Wake Forest Athletics
Deacs Set to Face Syracuse on Kids Day
1/10/2024 1:13:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest will look to grab its first win of ACC season Thursday night during the annual Kids Day game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team hosts its annual Kids Day game Thursday against Syracuse at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum with a special matinee tipoff on tap.
The Demon Deacons (4-11, 0-3 ACC) will look to grab its first win of the ACC season after close losses to nationally-ranked opponents in the first two games of the season against No. 22 Florida State and No. 13 Virginia Tech. Over the last six games, graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs has played some of her best basketball of her Wake Forest career, posting five double-figure games. Additionally, she is one of three Deacs to average double-digit points in ACC play along with Elise Williams (12.7 PPG) and Kaia Harrison (10.0 PPG). Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks seventh nationally.
The Orange (12-2, 2-1 ACC) are playing just their fourth road game of the season on Thursday, holding a record of 1-2 coming into the game. Syracuse has been one of the better teams in the paint this season as their +9.7 rebounding margin ranks 22nd nationally and third in the ACC while their 5.1 blocks per game is 21st in the country. They grab 45.0 rebounds per game which is 13th in the country and their 17.5 offensive rebounds per game is seventh and leads the conference. On the offensive end, the Orange are led by graduate guard Dyaisha Fair who is fifth in the ACC with 19.6 points per game while also leading the conference with 44 three-point makes and 119 three-point attempts.
Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Thursday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Thursday. You can also listen to the game on GoDeacs.com/Watch.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 132nd appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Sunday, adding to her program-record that she set in the previous game against No. 13 Virginia Tech:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 132
2. Lakevia Boykin 2009-13 130
3. Brooke Thomas 2008-12 129
Dearica Hamby 2011-15 129
Milan Quinn 2013-17 129
Amber Campbell 2014-18 129
7. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 128
Secily Ray 2008-12 128
Sandra Garcia 2009-13 128
9. Chelsea Douglas 2010-14 126
For the fifth time in the last six games, Scruggs posted double-figure points against Miami on Sunday, finishing the game with 11 points. Overall, this was the sixth time this season she has finished with double-digit points.
She also led the team on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds in the game. Through 15 games she leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 2.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 12 assists on 17 made baskets (70.6 percent) against Miami.
In the last 11 games, Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists and have done so 12 times overall.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 182 of 320 made field goals (56.9 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and is in the 78th percentile nationally.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced 12 turnovers against Miami on Sunday. The Deacs have forced double-digit turnovers in 27-consecutive games dating back to January of last year.
The Demon Deacons forced 15 Florida State turnovers, despite the Seminoles coming into the game averaging only 11.2 per game.
Of note, Florida State came in ranked top-10 in the country in turnover offense. Additionally, the Deacs won the turnover battle, despite the Seminoles averaging a +4.2 turnover margin over their first 13 games of the season.
Against Villanova, the Demon Deacons turned the Wildcats over a season-high 10 times in the game as Villanova came into the contest second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Prior to that, Wake Forest forced 19 Saint Louis turnovers, the second-most the Billikens had committed in a single game this season and it resulted in 20 points on the other end for the Demon Deacons.
In the Deacs' game against BYU, they forced 26 turnovers, marking the most since January 22, 2017 against Georgia Tech when the Demon Deacons also forced 26 turnovers in the game. Additionally, it was the first time since December 18 and 21, 2017 against Charlotte and College of Charleston that Wake Forest has produced 20 or more opponent turnovers in back-to-back games. It marked the first time since March 16, 2017 (Washington State) that a Power-5 team had forced BYU into 26 or more turnovers.
FROM THE LINE
Graduate guard Kaia Harrison went 3-of-4 from the free throw line Sunday at Miami. Overall this season, Harrison is 53-of-64 (82.8 pct.), ranking eighth in the ACC and 82nd nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior guard Elise Williams is not far behind, averaging a career-best 81.6 percent from the stripe (31-of-38). She is close to cracking into the top-10 in program history in free throw percentage, trailing 10th by just .02.
