Sunday, February 18
Winston-Salem, N.C.
6:00 p.m.
Wake Forest University
vs
North Carolina
Deacs Set for Primetime Big-4 Matchup
2/17/2024 7:03:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest will look to claim its first conference win of the season Sunday night at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum with the 6:00 p.m. tipoff airing on ACC Network.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team finishes off a three-game homestand with Sunday night's Big-4 contest against No. 20 North Carolina at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons (4-21, 0-13 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season and Quad-1 win as North Carolina currently sits at No. 29 in the latest release of the ranking. The Deacs are looking to continue their winning ways against the Tar Heels at home as the Deacs have won two of the last three games at LJVM Coliseum. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks third nationally with only UConn and Stanford having played a more challenging schedule.
The Tar Heels (16-9, 8-5 ACC) have won just one of their last five games entering Sunday which came on Thursday night against Pitt. North Carolina is also just 2-4 in true road games this season with 12 of their 16 wins coming at home. The Heels currently rank 26th in the country with 4.7 blocks per game while also ranking 16th in the country with just 12.6 turnovers per game. They are led by All-ACC guard Deja Kelly who is currently second in the country in free throw attempts and seventh in the country in free throws made with both marks currently leading the ACC. Fellow guard Alyssa Utsby is 21st in the nation in total rounds with a 241 total.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network 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).
SENIOR AND GRADUATES DAY
Help us pay tribute to an amazing senior class as we honor our two outstanding seniors on Sunday afternoon on court.
Demeara Hinds and Aliah McWhorter will be honored in our Senior Day ceremony prior to the game on the court while Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs will also be recognized pregame. Please arrive early to help us recognize the special group.
Claim your spot for Sunday at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
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. 3 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes nine games against NET top-50 teams and 19 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Stanford
3. Wake Forest
4. Maryland
5. NC State
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but four teams that Wake Forest has played were either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 14 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
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 against Boston College. 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.
Aginasint Georgia Tech, 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.
Williams led the team with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals against Florida State Thursday.
She became the fifth Demon Deacon in the HerHoopsStats era (2009-10) to record that statline (17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals) and first since Gina Conti on Nov. 28, 2020. It also marked her 11th game this season with double-digit points and sixth time in ACC play.
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.
She has played her best at home during conference play this season, averaging almost 10.0 points per game better than when the Demon Deacons play on the road in conference play. Averaging 17.0 points per game, Williams has shot the three-ball at nearly 42 percent and is the Decs leading scorer in conference play.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles finished the night with 14 points and tied a season-high with eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. It was her fourth game this season with 10-or-more points and five-or-more rebounds, all of which have been at home.
Additionally, she has shot a stellar 65-of-108 (60.2 percent) from the floor while inside LJVM Coliseum.
Alexandria Scruggs made her 142th 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. 142
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 138
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
Through 24 games she leads the team with 4.9 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 15 assists on 26 made baskets (57.7 percent) versus the Seminoles.
Wake Forest has had 11 or more assists on 20 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 316 of 545 made field goals (57.9 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 35th time in the last 36 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 36-game stretch goes back to January of 2022. In total, the Deacs forced 16 turnovers against Florida State. Over two games against this season, Wake Forest has forced 31 turnovers against the Seminoles
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-5 from the free throw line Thursday against Florida State. Overall this season, Harrison is 71-of-85 (83.5 pct.), ranking fourth in the ACC and 72nd nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 81.7 percent from the stripe (58-of-71) this season. She is now ranked ninth in program history in career free throw percentage:
Through 25 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 (252-of-347) this season.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Florida State (Feb. 15)
Result: L, 63-71
Versus North Carolina
Series: North Carolina leads 68-18
Last Time: February 19, 2023
Result: L, 71-58
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
After the three-game homestand, the Demon Deacons are back on the road Thursday when they travel to Pitt for a midweek contest.
Tipoff in the Steel City is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. against the Panthers and will also air on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons (4-21, 0-13 ACC) will be looking for their highest NET win of the season and Quad-1 win as North Carolina currently sits at No. 29 in the latest release of the ranking. The Deacs are looking to continue their winning ways against the Tar Heels at home as the Deacs have won two of the last three games at LJVM Coliseum. Wake Forest has navigated one of the most difficult schedules in the country, as the Deacs' average opponent NET now ranks third nationally with only UConn and Stanford having played a more challenging schedule.
The Tar Heels (16-9, 8-5 ACC) have won just one of their last five games entering Sunday which came on Thursday night against Pitt. North Carolina is also just 2-4 in true road games this season with 12 of their 16 wins coming at home. The Heels currently rank 26th in the country with 4.7 blocks per game while also ranking 16th in the country with just 12.6 turnovers per game. They are led by All-ACC guard Deja Kelly who is currently second in the country in free throw attempts and seventh in the country in free throws made with both marks currently leading the ACC. Fellow guard Alyssa Utsby is 21st in the nation in total rounds with a 241 total.
Tipoff for Sunday is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. (ET) at LJVM Coliseum.
For those not at the arena, fans can tune in to ACC Network 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).
SENIOR AND GRADUATES DAY
Help us pay tribute to an amazing senior class as we honor our two outstanding seniors on Sunday afternoon on court.
