Thursday, March 7
Greensboro, N.C.
7:30 p.m.
Wake Forest University
7-25,2-16ACC
53
vs
70
Florida State
22-9,12-6ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Wake Forest
9
8
17
19
53
Florida St.
19
18
16
17
70
Demon Deacons Eliminated in Second Round of ACC Tournament
3/7/2024 11:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest advanced in the ACC Tournament for the fifth-consecutive season and were the last double-digit seed remaining for the fourth time in the last five years.
GREENSBORO, N.C. –The Wake Forest women's basketball team dropped its second-round ACC tournament clash, 70-53, to Florida State Thursday night inside Greensboro Coliseum as the 2023-24 campaign came to a close.
After advancing in the tournament for the fifth-consecutive season Wednesday night, the Demon Deacons (7-25, 2-16 ACC) were unable to complete its second 15-point comeback in as many nights. Wake Forest forced the Seminoles (22-9, 12-6 ACC) into 14 turnovers, as the Deacs finished the season forcing at least 10 turnovers in every game except for one.
The Deacs own a 7-5 record over the past five years in ACC Tournament action including three runs to the ACC Quarterfinals in 2023, 2021 and 2020.
Graduate student Alexandria Scruggs, who played in her final game as a Demon Deacon, led the team with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting, including a 2-of-2 clip from beyond the arc. She completed her final campaign averaging a career-best 7.6 points per game. The Fayettville-native ended with 923 points during her five seasons at Wake Forest and holds the program record with 149 career games played.
Fellow graduate student guard Kaia Harrison who's 145 games played ranks second in program history also notched double figures in her final appearance for the Deacs, as she tallied 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in addition to five rebounds and a pair of assists. She finished second on the team averaging 8.9 points per game and 2.8 assists per game. Of note, it marked her 14th instance of scoring 10-or-more points in a game this season.
Junior guard Elise Williams completed her stellar junior year with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and a block. Since the start of February, Williams averaged 19.1 points per game with her 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game also leading the team. Williams entered the contest ninth in the ACC in assists per game (3.7) and fifth in steals per game (2.0)
How It Happened
From Gebbia
"Obviously, it's not the way we wanted to finish the season. We fought though. We did what we did all year. We battled back, cutting it to 13 and we almost cut it to 10 there on the Elise three. We learned that foul troubles caused us problems all year. That hurt us in the first half. I'm proud of them for their effort in the second half though. We won the second half, which is really important. To come out like that after you didn't shoot the ball well in the first half shows that this is a group that constantly battles. They stayed locked in on the moment and everyone continues to do that moving forward even without these two five-year seniors here. But I am really proud of them and how they brought leadership to the team this year, they brought energy, focus. Toughness is one of the things that I take from watching them over the last two years. So obviously not our best performance today, but we look forward to this stage next year." - Megan Gebbia
Season Highlights
TRENDING IN GREENSBORO
Wake Forest has now advanced in the tournament for the fifth consecutive season with ACC Quarterfinal appearances in 2023, 2021 and 2020.
The Deacs during the Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs era own a 7-5 record over the past five years in ACC Tournament action.
It also marked the second-consecutive season the Demon Deacons overcame a deficit of at least 15 points to advance in the ACC Tournament. Last season, the Deacs came back from 18-points down against Florida State to win 65-54 on March 2, 2023.
This also marks the third consecutive year that Wake Forest has defeated Virginia in the opening round of the conference tournament.
WELCOME TO 1000
Junior guard Elise Williams made history Thursday night as she reached the 1,000-point mark for her career.
She went into the Clemson game with 983 career points, just 17 points away from becoming the 31st player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She finished the game with almost a new career-high, dropping 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
With a game-high 25 points win against Virginia, she moved from 30th to 28th in program history with 1,053 career points.
Williams will now look to move up the scoring list on Thursday night as she is eight points away Tonia Brown (2000-04) in 27th and 14 points away from Ariel Stephenson (2015-19) in 26th:
MONTH OF FEBRUARY
The dynamic backcourt duo of Elise Williams and Kate Deeble have lit it up in the month of February and have been the key components of the Deacs peaking at the right time of the season.