As a team, Wake Forest went 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from the free throw line against Miami. Through 15 games this season, the Demon Deacons have seen a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.0 percent (162-of-225) this season. Wake Forest is totaling 10.8 free throws made per game this year compared to last year's 10.1 free throws made per game.
COWLES GETS IT GOING AT HOME
Redshirt sophomore forward Malaya Cowles went 1-of-2 from the floor as she finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists against Marshall.
Cowles holds a .678 shooting percentage (40-of-59) while inside LJVM Coliseum this season:
Wake Forest vs. Miami (Jan. 7)
Result: L, 47-77
Versus Syracuse
Series: Syracuse leads 8-3
Last Time: Dec. 18, 2022
Result: L, 58-67
Sunday four-packs are available for six games for the upcoming 2023-24 season including four ACC home matchups at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. A four-pack includes four tickets and four popcorn vouchers for just $28. The games with four-packs available:
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons are on the road again this weekend for another nationally-ranked game, facing No. 15 Louisville Sunday afternoon.
The 2:00 p.m. tipoff at KFC YUM Center can also be seen on ACC Network.
The Demon Deacons (4-11, 0-3 ACC) will look to grab its first win of the ACC season after close losses to nationally-ranked opponents in the first two games of the season against No. 22 Florida State and No. 13 Virginia Tech. Over the last six games, graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs has played some of her best basketball of her Wake Forest career, posting five double-figure games. Additionally, she is one of three Deacs to average double-digit points in ACC play along with Elise Williams (12.7 PPG) and Kaia Harrison (10.0 PPG). Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks seventh nationally.
The Orange (12-2, 2-1 ACC) are playing just their fourth road game of the season on Thursday, holding a record of 1-2 coming into the game. Syracuse has been one of the better teams in the paint this season as their +9.7 rebounding margin ranks 22nd nationally and third in the ACC while their 5.1 blocks per game is 21st in the country. They grab 45.0 rebounds per game which is 13th in the country and their 17.5 offensive rebounds per game is seventh and leads the conference. On the offensive end, the Orange are led by graduate guard Dyaisha Fair who is fifth in the ACC with 19.6 points per game while also leading the conference with 44 three-point makes and 119 three-point attempts.
Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Thursday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Thursday. You can also listen to the game on GoDeacs.com/Watch.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 132nd appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Sunday, adding to her program-record that she set in the previous game against No. 13 Virginia Tech:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 132
2. Lakevia Boykin 2009-13 130
3. Brooke Thomas 2008-12 129
Dearica Hamby 2011-15 129
Milan Quinn 2013-17 129
Amber Campbell 2014-18 129
7. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 128
Secily Ray 2008-12 128
Sandra Garcia 2009-13 128
9. Chelsea Douglas 2010-14 126
For the fifth time in the last six games, Scruggs posted double-figure points against Miami on Sunday, finishing the game with 11 points. Overall, this was the sixth time this season she has finished with double-digit points.
She also led the team on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds in the game. Through 15 games she leads the team with 5.5 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 2.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 12 assists on 17 made baskets (70.6 percent) against Miami.
In the last 11 games, Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists and have done so 12 times overall.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 182 of 320 made field goals (56.9 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and is in the 78th percentile nationally.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced 12 turnovers against Miami on Sunday. The Deacs have forced double-digit turnovers in 27-consecutive games dating back to January of last year.
The Demon Deacons forced 15 Florida State turnovers, despite the Seminoles coming into the game averaging only 11.2 per game.
Of note, Florida State came in ranked top-10 in the country in turnover offense. Additionally, the Deacs won the turnover battle, despite the Seminoles averaging a +4.2 turnover margin over their first 13 games of the season.
Against Villanova, the Demon Deacons turned the Wildcats over a season-high 10 times in the game as Villanova came into the contest second in the country in assist-to-turnover ratio.
Prior to that, Wake Forest forced 19 Saint Louis turnovers, the second-most the Billikens had committed in a single game this season and it resulted in 20 points on the other end for the Demon Deacons.
