Thursday, February 1
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
Miami
Deacs Back Home to Face Miami for Second Time This Season
1/31/2024 4:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest will look to claim its first conference win of the season Thursday night in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum with the 6:00 p.m. tipoff airing on ACC Network Extra.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After playing on the road on Sunday, the Wake Forest women's basketball team is back at home at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum with the first of back-to-back home games set for Thursday night against Miami.
The Demon Deacons (4-16, 0-8 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season as Miami currently sits at No. 40 in the latest release of the ranking and also the Deacs will also look to continue its recent success at home in the series as they own a 2-1 ledger over the last three meetings at LJVM Coliseum. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks fifth nationally.
The Hurricanes (13-6, 3-5 ACC) are coming off a home win over Duke Sunday afternoon. The Canes are one of the most balanced scoring teams in the country as their 27.2 bench points per game ranks 18th nationally and first in the ACC. Miami's top five scorers average between 10.9 points to 7.9 points per game. They also have been one of the most efficient teams shooting the basketball as their 45.5 shooting percentage is 40th in the country. The Hurricanes have played their best at home this season, but on the road this season Miami only holds a record of 1-4 with the lone win coming against Mississippi State in November.
Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 6:00 p.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).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Over the course of the season, the Demon Deacons have navigated one of the toughest schedules in the country as the Deacs currently sit at No. 4 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes seven games against NET top-50 teams and 14 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Creighton
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Wake Forest
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but one team that Wake Forest has played was either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 13 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles had another efficient showing, posting a team-high eight points and finishing 4-of-7 from the field.
She continued her impressive play shooting percentage at home against Notre Dame, going 6-of-7 from the field.
She continued her impressive play shooting percentage at home. Cowles holds a .675 shooting percentage (52-of-77) while inside LJVM Coliseum this season:
Her single-season field goal percentage is one of the highest in program history, ranking sixth:
FIELD GOAL PCT. (minimum 50 attempts)
ELISE'S HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
Junior guard Elise Williams recorded her third-career double-double as she notched 14 points and 10 rebounds in addition to seven assists. It marked the first double-double by a Demon Deacon since Demeara Hinds against Morgan State last season on March 16, 2023.
Additionally, it was just the third 14-10-7 or better game in the Her Hoops Stats era (2009-10) by a Wake Forest player and first since Dearica Hamby against Pitt on March 5, 2014.
She followed that up with another impressive statline against Notre Dame with nine points, five assists and five rebounds.
Since the start of ACC play, Williams leads the team with 10.8 points per game while also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 137th appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Sunday, adding to her program-record that she set in the previous game against No. 13 Virginia Tech. Additionally against Boston College, Kaia Harrison solely moved into second place in the all-time games played list:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 137
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 133
3. Lakevia Boykin 2009-13 130
4. Brooke Thomas 2008-12 129
Dearica Hamby 2011-15 129
Milan Quinn 2013-17 129
Amber Campbell 2014-18 129
8. Secily Ray 2008-12 128
Sandra Garcia 2009-13 128
10. Chelsea Douglas 2010-14 126
In six of the last 10 games, Scruggs posted double-figure points. Overall, she has recorded double-digit points seven times this season.
Offensively, Wake Forest was led by an inspiring performance from graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs, finishing the night with a team-high 14 points on 7-of-10 field goals while also collecting three rebounds against Clemson.
Over the last two games, Scruggs has been 10-of-14 from the field (71.4 pct.).
Through 20 games she leads the team with 5.4 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 16 assists on 23 made baskets (69.6 percent) versus the Tigers.
Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists on 16 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 254 of 433 made field goals (58.7 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and ranks in the 72nd percentile.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced double-digit turnovers for the 30th time in the last 31 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 30 game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
In total, the Deacs forced 20 turnovers by Clemson. This included nine steals from five different players.
The 20 turnovers are the highest total forced in ACC play both this season and during the Gebbia era as well as tied for the second-highest total this season, marking the most since forcing 25 in the opening game of the North Shore Showcase against BYU:
1. vs. BYU - 25 turnovers forced (Nov. 18, 2023)
T2. at Clemson - 20 turnovers forced (Jan. 28, 2024)
T2. vs. NC A&T - 20 turnovers forced (Nov. 15, 2023)
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 2-of-4 from the free throw line Sunday against No. 19 Notre Dame. Overall this season, Harrison is 61-of-74 (82.4 pct.), ranking sixth in the ACC and 86th nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior guard Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 83.3 percent from the stripe (45-of-54). She is now ranked ninth in program history in free throw percentage:
Through 20 games this season, Wake Forest has seen a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.6 percent (204-of-281) this season.