Williams, who is averaging 12.8 points per game over the course of the entire season, has been on a blistering pace of the course of the nine games during February:
Deeble has been one of the hottest shooters in the conference lighting it up from behind the arc and from the field throughout the entire month:
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.
Against 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.
At Georgia Tech on Feb. 25, Williams had a career-high 31-point outing, shooting a stellar 10-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. This marked the first 30-point game since Jewel Spear had 34 points in a win over Louisville on Jan. 26, 2023. Williams became just the 21st player in program history to score 30 or more points in a single game.
Thursday against Clemson, Williams notched her fifth 20-point game of the season, as the junior finished with a team-high 28 points in addition to a season-high five steals. It marked the first time in her career she recorded back-to-back 20-point games. She finished an impressive 9-of-10 from the free throw line which were both career highs.
Sunday at No. 12 NC State, the third quarter was immaculate for Williams, finishing the 10-minute period with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and added 2-of-2 free throws. It marked her highest scoring quarter of her career. Williams posted a team-high 17 points while also adding a game-high six assists and grabbing four rebounds.
Against Virginia on Wednesday, Williams finished with 25 points and went an impressive 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line in addition to a team-high nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Since the start of February, Williams is averaging 19.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. She lead the team in all three categories during that span.
During ACC play, Williams leads the team with 14.8 points per game while also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. In conference play, Williams was one of the best all-around players in the conference, ranking fifth in steals (1.9 steals/game), fifth in free throw percentage (83.8 pct.) and ninth in assists.
SHARPSHOOTERS
Last week in wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons lit up the three-point line, shooting a scorching 43.6 percent on 17-of-39 shooting. The 43.6 percent from behind the arc ranked 25th nationally for the week and was second in the ACC.
They followed that up by hitting seven more threes Thursday night and seven on Sunday, the 14th and 15th time the Deacs have had seven or more threes in four consecutive games they have done so.
Overall, the 2023-24 Wake Forest team has knocked down 204 threes this season which ranks fourth in program history:
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. 8 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country and second in the ACC. This includes 11 games against NET top-50 teams and 23 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Stanford
3. NC State
4. Tennessee
5. UCLA
5. Maryland
5. Colorado
8. Wake Forest
8. Duke
8. USC
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but seven teams that Wake Forest has played were either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 28 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE
Redshirt freshman guard Kate Deeble finished a stellar 5-of-5 (100 percent) from beyond-the-arc and 7-of-9 from the floor in addition to an assist in the Deacs win over Pitt on Thursday. Her five threes are the most by a Demon Deacon this season and most since Feb. 19, 2023. Of note, she is the first Wake Forest player in the HerHoopsStats era (2009-10) to knock down at least five three-pointers without a miss.
Her 20 points were a career-high, becoming the third player this season (Elise Williams and Madisyn Jordan) to score 20 points in a single game.
Deeble has been a catalyst on the defensive end of the floor, recording a career-high five steals against North Carolina. It helped lead the Demon Deacons to 24 turnovers, which was the most turnovers in the Courtney Banghart era and the most since the 2018-19 season when North Carolina turned it over 27 times against Auburn on Dec. 20, 2018.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles finished the night against Virginia with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one block.
Additionally, she shot a stellar 73-of-126 (57.9 percent) from the floor while inside LJVM Coliseum.
Alexandria Scruggs made her 149th appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Thursday, adding to her program-record. Additionally, Kaia Harrison moved into second place in the all-time games played list:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 149
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 145
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
Her 244 points this season are the most she has had in her career and her 7.4 points per game is the highest average of his career. She now has 923 points during her five seasons at Wake Forest.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
This season, the Deacs have assisted 402 of 694 made field goals (58.2 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and ranks in the 72nd percentile.
Last week in wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons had 34 assists over the two wins which was the highest total and the 17.0 assists per game were the highest average in the conference.
