Friday, March 3
Greensboro, NC
11:00 a.m.
Wake Forest University
16-16,5-13ACC
48
vs
74
Louisville
22-10,12-6ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Wake Forest
8
16
11
13
48
Louisville
20
14
19
21
74
Memorable Wake Forest Run Ends in Greensboro
3/3/2023 1:04:00 PM | Women's Basketball
This marks the third time in four years the Deacs have made a quarterfinals appearance and with the run, they are now postseason eligible for the fourth-consecutive season.
GREENSBORO, N.C. – The memorable run that included the best comeback in recent ACC Tournament history came to a close for the Wake Forest women's basketball team, falling to fourth-seeded Louisville, 74-48 Friday afternoon in the quarterfinal round in Greensboro Coliseum.
This is the third time in the last four years that the Demon Deacons (16-16) have reached the quarterfinal round as the senior class for the Deacs is now 6-4 during their time at Wake Forest. The two wins also match the most wins in the tournament in program history. Additionally in three of the last four seasons, Wake Forest has been the highest seed left in the tournament. The Deacs are the only double-digit seed to make the quarterfinal round twice in the last two years and only one other school has done so once.
Sophomore guard Elise Williams had a memorable tournament performance against the Cardinals (22-10) on Friday afternoon. She netted 12 of the first 15 points for the Demon Deacons. Williams, a Raleigh, N.C. native, ended the afternoon with 16 points in the game. She also led the team in rebounding, posting 10 boards. It was her second double-double in the last five games, also recording a double-double in the penultimate home game of the regular season against No. 23 Florida State.
Along with Williams, Spear finished with double-figure points, something she has done in all seven of her ACC Tournament games. With 15 points in the defeat on Friday, the Colony, Texas native now has 133 points in the tournament in her three seasons at Wake Forest.
In each of her first two games, Spear ended with a team-high 19 points including scoring all 19 in the second-largest halftime comeback in ACC Tournament history Thursday against Florida State. It marked the Deacs first Quad-1 win of the season and helped elevate Wake Forest to its highest NET ranking since January as the Deacs sit at No. 73, going into selection Sunday.
The pair of wins secure postseason eligibility for the fourth-consecutive year and Wake Forest's 16 wins coming out of the ACC Tournament ties the most since the 2012-13 season. Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 12 when the Deacs will learn a potential postseason destination.
HOW IT HAPPENED
"This was a difficult third game for us in the sense of not having a chance to prepare. Even though we've seen them once it was a while ago, and they have been playing extremely well since that time. The pressure obviously caused us problems. If I were Jeff, I'd pressure us to since we didn't have a point guard on the floor, and I just have to give a lot of credit to Elise (Williams) because she's played three games out of position, still scoring, still trying to orchestrate everything and laying it out on the line. At that position, that's not an easy thing to do. I appreciate all that she's given us this season and having to do a lot for us. So I just want to make sure I said that. Obviously, Jewel (Spear) means a lot to the program. She's the type of kid that always has belief and is always positive, and wants to build Wake Forest women's basketball. When you have two players like this, I'll take it against anyone. I just want to say kudos to them." - head coach Megan Gebbia
NEXT UP
Wake Forest now awaits its potential selection into a postseason tournament. With two wins in the tournament, the Demon Deacons are now above .500 and postseason eligible.
Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 12 as Wake Forest is currently No. 73 in the NET rankings with the help of key wins in Greensboro.
This is the third time in the last four years that the Demon Deacons (16-16) have reached the quarterfinal round as the senior class for the Deacs is now 6-4 during their time at Wake Forest. The two wins also match the most wins in the tournament in program history. Additionally in three of the last four seasons, Wake Forest has been the highest seed left in the tournament. The Deacs are the only double-digit seed to make the quarterfinal round twice in the last two years and only one other school has done so once.
Sophomore guard Elise Williams had a memorable tournament performance against the Cardinals (22-10) on Friday afternoon. She netted 12 of the first 15 points for the Demon Deacons. Williams, a Raleigh, N.C. native, ended the afternoon with 16 points in the game. She also led the team in rebounding, posting 10 boards. It was her second double-double in the last five games, also recording a double-double in the penultimate home game of the regular season against No. 23 Florida State.
Along with Williams, Spear finished with double-figure points, something she has done in all seven of her ACC Tournament games. With 15 points in the defeat on Friday, the Colony, Texas native now has 133 points in the tournament in her three seasons at Wake Forest.
In each of her first two games, Spear ended with a team-high 19 points including scoring all 19 in the second-largest halftime comeback in ACC Tournament history Thursday against Florida State. It marked the Deacs first Quad-1 win of the season and helped elevate Wake Forest to its highest NET ranking since January as the Deacs sit at No. 73, going into selection Sunday.