On Sunday, the team went 10-of-14 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent). This is the sixth time in the last seven games the Demon Deacons have shot 70 percent or better.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Clemson (Jan. 24)
Result: L, 59-73
Versus Miami
Series: Miami leads 16-13
Last Time: Jan. 7, 2024
Result: L, 47-77
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 continue the homestand Sunday afternoon when the Deacs play host to Georgia Tech for the first time this season.
The 2:00 p.m. tipoff against the Yellowjackets will also air on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons (4-16, 0-8 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season as Miami currently sits at No. 40 in the latest release of the ranking and also the Deacs will also look to continue its recent success at home in the series as they own a 2-1 ledger over the last three meetings at LJVM Coliseum. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks fifth nationally.
The Hurricanes (13-6, 3-5 ACC) are coming off a home win over Duke Sunday afternoon. The Canes are one of the most balanced scoring teams in the country as their 27.2 bench points per game ranks 18th nationally and first in the ACC. Miami's top five scorers average between 10.9 points to 7.9 points per game. They also have been one of the most efficient teams shooting the basketball as their 45.5 shooting percentage is 40th in the country. The Hurricanes have played their best at home this season, but on the road this season Miami only holds a record of 1-4 with the lone win coming against Mississippi State in November.
Tipoff for Thursday is scheduled for 6:00 p.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).
STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
Over the course of the season, the Demon Deacons have navigated one of the toughest schedules in the country as the Deacs currently sit at No. 4 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes seven games against NET top-50 teams and 14 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Creighton
3. Maryland
4. Stanford
5. Wake Forest
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but one team that Wake Forest has played was either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 13 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles had another efficient showing, posting a team-high eight points and finishing 4-of-7 from the field.
She continued her impressive play shooting percentage at home against Notre Dame, going 6-of-7 from the field.
She continued her impressive play shooting percentage at home. Cowles holds a .675 shooting percentage (52-of-77) 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
- 6-of-11 vs. Syracuse
- 6-of-7 vs. No. 19 Notre Dame
Her single-season field goal percentage is one of the highest in program history, ranking sixth:
FIELD GOAL PCT. (minimum 50 attempts)
- 1. Lisa Dodd 1987-88 .647
- 2. Ona Udoh 2019-20 .623
- 3. Jenny Mitchell 1988-89 .616
- 4. Jenny Mitchell 1990-91 .610
- 5. Jenny Mitchell 1989-90 .606
- 6. Malaya Cowles 2023-24 .594
- 7. Ona Udoh 2018-19 .587
- 8. Jenny Mitchell 1987-88 .572
- 9. Lisa Dodd 1986-87 .567
- 10. Alice Neal 1986-87 .563
ELISE'S HISTORIC PERFORMANCE
Junior guard Elise Williams recorded her third-career double-double as she notched 14 points and 10 rebounds in addition to seven assists. It marked the first double-double by a Demon Deacon since Demeara Hinds against Morgan State last season on March 16, 2023.
Additionally, it was just the third 14-10-7 or better game in the Her Hoops Stats era (2009-10) by a Wake Forest player and first since Dearica Hamby against Pitt on March 5, 2014.
| Player | Date | Points | Rebounds | Assists |
| Elise Williams | Jan. 18, 2024 | 14 | 10 | 7 |
| Dearica Hamby | March 5, 2014 | 25 | 16 | 8 |
| Brittany Waters | Feb. 27, 2011 | 20 | 11 | 7 |
She followed that up with another impressive statline against Notre Dame with nine points, five assists and five rebounds.
Since the start of ACC play, Williams leads the team with 10.8 points per game while also averaging 4.3 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game.
