Wake Forest University
Virginia
Wake Forest to Take on Virginia in First Round of ACC Tournament
2/28/2023 12:02:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons advanced in the last three tournaments including back–to-back quarterfinal appearances in the 2021 and 2020 ACC Tournaments.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – It's tournament time right down the road in Greensboro! The Wake Forest women's basketball team is set to tipoff the tournament with a First Round matchup against Virginia Wednesday afternoon at Greensboro Coliseum.
The Deacs (14-15) go into the game as the higher-ranked team for the second-straight tournament and much like the 2022 edition of the ACC Tournament are scheduled to open with Virginia in the first round. Over the last two years, junior guard Jewel Spear has put on memorable opening round performances to lead the Demon Deacons to victory. In her freshman campaign, she poured in a season-best 29 points including tying the ACC Tournament record with seven made threes in the game to help the Deacs past Big-4 rival North Carolina. Last year against Virginia in the first round, she came up clutch again, netting a game-high 23 points, going 5-of-10 from three and helping lead the Deacs on a 14-2 run to end the game.
The Cavaliers (15-14) come into the game as the No. 13 seed with the help of owning the tiebreaker over Georgia Tech who ended the season with the same conference record of 4-14. The lone meeting between these two teams in mid-November marked the early conference game in program history as Virginia topped the Deacs in Charlottesville. Like Wake Forest, Virginia has a first-year head coach in Amaka Agugua-Hamilton. Going into the tournament, the Cavaliers have dropped 10 of the last 11 games with the lone win in that stretch coming over No. 22 NC State earlier this month. They are one of the better rebounding teams in the country, ranking 26th in rebounds per game and 28th in offensive rebounds per game. Like Wake Forest, Virginia has also been great at limiting three-point opportunities, holding teams to just 28.0 percent from behind the line this season, ranking 39th in the country and third in the league.
Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) at Greensboro Coliseum. For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network. A live stats feed can be found here. You can also listen to the game on Sirius XM channels 137 or 193. Additionally, it is on the Sirius XM channel app on channel 955.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
SUPPORT THE DEACS IN GREENSBORO
Postseason play is here. Come make the short drive over to Greensboro for the annual ACC Tournament and support your Wake Forest women's basketball team.
Hosted at the Greensboro Coliseum Complex, the tournament will run through the championship game, which is set for noon (ET) on Sunday, March 5.
Purchase your tickets today and come cheer on the Deacs in Greensboro.
RECENT RUNS IN THE TOURNAMENT
Three-Day Run in Greensboro
In the 2020 tournament, Wake Forest entered as the No. 13 with a record of 7-11 in conference play and were set to face Big-4 rivals North Carolina in the first round. With the help of All-ACC selection Ivana Raca, the Demon Deacons beat the in-state rival Tar Heels for the second time in the last 11 days, 83-73.
Raca shined in the first round win, finishing the game with a career-high tying 27 points while pulling down a career-high 13 rebounds. She helped kickstart the day with 12 of her game-high 27 points coming in the first quarter.
Wake dominated the glass all game long, finishing plus-25 on the boards (47-25). The Deacs pulled down 20 offensive rebounds in the game, helping result in 32 second chance points.
In the second round, Wake Forest faced No. 5 seed Virginia Tech. The Demon Deacons limited one of the conference's best offenses to just 37 percent shooting from the field and 27 percent from behind the arc en route to a 58-55 victory.
The Hokies came into the game ranked second in the ACC in three pointers made. In the second half, Virginia Tech went just 1-of-9 from three-point range and the Deacs only allowed the Hokies to attempt one three in the fourth quarter.
On the offensive end, Maya Banks provided key minutes on the low block and a spark offensively. The junior, who had eight points in the game, set the tempo in the fourth quarter with three of the Deacs four baskets. This helped push the lead to 50-43 with 6:10 remaining. The Deacs advanced on to play No. 4 seed Florida State.
Junior Ivana Raca led the Deacs offensively for the eighth-consecutive game, netting a game-high 18 points in the loss. Over the course of Wake's three-day stay in Greensboro, she averaged 20.33 points including tying her career-high with 27 points in the Demon Deacons' first round victory over North Carolina.
In her final ACC Tournament appearance, senior Alex Sharp totaled eight points and a team-high five rebounds.
Reaching the Quarters for the Second-Straight Year
After earning a No. 9 seed and a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament with the help of a 8-10 record in conference play, Wake Forest for the second-consecutive year squared off against North Carolina in the opening round of the ACC Tournament.
