Wake Forest University
Louisville
Wake Forest Set for Quarterfinal Matchup Against Louisville
3/2/2023 10:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons will look to advance to their third semifinal in program history and try to tie program history for the furthest the team has ever gone and break the record for number of wins in a single tournament.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The Deacs' run in the tournament h continues for a third-straight day in Greensboro! The Wake Forest women's basketball team scheduled for a matchup with No. 4 seed Louisville in the quarterfinal of the ACC Tournament Friday at Greensboro Coliseum.
The Deacs (16-15) advanced to the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament for the third time in the last four years, holding a record of 6-3 over the run including a 3-1 record in Second Round games. Additionally with a win on Thursday, the Deacs have now won multiple games in the tournament in two of the last four years. The Demon Deacons will look to advance to their third semifinal in program history and try to tie program history for the furthest the team has ever gone and break the record for number of wins in a single tournament.
The Cardinals (21-10) come into the tournament playing some of their best basketball of the season, winning six of the last eight games with the lone losses coming to the ACC Regular Season Champions, Notre Dame. Louisville is led by junior guard Haley Van Lith who ranks 24th in the nation in scoring with 19.4 points per game. She also has accounted for 26.7 percent of the Cardinals shots this season, ranking eighth in the country and second in the conference with 500 field goal attempts this game. Van Lith also ranks 17th in the nation in minutes per game, averaging 37.1 minutes per game. As a team, they average 73.2 points per game which ranks in the top 50 nationally and fourth in the conference.
Tipoff is scheduled for 11 a.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.
FOUR-YEAR RUN AT THE ACC TOURNAMENT
The 2023 tournament marked the third time in the last four years that the Demon Deacons have advanced to the quarterfinals and Wake Forest is now 6-3 in tournaments over that span. Wake Forest has had plenty of memorable moments over the last four years in Greensboro. Below are some from the previous three years:
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 31 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 59.4 points allowed per game. Wake Forest came into Wednesday ranked 65th nationally and fourth in the ACC in the category.
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 39.2 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 ranked 101st with 3.6 blocks per game and the three-point defense ranked 16th coming into the tournament. 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 9.4 percent of possessions this season, the fifth-highest rate in the Her Hoops Stats era (2009-10 to present).
Over the last 26 games, the Demon Deacons have been playing their best defense of the season, holding 18 of 25 opponents to 61 points or less and 10 opponents in that stretch to less than 55 points.
Over the last 18 games against ACC opponents, 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. Florida State (March 2)
Result: W, 65-54
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The Demon Deacons outscored the Seminoles, 29-8, in the third quarter, erasing a second-round record 18-point halftime deficit in the process. In the midst of the quarter, the Deacs finished the quarter on an 18-0 run. The run continued into the fourth quarter as the Deacs went on a 26-0 run to grab full control of the game. Prior to the run, Wake Forest trailed by 15 and by the end the Deacs were up by 11 points.
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Wake Forest went 11-of-16 (68.8 percent) from the floor and 3-of-3 from beyond the arc in the third period of action, including 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting from junior guard Jewel Spear. In addition to the second round record, the 18-point comeback marks the second-largest halftime comeback in ACC Tournament history and the largest in the second round.
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Spear finished the contest with game-high 19 points and seven rebounds with all 19 of her points coming in the second half. The Colony, Texas native eclipsed the 100-point mark in ACC tournament games for her career and now sits at 113 through six games (18.8 ppg). Additionally, her seven rebounds marks the most she's had in an ACC Tournament game.
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Senior forward Olivia Summiel put in one of the best all-around performances of her career with 13 points, a game-high nine rebounds, five assists and four blocks in addition to playing the full-40 minutes for the second time this season.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus Louisville
Series: Louisville leads 9-1
Last: Jan. 29, 2023
Result: W – 68-57
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Wake Forest was led in the score column by junior guard Jewel Spear as The Colony, Texas native tallied a season-high 34 points, while shooting 8-of-15 from the field and 4-of-7 beyond the arc. Her 34 points mark the second-highest total in her career and most against a conference opponent, trailing just her 40-point game against ETSU as a sophomore.
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The Deacs came up clutch at the charity stripe down the stretch, finishing the game plus-11 in free throw makes. Spear ended the night going 14-of-16 from the line to lead. Her makes and attempts from the free throw line were both career highs.
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Individually, Spear registered over 50 percent of the Deacs' points Thursday en route to surpassing Alex Sharp for 22nd on the Wake Forest all-time scoring list.
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Senior guard Alexandria Scruggs provided big minutes for the Demon Deacons off the bench, making an impact in a multitude of areas. She finished the game plus-24 from in plus/minus, leading all players in that category.
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For the eighth-straight game, sophomore guard Elise Williams finished in double figures, posting 11 points. She is now avering double-digit points on the season to join Spear.
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 79th percentile country, assisting on 59.1 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 13th against Florida State Thursday. She needs 17 points to move into the top 12 and 27 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. |
Jewel Spear (2020-Pres.) |
1,325 |
|
14. |
Lakevia Boykin (2009-13) |
1,309 |
|
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 27 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.) |
230 |
|
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 82 three pointers made (24th nationally) and second in the conference with 2.73 threes made per game (23rd nationally). Additionally, her 82 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 203 threes which is third in program history:
|
Rank |
Threes Made |
Season |
|
1. |
275 |
2004-05 |
|
2. |
215 |
2005-06 |
|
3. |
203 |
2022-23 |
|
4. |
195 |
2021-22 |
|
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 31 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 45 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. 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. |
2022-23 |
45 |
|
|
5. |
Meki Valentine |
2007-08 |
44 |
|
6. |
Lisa Dodd |
1986-87 |
43 |
|
7. |
Kandice Ball |
2015-16 |
42 |
|
8. |
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 118 blocks this season now ranks in the top 10 in Demon Deacon single-game history and is currently tied for the sixth-highest total in program history:
|
Rank |
Block Total |
Season |
|
1. |
136 |
2010-11 |
|
2. |
132 |
2015-16 |
|
3. |
130 |
2017-18 |
|
T4. |
118 |
2022-23 |
|
T4. |
118 |
2011-12 |
|
6. |
116 |
2014-15 |
|
7. |
109 |
2016-17 |
|
8. |
104 |
2000-01 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2006-07 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2012-13 |
|
T9. |
101 |
2013-14 |
UP NEXT
The winner of the game will face the winner of the No. 8 seed Louisville and No. 1 Notre Dame at noon on Friday.
All games through the semifinal round will be broadcast on ACC Network.
