averaged 4.3 blocks per game. Additionally, Wake Forest's 99 blocks this season are just two away from cracking the top 10 in Demon Deacon single-game history.

UP NEXT

The Demon Deacons are set to host the regular-season finale Sunday afternoon against Boston College. Be sure to come out early to support the senior class as they will be recognized prior to the game for their contributions to the program.

For those who are unable to attend on Sunday, the game can be seen on ACC Network Extra with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m.

Deacs Return Home for Final Stretch of Regular Season

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Players Mentioned

Kaia Harrison

Jewel Spear

Olivia Summiel

Ona Udoh

Elise Williams

Wake Forest Athletics

Deacs Return Home for Final Stretch of Regular Season

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Players Mentioned

Kaia Harrison

Jewel Spear

Olivia Summiel

Ona Udoh

Elise Williams

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