Freshman guard Jewel Spear helped elevate the Demon Deacons with a career and ACC Tournament performance. The Colony, Texas native knocked down 7-of-10 three pointers and scored a season-high 29 points. Her seven threes tied an ACC Tournament record.
Career performances from seniors Gina Conti and Ivana Raca helped put the game away in the fourth quarter against the Tar Heels. For the first time in her career, Conti recorded a double-double with 13 points and 12 assists, posting a double-double by the end of the third quarter.
Raca also had a double-double performance with 21 points and 12 rebounds. As she continued to have big performances against the in-state Tar Heels in Greensboro like in the 2020 tournament. The win helped earn the Deacs a spot in the quarterfinals for the second-straight year and an eventual spot in the NCAA Tournament.
In the second-round, Wake Forest went toe-to-toe with the ACC Regular Season Champion and top-seeded Louisville Cardinals before eventually falling 65-53. For the second time that season, the Demon Deacons took the Cardinals down to the wire with the help of another stifling defensive effort. The effort on the defensive end helped make it a 44-44 contest entering the final 10 minutes of the game.
In both matchups that season, Wake Forest has limited the most potent offense in the league, one that came in averaging 80.5 points per game, to just 65 points. The Cardinals were limited to just just 43 percent shooting for the game and only had one player finish in double figures, freshman guard Van Lith.
The Demon Deacons did an exceptional job of containing two-time reigning ACC Player of the Year Dana Evans, who finished the afternoon just 3-of-15 from the field and eight points after coming in averaging a league-best 21.0 points.
It ended Evans streak of consecutive games in double figures. Prior to this afternoon, she had reached that mark in every game this season and 40 straight games overall, which was the longest streak at Louisville in the last 20 years.
Advancing on Again in the Tournament
Finishing the season as the No. 11 seed in the conference standings, Wake Forest was set to face No. 14 Virginia in the first round of the tournament. Behind a strong fourth quarter, the Deacs captured a 61-53 victory.
Wake Forest erupted for a 14-2 run over the last five and a half minutes, holding Virginia to a near four-minute scoring drought during the span. The Demon Deacons were led by a game-high 23 points by sophomore guard Jewel Spear. Senior forward Christina Morra also brought a major presence, tallying her fourth career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds, her second in the last three games.
The Deacs made the absolute most of their attempts from the charity stripe, going 13-of-13 including 7-of-7 in the second half. Advancing on for the third-straight year, Wake Forest met No. 6 seed Georgia Tech in the second round.
Against the top-25 ranked Yellowjackets, Wake Forest displayed a scrappy effort from start to finish – winning the rebounding battle over the Yellowjackets, 43-42, before eventually falling, 45-40. Junior forward Olivia Summiel grabbed 11 of those boards, and freshman forward Malaya Cowles added eight of her own, seven of which were offensive. Additionally, Summiel and Cowles chipped in eight points apiece.
Sophomore guard Jewel Spear led the way in scoring for the Deacs, posting 11 points. Junior guard Kaia Harrison contributed six points, five rebounds, and two steals.
The Deacs held Georgia Tech to 17-of-46 shooting (37.0 percent) while only making four attempts from three-point territory (23.5 percent). The Yellowjackets also struggled to protect the ball, finishing with 19 turnovers.
TOP DEFENSE
Through 29 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 59.6 points allowed per game, ranking 65th 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 39.7 percent shooting from the field and just 26.7 percent shooting from behind the arc. The opponent shooting percentage ranks 153rd in the nation, the Deacs also rank 101st with 3.6 blocks per game and the three-point defense ranks 167h. The three-point defense leads the ACC and ranks third among all Power-5 programs, trailing just South Carolina, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
The Deacs have achieved a block on 8.9 percent of possessions this season, the fifth-highest rate in the Her Hoops Stats era (2009-10 to present).
Over the last 24 games, the Demon Deacons have been playing their best defense of the season, holding 16 of 24 opponents to 61 points or less and nine opponents in that stretch to less than 55 points.
Over the last 16 ACC games, Wake Forest has forced 14.9 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 vs. Boston College (Feb. 26)
Result: L, 73-63
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Junior guard Jewel Spear was an anchor on the scoring end, pouring in a game-high 23 points and ringing in four three-pointers. It was the junior guard's ninth game of 20 or more points this year and the 16th time this season she has led the team in scoring. Her Sunday total moved her into the top-15 of career points in program history, currently standing 14th all-time with 1,287.