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 137th appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Sunday, adding to her program-record that she set in the previous game against No. 13 Virginia Tech. Additionally against Boston College, Kaia Harrison solely moved into second place in the all-time games played list:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 137
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 133
3. Lakevia Boykin 2009-13 130
4. Brooke Thomas 2008-12 129
Dearica Hamby 2011-15 129
Milan Quinn 2013-17 129
Amber Campbell 2014-18 129
8. Secily Ray 2008-12 128
Sandra Garcia 2009-13 128
10. Chelsea Douglas 2010-14 126
In six of the last 10 games, Scruggs posted double-figure points. Overall, she has recorded double-digit points seven times this season.
Offensively, Wake Forest was led by an inspiring performance from graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs, finishing the night with a team-high 14 points on 7-of-10 field goals while also collecting three rebounds against Clemson.
Over the last two games, Scruggs has been 10-of-14 from the field (71.4 pct.).
Through 20 games she leads the team with 5.4 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 16 assists on 23 made baskets (69.6 percent) versus the Tigers.
Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists on 16 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 254 of 433 made field goals (58.7 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and ranks in the 72nd percentile.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced double-digit turnovers for the 30th time in the last 31 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 30 game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
In total, the Deacs forced 20 turnovers by Clemson. This included nine steals from five different players.
The 20 turnovers are the highest total forced in ACC play both this season and during the Gebbia era as well as tied for the second-highest total this season, marking the most since forcing 25 in the opening game of the North Shore Showcase against BYU:
1. vs. BYU - 25 turnovers forced (Nov. 18, 2023)
T2. at Clemson - 20 turnovers forced (Jan. 28, 2024)
T2. vs. NC A&T - 20 turnovers forced (Nov. 15, 2023)
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 2-of-4 from the free throw line Sunday against No. 19 Notre Dame. Overall this season, Harrison is 61-of-74 (82.4 pct.), ranking sixth in the ACC and 86th nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior guard Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 83.3 percent from the stripe (45-of-54). She is now ranked ninth in program history in free throw percentage:
| Rank | Player | FT Percentage |
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1991-94) | .830 |
| 2. | Jewel Spear (2020-23) | .827 |
| 3. | Alice Neal (1986-89) | .805 |
| 4. | Heidi Coleman (1995-99) | .800 |
| 5. | Beth Davis (1989-91) | .792 |
| 6. | Porsche' Jones (2004-06) | .778 |
| 7. | Ivana Raca (2017-21) | .765 |
| 9. | Elise Williams (2021-Present) | .759 |
| 10. | Amber Campbell (2014-18) | .755 |
Through 20 games this season, Wake Forest has seen a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.6 percent (204-of-281) this season.
On Sunday, the team went 10-of-14 from the charity stripe (71.4 percent). This is the sixth time in the last seven games the Demon Deacons have shot 70 percent or better.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Clemson (Jan. 24)
Result: L, 59-73
- The Demon Deacons showed a spirited fight in the third and fourth quarters, outsourcing the Tigers 34-23 in the final 20 minutes. Wake Forest limited Clemson 6-of-20 from the field including 0-of-6 from three-point range and 11 of the Tigers' second half points came at the free throw line.
- In total Wake Forest forced 20 turnovers on the night, tying the second-most this season with the only other higher total coming against BYU during the North Shore Showcase. Additionally, the 20 turnovers are the highest total forced in ACC play both this season and during the Gebbia era.
- Offensively, Wake Forest was led by an inspiring performance from graduate guard Alexandria Scruggs. Despite having early foul trouble, the Fayetteville, N.C. native finished the night with a team-high 14 points on 7-of-10 field goals while also collecting three rebounds.
- This is the sixth time in the last 10 games she has reached double-digit points and the seventh time overall this season. Over the last two games, Scruggs has been 10-of-14 from the field (71.4 pct.).
Versus Miami
Series: Miami leads 16-13
Last Time: Jan. 7, 2024
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.
- 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.
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, Feb. 4 vs. Georgia Tech
- Sunday, Feb. 11 vs. Virginia
- Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. North Carolina
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons continue the homestand Sunday afternoon when the Deacs play host to Georgia Tech for the first time this season.
The 2:00 p.m. tipoff against the Yellowjackets will also air on ACC Network Extra.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballMatt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10
Matt Barrie SportsCenter on Wake Forest Campus (Arnold Palmer Complex)
Wednesday, September 10
Football Media Availability (9/9/25)
Wednesday, September 10
Wake Forest Football vs Western Carolina | Cinematic Recap
Tuesday, September 09