Deacs to Host Texas A&M in Inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge
6/28/2023 11:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
The exciting matchup at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m.
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Get excited, Deacon Nation! The inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge matchup is set as the Deacs are scheduled to host Texas A&M on Thursday, Nov. 30 at 9 p.m. at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons won in the only previous meeting between the two schools, capturing a 53-46 victory over the Aggies in the 2007 Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands. Facing the conference, Wake Forest holds an all-time record of 8-14. This will be the fourth time in Gebbia's two season they will face an SEC opponent.
Each one of the 28 games (30 starting in 2025-26) will be carried on an ESPN platform and each conference will host an equal number of home games. The television designations for the games will be announced at a later date.
Season Tickets On Sale
Claim your spot in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum for what is shaping up to be another exciting season for Megan Gebbia's second season with the Demon Deacons! Season tickets for 2023-24 Wake Forest women's basketball season tickets are now being accepted at GoDeacs.com/tickets with tickets starting at $60:
Along with your purchase of a women's basketball season ticket package this season there are many added benefits exclusive only to those who buy season tickets. Admission to all home games for this price Additional perks include:
- A lunch opportunity with the Wake Forest women's basketball team
- Only season ticket holders can sit in floor level seats
- Access to The Blue Ridge Room for free light refreshments and snacks before and during each home game
- "Season Ticket Holder of the Game"
- A season ticket holder will be recognized at each game
- They will be brought onto the floor during a quarter break or timeout to be recognized
- They will be presented with a signed picture of the team
- They will also have videoboard graphics made for them as well
Scouting the Aggies
After finishing last season with a 9-20 record and 2-14 in SEC play, the Aggies return some top young talent in 2022-23 SEC All-Freshman Team honorees Janiah Barker and Sydney Bowles.
Barker led the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game while also collecting 5.9 rebounds per game. Bowles led the Aggies from three-point range, hitting 52 threes while averaging 9.1 points per game.
Both players had opportunities to compete for Team USA this summer as Barker is on the 2023 USA Basketball AmeriCup Team while Bowles earned an invitation to the 2023 USA Women's U19 National Team Trials.
Texas A&M, who is led by 2023 USA Women's U19 World Cup head coach Joni Taylor, is 14-15 all-time against ACC opponents including a 71-52 loss at Duke last season.
Women's Basketball Preseason Overview
Megan Gebbia enters her second season as the head coach of the Wake Forest women's basketball program in 2023-24 after an impressive debut season at the helm.
In just her first season, Gebbia had a host of accomplishments:
- Winningest first-year head coach in program history
- 17 wins tied the most since the 2011-12 season
- Tallied the most wins against ACC opponents by a first-year head coach
- Wins over four NCAA Tournament teams including wins over two Elite Eight teams
- In the final week of January, the Demon Deacons recorded a pair of wins over eventual Elite Eight teams, taking down Louisville, the first win over the Cardinals in program history, and Miami.
- Grabbed 12 wins at home, the fourth-highest total in program history
- Finished second in program history with 227 threes made
- Ended the season ranked fourth in program history with 123 blocks
- Held ACC opponents at home to just 19.2 percent shooting from three
- Limited five of nine ACC teams at home to one or less three-pointer made
- Increased the team's assist percentage by nearly 20 percent
- Signed a top-25 recruiting class according the ESPNW
- This marks the first time since the 2014 class that the Deacs have signed multiple top-100 players in the same class and just the second time in the ESPNW era.
- Led the Demon Deacons to a memorable three-day run at the ACC Tournament.
- During their three days in Greensboro, Wake Forest had the second-largest halftime comeback in ACC Tournament history, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat Florida State.
- It was one of a number of big wins during the first season of the Gebbia era. The Deacs claimed a key road win in the final year of the ACC/Big Ten, defeating Minnesota in late November.
- During their three days in Greensboro, Wake Forest had the second-largest halftime comeback in ACC Tournament history, erasing an 18-point halftime deficit to defeat Florida State.