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Kaia Harrison posted a line of 13 points, three rebounds, four assists and two steals with nine of her points coming in the first quarter. Sophomore guard Elise Williams rounded out the Deacon trio of double-digit scoring, chipping in 10 points. Becker contributed six points and handed out four assists.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus Virginia
Series: Virginia leads 70-9
Last: Nov. 13, 2022
Result: L – 72-52
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The Deacs were led by a strong effort from Williams who finished the game with a near double-double performance. The sophomore guard ended the conference opener against Virginia with a new career high on the glass, posting nine rebounds against the Cavaliers.
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In addition to the rebounding effort, Williams also finished in double figures in the score column, tallying 10 points in the loss, a team best. The sophomore was nearly perfect at the line, going 7-of-8 from the charity stripe which was also a team-high.
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She also led the team with six assists in an all-around effort for Wake Forest.
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Junior Demeara Hinds continues to contribute in her expanded role as a starter this season. She ended the afternoon with 10 rebounds, a team high.
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The Demon Deacons won the rebounding battle, 45-41.
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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 81st percentile country, assisting on 59.5 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 14th against Boston College on Sunday. She needs 22 points to move into the top 13 and 65 points to move into the top 10 in program history:
|
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. |
Jewel Spear (2020-Pres.) |
1,287 |
|
15. |
Elisa Penna (2015-19) |
1,269 |
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 31 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.) |
226 |
|
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 78 three pointers made (24th nationally) and second in the conference with 2.79 threes made per game (23rd nationally). Additionally, her 78 threes this season ranks in the top five in single-season program history.
Overall as a team, this has been one of the best three-point shooting years in program history, knocking down a 189 threes which ranks fourth in program history:
|
Rank |
Threes Made |
Season |
|
1. |
275 |
2004-05 |
|
2. |
215 |
2005-06 |
|
3. |
195 |
2021-22 |
|
4. |
189 |
2022-23 |
|
5. |
179 |
2008-09 |
On the defensive side of the floor, Wake Forest is limiting opponents to just 26.7 percent shooting from behind the arc, ranking 17th in the country. This leads the ACC and ranks fourth among all Power-5 programs, trailing just South Carolina, Ole Miss and Mississippi State.
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 6.5 threes per game over their first 29 games. This also ranks 121st nationally:
|
Rank |
Team |
Threes Made Per Game |
|
1. |
Virginia Tech |
7.8 |
|
2. |
Florida St. |
7.0 |
|
3. |
Wake Forest |
6.5 |
|
4. |
Clemson |
6.2 |
|
5. |
North Carolina |
6.1 |
BLOCKAGE
Olivia Summiel recorded three blocks against nationally-ranked Florida State on Thursday. She now ranks 62nd nationally with 41 blocks on the season and her total already is the most by a Demon Deacon since the 2015-16 season when Milan Quinn had 49 blocks and Kandice Bell had 42 for the season. Additionally, Summiel is now tied for seventh 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 |
|
T7. |
2022-23 |
41 |
|
|
T7. |
2018-19 |
41 |
|
|
9. |
Jenny Mitchell |
1989-90 |
40 |
|
T10. |
Dearica Hamby |
2012-13 |
36 |
|
T10. |
2017-18 |
36 |
Her 1.46 blocks per game also rank third in the ACC and 71st nationally.
As a team, the Deacs have blocked 3.7 shots per game which is close to a school record and ranks 101st nationally. The school record was set in 2010-11 when that squad averaged 4.3 blocks per game. Additionally, Wake Forest's 104 blocks this season now ranks in the top 10 in Demon Deacon single-game history and is currently tied for the seventh-highest total in program history:
|
Rank |
Block Total |
Season |
|
1. |
136 |
2010-11 |
|
2. |
132 |
2015-16 |
|
3. |
130 |
2017-18 |
|
4. |
118 |
2011-12 |
|
5. |
116 |
2014-15 |
|
6. |
109 |
2016-17 |
|
T7. |
104 |
2022-23 |
|
T7. |
104 |
2000-01 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2006-07 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2012-13 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2013-14 |
UP NEXT
The winner of the game will face No. 5 seed Florida State (23-8, 12-6 ACC) at 11 a.m. on Thursday.
All games through the semifinal round will be broadcast on ACC Network.