The pair of wins secure postseason eligibility for the fourth-consecutive year and Wake Forest's 16 wins coming out of the ACC Tournament ties the most since the 2012-13 season. Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 12 when the Deacs will learn a potential postseason destination.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Louisville jumped out to an early 5-0 lead, forcing a Wake Forest timeout at the 8:36 mark of the opening frame.
- Elise Williams scored the Deacs' first points of the contest as she knocked down a three from the top of the key.
- After a Hailey Van Lith triple gave the Cardinals an 8-3 advantage, Jewel Spear put on an array of moves before canning a stepback trey.
- Van Lith then drained three-consecutive three-pointers, giving Louisville a 17-6 lead with just under one minute remaining in the first quarter.
- Williams stopped the Cardinals' 9-0 run as she finished a floater from just outside the restricted area.
- Louisville held a 20-8 lead after 10 minutes of action.
- Williams led the Demon Deacons offensively in the first quarter as she tallied a team-high five points on 2-of-3 shooting.
- Williams opened the second quarter scoring as she finished an under-and-under layup on an assist from Jewel Spear.
- On the ensuing Louisville possession, Morgan Jones knocked down a jumper.
- Williams was then fouled driving to the hoop, resulting in a pair of free throws.
- The Raleigh, N.C. native made both attempts.
- After a jump shot by Van Lith extended the Cardinals' lead to 12, Williams drained a three from the right wing.
- Louisville scored eight unanswered before a Niyah Becker free throw snapped a three-minute scoring drought for the Deacs.
- The two sides exchanged baskets before consecutive steals from Alyssa Andrews sparked an 8-0 Wake Forest run to close the first half.
- Louisville took a 34-24 lead into the halftime intermission.
- The Demon Deacons shot an impressive 55.6 percent from the field in the second quarter, including 50 percent from beyond the arc.
- Individually, Williams led the Deacs in the first half with 12 points, shooting 4-of-5 from the field.
- The Demon Deacons shot an impressive 55.6 percent from the field in the second quarter, including 50 percent from beyond the arc.
- The Cardinals came out aggressive in the second half, going on an early 9-0 run.
- Spear scored the Demon Deacons' first points of the third quarter as she drove past several Louisville defenders and finished strong with her right.
- The Cardinals then scored consecutive field goals before Williams drained a pullup jumper from the elbow.
- Louisville scored six unanswered over the following three minutes but Wake Forest closed the third quarter on a 7-0 run, narrowing its deficit to 18 heading into the final period.
- The Cardinals responded with a 16-5 run to start the fourth quarter, going up 29 with just under five minutes remaining in the contest.
- Raegyn Conley scored five points over the final two minutes of action.
- Louisville held on to take the 74-48 decision, ending the Deacs' memorable ACC Tournament run.
- With Thursday's second round win over Florida State, Wake Forest has now advanced to the quarterfinals in three of the last four ACC Tournaments. The Deacs own a 6-4 record over the past four years in ACC Tournament action.
- This ties the furthest the Demon Deacons have advanced in the tournament since the tournament expanded to a 15-team format along with the 2019-20 and 2020-21 team.
- This is also the fourth consecutive season the Demon Deacons are postseason eligible as they await their potential selection to a postseason tournament on Sunday, March 12.
"This was a difficult third game for us in the sense of not having a chance to prepare. Even though we've seen them once it was a while ago, and they have been playing extremely well since that time. The pressure obviously caused us problems. If I were Jeff, I'd pressure us to since we didn't have a point guard on the floor, and I just have to give a lot of credit to Elise (Williams) because she's played three games out of position, still scoring, still trying to orchestrate everything and laying it out on the line. At that position, that's not an easy thing to do. I appreciate all that she's given us this season and having to do a lot for us. So I just want to make sure I said that. Obviously, Jewel (Spear) means a lot to the program. She's the type of kid that always has belief and is always positive, and wants to build Wake Forest women's basketball. When you have two players like this, I'll take it against anyone. I just want to say kudos to them." - head coach Megan Gebbia
NEXT UP
Wake Forest now awaits its potential selection into a postseason tournament. With two wins in the tournament, the Demon Deacons are now above .500 and postseason eligible.
Selection Sunday is on Sunday, March 12 as Wake Forest is currently No. 73 in the NET rankings with the help of key wins in Greensboro.
Team Stats
WF
LOU
FG%
.354
.433
3FG%
.350
.421
FT%
.500
.667
RB
29
40
TO
15
11
STL
5
7
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
1
Pts
5
FGM
1
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
4
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
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