Demeara Hinds and Aliah McWhorter will be honored in our Senior Day ceremony prior to the game on the court while Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs will also be recognized pregame. Please arrive early to help us recognize the special group.
Claim your spot for Sunday at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
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. 3 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country. This includes nine games against NET top-50 teams and 19 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Stanford
3. Wake Forest
4. Maryland
5. NC State
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but four teams that Wake Forest has played were either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 14 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
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 against Boston College. 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 |
Aginasint Georgia Tech, 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.
Williams led the team with 17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals against Florida State Thursday.
She became the fifth Demon Deacon in the HerHoopsStats era (2009-10) to record that statline (17 points, five rebounds, five assists and three steals) and first since Gina Conti on Nov. 28, 2020. It also marked her 11th game this season with double-digit points and sixth time in ACC play.
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.
She has played her best at home during conference play this season, averaging almost 10.0 points per game better than when the Demon Deacons play on the road in conference play. Averaging 17.0 points per game, Williams has shot the three-ball at nearly 42 percent and is the Decs leading scorer in conference play.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles finished the night with 14 points and tied a season-high with eight rebounds, two blocks and a steal. It was her fourth game this season with 10-or-more points and five-or-more rebounds, all of which have been at home.
Additionally, she has shot a stellar 65-of-108 (60.2 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
- 1-of-6 vs. Virginia
- 7-of-12 vs. Florida State
- 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. Jenny Mitchell 1987-88 .572
- 8. Lisa Dodd 1986-87 .567
- 9. Alice Neal 1986-87 .563
- 10. Malaya Cowles 2023-24 .562
Alexandria Scruggs made her 142th 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. 142
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 138
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
Through 24 games she leads the team with 4.9 rebounds per game, her highest average of her career by nearly 1.0 rebounds per game.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Demon Deacons recorded 15 assists on 26 made baskets (57.7 percent) versus the Seminoles.
Wake Forest has had 11 or more assists on 20 separate occasions this season.
This season, the Deacs have assisted 316 of 545 made field goals (57.9 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 35th time in the last 36 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 36-game stretch goes back to January of 2022. In total, the Deacs forced 16 turnovers against Florida State. Over two games against this season, Wake Forest has forced 31 turnovers against the Seminoles
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-5 from the free throw line Thursday against Florida State. Overall this season, Harrison is 71-of-85 (83.5 pct.), ranking fourth in the ACC and 72nd nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams is averaging a career-best 81.7 percent from the stripe (58-of-71) this season. She is now ranked ninth in program history in career free throw percentage:
| Rank | Player | FT Percentage |
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1991-94) | .830 |
| 2. | Jewel Spear (2020-23) | .827 |
| 3. | Lisa Brookes (1981-84) | .823 |
| 4. | Alice Neal (1986-89) | .805 |
| 5. | Heidi Coleman (1995-99) | .800 |
| 6. | Beth Davis (1989-91) | .792 |
| 7. | Porsche' Jones (2004-06) | .778 |
| 8. | Ivana Raca (2017-21) | .765 |
| 9. | Elise Williams (2021-Present) | .760 |
| 10. | Amber Campbell (2014-18) | .755 |
Through 25 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 (252-of-347) this season.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs. Florida State (Feb. 15)
Result: L, 63-71
- The Demon Deacons dominated inside, as they outscored the Seminoles 40-to-26 inside the paint. Wake Forest also added 21 second-chance points off of 13 offensive rebounds.
- Individually, the Deacs were led by junior guard Elise Williams, who finished with 17 points on 7-of-14 shooting (2-of-4 from three), in addition to five rebounds, five assists and three steals. It marked her 11th game of the season with double-digit points and sixth time in ACC play, including three of the last four outings. Additionally, at home in ACC play, she averages 17.0 points per game while shooting 40-92 (43.5 percent) from the floor and 15-35 (42.9 percent) from beyond the arc.
- Williams became the fifth Demon Deacon in the HerHoopsStats era (2009-10) to record that statline (17 points, five rebounds, five assists, three steals) and first since Gina Conti on Nov. 28, 2020.
- Redshirt sophomore forward Malaya Cowles continued her strong campaign inside the Joel this season, as she added 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and tied a season-high eight rebounds, including four offensive. It was her fourth game this season with 10-or-more points and five-or-more rebounds, all of which have been at home.
Versus North Carolina
Series: North Carolina leads 68-18
Last Time: February 19, 2023
Result: L, 71-58
- The Demon Deacons came out shooting well from behind the arc and the field in the first quarter, knocking down 4-of-7 threes and shooting 54.5 percent overall from the field. This helped the Deacs take an early lead over the nationally-ranked Tar Heels.
- The contest remained tight throughout the second quarter with the teams trading leads. At the halftime break, the Tar Heels held a slim four-point lead.
- Offensively, Wake Forest was led by the eighth-consecutive double-figure game from junior guard Jewel Spear. The Colony, Texas native finished the game with 19 points including dialing up five threes.
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. 18 vs. North Carolina
UP NEXT
After the three-game homestand, the Demon Deacons are back on the road Thursday when they travel to Pitt for a midweek contest.
Tipoff in the Steel City is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. against the Panthers and 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 Basketball
Guard
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