In the Deacs' game against BYU, they forced 26 turnovers, marking the most since January 22, 2017 against Georgia Tech when the Demon Deacons also forced 26 turnovers in the game. Additionally, it was the first time since December 18 and 21, 2017 against Charlotte and College of Charleston that Wake Forest has produced 20 or more opponent turnovers in back-to-back games. It marked the first time since March 16, 2017 (Washington State) that a Power-5 team had forced BYU into 26 or more turnovers.
FROM THE LINE
Graduate guard Kaia Harrison went 3-of-4 from the free throw line Sunday at Miami. Overall this season, Harrison is 53-of-64 (82.8 pct.), ranking eighth in the ACC and 82nd nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior guard Elise Williams is not far behind, averaging a career-best 81.6 percent from the stripe (31-of-38). She is close to cracking into the top-10 in program history in free throw percentage, trailing 10th by just .02.
As a team, Wake Forest went 8-of-11 (72.7 percent) from the free throw line against Miami. Through 15 games this season, the Demon Deacons have seen a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.0 percent (162-of-225) this season. Wake Forest is totaling 10.8 free throws made per game this year compared to last year's 10.1 free throws made per game.
COWLES GETS IT GOING AT HOME
Redshirt sophomore forward Malaya Cowles went 1-of-2 from the floor as she finished with four points, two rebounds and two assists against Marshall.
Cowles holds a .678 shooting percentage (40-of-59) while inside LJVM Coliseum this season:
- 8-of-12 vs. Wofford
- 2-of-2 vs. NC A&T
- 10-of-13 vs. Villanova
- 2-of-4 vs. Texas A&M
- 9-of-13 vs. Charlotte
- 3-of-9 vs. Norfolk State
- 5-of-5 vs. Marshall
- 1-of-2 vs. No. 13 Virginia Tech
Wake Forest vs. Miami (Jan. 7)
Result: L, 47-77
- The Demon Deacons had all 11 players see the floor against the Hurricanes. Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced 12 turnovers. The Deacs have forced double-digit turnovers in 27-consecutive games dating back to January of last year.
- The Demon Deacons recorded 12 assists on 17 made baskets (70.6 percent) against Miami.
- In the last 11 games, Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists and have done so 12 times overall. This season, the Deacs have assisted 182 of 320 made field goals (56.9 percent).
- Offensively, the Demon Deacons were led by another strong performance from graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs. Playing in her program-record 132nd game in her Wake Forest career, she tallied her fifth double-figure scoring game in the last six outings.
- Scruggs finished the game with 11 points. She also led the team on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds in the game. This marked her first career double-double in her career.
Versus Syracuse
Series: Syracuse leads 8-3
Last Time: Dec. 18, 2022
Result: L, 58-67
- The Demon Deacons (were led by a strong effort in nearly every statistical category from Summiel, finishing the afternoon with a game-high 11 rebounds and a game-high six assists in the defeat to the Orange. The Dayville, Conn. native added six points to the score column while increasing her block total to 20 on the season.
- Offensively, the Deacs were led by her fellow frontcourt mate in junior forward Demeara Hinds who ended the game with 14 points on 6-of-9 shooting. She got the Deacs off to a strong start as 11 of her points came in the first half. Hinds also had a team-best three blocks to go along with six rebounds.
- Senior Kaia Harrison was the second Demon Deacon in double figures as she completed the afternoon with 11 points on 4-of-7 shooting.
Sunday four-packs are available for six games for the upcoming 2023-24 season including four ACC home matchups at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. A four-pack includes four tickets and four popcorn vouchers for just $28. The games with four-packs available:
- Sunday, Jan. 21 vs. Notre Dame
- Sunday, Feb. 4 vs. Georgia Tech
- Sunday, Feb. 11 vs. Virginia
- Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. North Carolina
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons are on the road again this weekend for another nationally-ranked game, facing No. 15 Louisville Sunday afternoon.
The 2:00 p.m. tipoff at KFC YUM Center can also be seen on ACC Network.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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