Wake Forest Athletics
Sunday, February 11
Winston-Salem, N.C.
2:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
Virginia
Deacs Set for Super Sunday Matchup Against Virginia
2/10/2024 10:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest will look to claim its first conference win of the season Sunday afternoon at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum with the 2:00 p.m. tipoff airing on ACC Network Extra.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team is set to begin a three-game homestand, starting on Sunday afternoon when the Demon Deacons play host to Virginia at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons (4-19, 0-11 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season and Quad-2 win as Virginia currently sits at No. 67 in the latest release of the ranking. The Deacs have won four of the last five games against the Cavaliers including the last meeting in the 2023 ACC Tournament First Round. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks second nationally with only UConn having played a more challenging schedule.
The Cavaliers (11-12, 3-9 ACC) are coming off a road win Thursday night at Boston College, 73-66. The other two wins that the Hoos have in conference this season came at No. 15 Florida State and against No. 20 North Carolina. Virginia has been one of the best rebounding teams in the country this season, ranking 11th nationally with 43.65 boards per game and on the defensive end the Hoos rank 24th in the country with 4.7 blocks per game. Additionally, the Cavaliers have been the best team in the conference at the free throw line and 19th in the country with a 77.6 average this season.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Sunday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Sunday. 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).
PRIDE NIGHT IN THE JOEL
Sunday will be the Pride Game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Wake Forest LGBTQ+ Center will be on the concourse of LJVM at Section 102 near the Fan Experience table to catch fans when they enter. The LGBTQ+ Center will be providing branding, small giveaways and providing information on their organization at their table.
Claim your spot for Sunday at GoDeacs.com/Tickets and be sure to arrive early to be one of the first to get your Pride Game gear.
Family Four packs will also be on sale. The package includes 4 tickets to the game and 4 popcorn vouchers for just $24.
KNOCKDOWN SHOOTERS
The Deacs went 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from beyond-the-arc against the Blue Devils, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark in the first half. It marked the highest percentage of the Her Hoop Stats era and nearly broke the school record which was set against Clemson on Jan. 2, 1997 when the Deacs knocked down 72.7 pct. (8-of-11 3FG) of their three-point attempts.
Additionally, over the last three games the Demon Deacons have had their three-best performances from behind the arc as the Deacs have shot a combined 23-of-48 (47.9 pct.) from behind the arc.
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. 2 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes eight games against NET top-50 teams and 17 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
T2. Wake Forest
T2. Stanford
4. Maryland
5. NC State
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but three teams that Wake Forest has played were 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 finished 2-of-4 for four points and three rebounds Thursday night at Duke.
Additionally, she has shot a stellar 57-of-90 (63.3 percent) from the floor while inside LJVM Coliseum.
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 139th 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. 140
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 136
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 13 games, Scruggs posted double-figure points. Overall, she has recorded double-digit points seven times this season.
Through 23 games she leads the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 11 assists on 14 made baskets (78.6 percent) versus the Blue Devils.
Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists on 18 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 288 of 494 made field goals (58.3 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 33rd time in the last 34 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 34-game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
In total, the Deacs forced 18 turnovers against Duke, the second-most forced turnovers in an ACC game by Wake Forest this season and most since the 20 against Clemson on Jan. 28.
This included 13 turnovers in the first half alone which resulted in 11 points on the other end in the opening 20 minutes.
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 4-of-4 from the free throw line Thursday against Duke. Overall this season, Harrison is 64-of-77 (83.1 pct.), ranking fourth in the ACC and 66th nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 81.0 percent from the stripe (51-of-63) this season. She is now ranked ninth in program history in free throw percentage:
Through 23 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 72.9 percent (226-of-310) this season.
On Thursday, the team went 9-of-12 from the charity stripe (75.0 percent). This is the ninth time in the last 10 games the Demon Deacons have shot 70 percent or better.
ELISE'S HISTORIC PERFORMANCES
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.
Thursday night she followed that up with another historic night and her second double-double of the season. Williams led the Deacs with 23 points and 11 rebounds along with three assists and one steal.
It marked the first 20-point/10-rebound performance by a Wake Forest player since Feb. 24, 2022 against Syracuse. Additionally, it was the first 23-plus point and 11-plus rebound game by a Wake Forest player since Ivana Raca in a 83-73 win over North Carolina on March 4, 2020.
Since the start of ACC play, Williams leads the team with 11.2 points per game while also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Duke (Feb. 8)
Result: L, 46-69
Versus Virginia
Series: Virginia leads 10-70
Last Time: March 1, 2023
Result: W, 68-57
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 their three-game homestand Thursday night as they play host to Florida State in the second game of the season against the Seminoles.
The 6:00 p.m. tipoff against the Blue Devils will also air on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons (4-19, 0-11 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season and Quad-2 win as Virginia currently sits at No. 67 in the latest release of the ranking. The Deacs have won four of the last five games against the Cavaliers including the last meeting in the 2023 ACC Tournament First Round. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks second nationally with only UConn having played a more challenging schedule.
The Cavaliers (11-12, 3-9 ACC) are coming off a road win Thursday night at Boston College, 73-66. The other two wins that the Hoos have in conference this season came at No. 15 Florida State and against No. 20 North Carolina. Virginia has been one of the best rebounding teams in the country this season, ranking 11th nationally with 43.65 boards per game and on the defensive end the Hoos rank 24th in the country with 4.7 blocks per game. Additionally, the Cavaliers have been the best team in the conference at the free throw line and 19th in the country with a 77.6 average this season.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network Extra for Sunday's game. A live stats feed can be found here for Sunday. 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).
PRIDE NIGHT IN THE JOEL
Sunday will be the Pride Game at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Wake Forest LGBTQ+ Center will be on the concourse of LJVM at Section 102 near the Fan Experience table to catch fans when they enter. The LGBTQ+ Center will be providing branding, small giveaways and providing information on their organization at their table.
