Wake Forest University
14-14,5-12ACC
Florida State
23-7,12-5ACC
Williams Double-Double Leads Deacons in Ranked ACC Matchup
2/23/2023 9:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons nearly grabbed their first ranked win of the season Thursday, falling by a point to No. 23 Florida State.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team dropped a tightly-contested 61-60 contest against No. 23 Florida State inside LJVM Coliseum Thursday night.
The Demon Deacons (14-14, 5-12 ACC) held the Seminoles (23-7, 12-5 ACC) to just 21-of-60 (35 percent) from the field which is over eight percent lower than their season average. Florida State was also limited to just one three on 13 attempts. ACC opponents are now shooting 17.7 percent from behind the arc inside of LJVM Coliseum this year, 16-of-90 from behind the arc.
This was the first time since Jan. 20, 2019 that Florida State has been held to one or less three-point make in a game.
Elise Williams paced Wake Forest, as she finished her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds, leading the team in both categories. The sophomore guard scored nine of her 15 points in the fourth quarter. This is the eighth time this season Williams has led the team in scoring.
Of note, her double-double is the fourth by a Demon Deacon this season and first in ACC play. Over the last two home games, Williams has tallied 23 rebounds, setting her career high in both games.
Senior forward Niyah Becker finished with a season-high 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting in addition to four rebounds and three steals. Her three steals ties a career high, which she last achieved in a win over Troy on Dec. 4, 2021. Junior guard Jewel Spear also finished with 11 points. This is the third consecutive game the Deacs have had three double-digit scorers.
Senior forward Olivia Summiel finished with four points, five rebounds and three steals. With the five rebounds, she surpassed the 500-career rebound threshold and now sits at 503.
Additionally, the Dayville, Conn. native moved to tied for seventh in program history in a single season with 41 blocks, and most since 2015-16. It also marks the seventh time she has recorded at least three blocks in a game this season.
There are only one home games remaining at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum this season. Be sure to claim your spot for an exciting ACC matchup against Boston College at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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Summiel opened the scoring for Wake Forest with a two-point jumper off a Harrison assist.
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Hinds hauled in an offensive rebound before a finish at the rim cut it to 6-4 at the 7:25 mark.
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The junior recorded five rebounds, including three offensive rebounds, in the first four minutes of action.
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Scruggs tied the contest at 8-8 following back-to-back layups.
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Harrison gave Wake Forest its first lead as she got on the board with a driving layup with 3:43 remaining in the first quarter.
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Spear knocked down the Deacs' fourth-consecutive field goal with a jumper inside the paint.
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Scruggs regained the lead with a jumper of her own as Spear picked up her first assist of the evening at the 2:08 mark.
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The Deacs trailed, 14-15, after the first period of play.
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Scruggs led the team with six points on 3-of-4 shooting.
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10 of the Deacs' 14 points came from inside the paint.
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As a team, Wake Forest held Florida State to just 4-of-17 (23.5 percent) from the field, including a five-minute stretch of zero made field goals (0-for-7).
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Wake Forest went on an 8-0 run starting at the 7:45 mark in the second quarter and spanned 1:43 to put the team back in front.
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Becker intercepted a pass which led to a pair of free throws for Scruggs on the other end for the first Wake Forest points of the quarter.
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Williams gave the Deacs a 22-19 lead as she knocked down back-to-back three pointers.
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Andrews recorded her first points off the bench as she finished a layup in the paint following a pass from Scruggs.
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Conley made it 28-27 in favor of Wake Forest with a corner three after a kick-out from Becker.
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Becker worked her way to the rim for a reverse layup to close-out the first-half scoring for Wake Forest.
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Florida State led, 31-30, as the teams headed into the locker rooms.
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Scruggs continued to lead the way for Wake Forest with eight points, two rebounds and an assist.
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Williams finished an impressive first-half performance with six points and nine rebounds.
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Florida State shot just 8-of-31 (25.8 percent) and 1-of-8 (12.5 percent) over the first 20 minutes.
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Spear got the Demon Deacons going in the second half with a corner three after a cross-court pass from Harrison.
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Becker got the Deacs back within three as she finished a layup despite a foul and converted the three-point play with 4:05 to go in the third quarter.
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The senior forward attacked the basket once again two possessions later for a driving layup.
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Good ball movement between Spear and Williams led to an open layup for the Texas native at the 1:39 mark.
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Summiel earned her way to the line and went 2-for-2 to cut it to 42-45 with less than a minute to go in the quarter.
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The Deacs headed into the final quarter trailing, 42-47.
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Williams completed her first career double-double at the 8:25 mark following a jumper in the paint and a pair of free throws a few possessions later.
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The Raleigh, N.C. native continued her hot start to the fourth quarter with a driving layup to cut the deficit to four with 7:45 remaining in the contest.
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Williams knocked down her third triple of the evening to make it 52-54 Florida State with 4:02 to go.
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Becker became the second Deacon to reach double-digit scoring with a layup to keep the Deacs' within a possession of the Seminoles.
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Spear connected on a pair of free throws and Becker put back a second-chance layup as the Deacs trailed 58-61 with 1:21 to go.
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With under a minute remaining, Spear earned her way to the line and went 2-for-2 from the charity stripe to cut it to a one-point game.
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Despite the late surge, the Demon Deacons fell to the Seminoles, 60-61.
STANDOUT STAT
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The Demon Deacons held the Seminoles to 1-of-13 (7.7 percent) from beyond-the-arc. Opposing ACC teams are now shooting 16-for-90 (17.7 percent) from deep while visiting LJVM Coliseum.
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Additionally, it also marks the fifth time this season the Demon Deacons held an opponent to one or fewer made three-pointers.
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This was the first time since Jan. 20, 2019 that Florida State has been held to one or less three-point make in a game.
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FROM GEBBIA
"We were right there. This is the most heart we have played with all year. The free throw differential was the difference in this game. For the most part, we did everything we needed to do to win the game. We held them to the second-lowest point total all year. The bench really gave us big minutes tonight and helped us to almost win late. Niyah especially really stepped up for us when Liv and Demeara were in foul trouble. We are so close and hopefully we use it as a learning lesson and remember how this feels. I am devastated for this group. They gave us absolutely everything, but this has to be a part of the process to take the next step as a team. That effort can take us a long way especially at this time of the year. Let's take this effort into Sunday and continue to build on this as a group." - head coach Megan Gebbia
NEXT UP
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.