Claim your spot for Sunday at GoDeacs.com/Tickets and be sure to arrive early to be one of the first to get your Pride Game gear.
Family Four packs will also be on sale. The package includes 4 tickets to the game and 4 popcorn vouchers for just $24.
KNOCKDOWN SHOOTERS
The Deacs went 9-of-13 (69.2 percent) from beyond-the-arc against the Blue Devils, including a perfect 6-for-6 mark in the first half. It marked the highest percentage of the Her Hoop Stats era and nearly broke the school record which was set against Clemson on Jan. 2, 1997 when the Deacs knocked down 72.7 pct. (8-of-11 3FG) of their three-point attempts.
Additionally, over the last three games the Demon Deacons have had their three-best performances from behind the arc as the Deacs have shot a combined 23-of-48 (47.9 pct.) from behind the arc.
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. 2 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes eight games against NET top-50 teams and 17 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
T2. Wake Forest
T2. Stanford
4. Maryland
5. NC State
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but three teams that Wake Forest has played were 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 finished 2-of-4 for four points and three rebounds Thursday night at Duke.
Additionally, she has shot a stellar 57-of-90 (63.3 percent) from the floor while inside LJVM Coliseum.
- 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
- 2-of-5 vs. Miami
- 3-of-8 vs. Georgia Tech
- 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. Ona Udoh 2018-19 .587
- 7. Malaya Cowles 2023-24 .575
- 8. Jenny Mitchell 1987-88 .572
- 9. Lisa Dodd 1986-87 .567
- 10. Alice Neal 1986-87 .563
SCRUGGS MAKING MOST OF SENIOR SEASON
Alexandria Scruggs made her 139th 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. 140
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 136
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 13 games, Scruggs posted double-figure points. Overall, she has recorded double-digit points seven times this season.
Through 23 games she leads the team with 5.0 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 11 assists on 14 made baskets (78.6 percent) versus the Blue Devils.
Wake Forest has had 10 or more assists on 18 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 288 of 494 made field goals (58.3 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 33rd time in the last 34 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 34-game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
In total, the Deacs forced 18 turnovers against Duke, the second-most forced turnovers in an ACC game by Wake Forest this season and most since the 20 against Clemson on Jan. 28.
This included 13 turnovers in the first half alone which resulted in 11 points on the other end in the opening 20 minutes.
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 4-of-4 from the free throw line Thursday against Duke. Overall this season, Harrison is 64-of-77 (83.1 pct.), ranking fourth in the ACC and 66th nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 81.0 percent from the stripe (51-of-63) this season. 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) | .760 |
| 10. | Amber Campbell (2014-18) | .755 |
Through 23 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 72.9 percent (226-of-310) this season.
On Thursday, the team went 9-of-12 from the charity stripe (75.0 percent). This is the ninth time in the last 10 games the Demon Deacons have shot 70 percent or better.
ELISE'S HISTORIC PERFORMANCES
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 |
Thursday night she followed that up with another historic night and her second double-double of the season. Williams led the Deacs with 23 points and 11 rebounds along with three assists and one steal.
It marked the first 20-point/10-rebound performance by a Wake Forest player since Feb. 24, 2022 against Syracuse. Additionally, it was the first 23-plus point and 11-plus rebound game by a Wake Forest player since Ivana Raca in a 83-73 win over North Carolina on March 4, 2020.
Since the start of ACC play, Williams leads the team with 11.2 points per game while also averaging 4.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Duke (Feb. 8)
Result: L, 46-69
- The Demon Deacons allowed just six points in the first quarter, its fewest allowed in the first quarter this season and tied for the fewest in a single quarter since the third quarter against Clemson on Jan. 28). The Deacs added 19 first-quarter points, tied for the most against an ACC opponent in the first frame this campaign.
- In the first half, Duke was held to just 20 points, the fewest points allowed in a first half by the Deacs this season. It also marked Duke's second-fewest total in the first half this season and fewest since the game against Louisville on Jan. 4 (19).
- Graduate guard Kaia Harrison led the team with her 11th double-digit scoring performance of the season as she finished with 11 points on 3-of-6 shooting in addition to a perfect 4-of-4 mark from the line. The graduate guard entered the game ranked seventh in the conference in free throw percentage (84 percent).
- Wake Forest had a balanced attack with eight of the nine players scoring in the first 20 minutes of the game alone. Offensively, it was another strong performance from behind the arc from junior guard Raegyn Conley who splashed in 3-of-3 triples and is shooting a team-best 29-of-74 (39.2 pct.) for the season.
Versus Virginia
Series: Virginia leads 10-70
Last Time: March 1, 2023
Result: W, 68-57
- The Demon Deacons used a 28-point third quarter to build a 15-point lead before the final frame. As a team, the Deacs went 11-of-15 from the floor and 4-of-6 from beyond-the-arc in the third, including eight points from junior guard Jewel Spear.
- Spear finished the contest with a game-high 19 points on 7-of-15 shooting in addition to three rebounds and a pair of assists. This marks the 15th time The Colony, Texas native has eclipsed 15 points in a game this season.
- Wake Forest outscored Virginia, 34-22, inside the paint. Additionally, the Deacs added 23 points off 16 forced turnovers, including 11 points off turnovers in the third quarter. The Demon Deacons have now forced 15 or more turnovers in 14 different games this season.
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. 11 vs. Virginia
- Sunday, Feb. 18 vs. North Carolina
UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons continue their three-game homestand Thursday night as they play host to Florida State in the second game of the season against the Seminoles.
The 6:00 p.m. tipoff against the Blue Devils will also air on ACC Network Extra.
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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