Additionally, Wake Forest had a 1.48/1 assist/turnover ratio last week which ranked 35th nationally and second in the ACC. Alexandria Scruggs helped lead in the assist/turnover ratio as her 7/1 assist/turnover ratio led the ACC and ranked 11th nationally during this past week.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced double-digit turnovers against Florida State for the 42nd time in the last 43 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 43-game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
Over the last 10 games, the Deacs are averaging 16.0 turnovers forced per game..
In total, the Deacs forced 24 turnovers against North Carolina. This was the most turnovers in the Courtney Banghart era and the most since the 2018-19 season when North Carolina turned it over 27 times against Auburn on Dec. 20, 2018. Additionally, Wake Forest forced All-ACC Deja Kelly into a career-high eight turnovers.
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 second-highest total forced in ACC play both this season and during the Gebbia era as well as tied for the third-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)
2. vs. North Carolina - 24 turnovers forced (Feb. 18, 2024)
T3. at Clemson - 20 turnovers forced (Jan. 28, 2024)
T3. 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 90-of-113 (79.6 pct.), ranking sixth in the ACC and 91st nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams averaged a career-best 82.8 percent from the stripe (96-of-116) this season, ranking fifth in percentage in the league and 81st nationally. Additionally, she is now eighth in program history in career free throw percentage:
Wake Forest saw a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.5 percent (324-of-447) this season.
Not only did the Deacs have a resurgent season at the line but one of the best in program history:
After advancing in the tournament for the fifth-consecutive season Wednesday night, the Demon Deacons (7-25, 2-16 ACC) were unable to complete its second 15-point comeback in as many nights. Wake Forest forced the Seminoles (22-9, 12-6 ACC) into 14 turnovers, as the Deacs finished the season forcing at least 10 turnovers in every game except for one.
The Deacs own a 7-5 record over the past five years in ACC Tournament action including three runs to the ACC Quarterfinals in 2023, 2021 and 2020.
Graduate student Alexandria Scruggs, who played in her final game as a Demon Deacon, led the team with 14 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting, including a 2-of-2 clip from beyond the arc. She completed her final campaign averaging a career-best 7.6 points per game. The Fayettville-native ended with 923 points during her five seasons at Wake Forest and holds the program record with 149 career games played.
Fellow graduate student guard Kaia Harrison who's 145 games played ranks second in program history also notched double figures in her final appearance for the Deacs, as she tallied 11 points on 5-of-7 shooting in addition to five rebounds and a pair of assists. She finished second on the team averaging 8.9 points per game and 2.8 assists per game. Of note, it marked her 14th instance of scoring 10-or-more points in a game this season.
Junior guard Elise Williams completed her stellar junior year with 12 points, five rebounds, four assists, one steal and a block. Since the start of February, Williams averaged 19.1 points per game with her 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game also leading the team. Williams entered the contest ninth in the ACC in assists per game (3.7) and fifth in steals per game (2.0)
How It Happened
- Florida State jumped out to a 4-0 lead, before an Alexandria Scruggs layup opened the scoring for Wake Forest.
- After a Seminole jumper, Scruggs drained a triple from the top of the key.
- Florida State responded with a 10-0 run to take a 16-5 lead.
- Kaia Harrison ended the Deacs' scoring drought as she finished a contested layup.
- After three Seminole free throws, Harrison knocked down a mid-range jumper to pull the Demon Deacons within 10.
- The Deacs trailed 19-9 after 10 minutes of action.
- Scruggs tallied five points on 2-for-2 shooting from the field in the first period.
- Elise Williams finished a contested layup on Wake Forest's first possession of the second quarter.
- The Seminoles responded with a 10-2 run.
- The two teams traded baskets for the ensuing 90 seconds, before Florida State closed the first half on a 6-0 run.
- Wake Forest faced a 37-17 deficit at the halftime break.
- Scruggs led the Deacs in the first half, tallying seven points on 3-of-4 shooting from the field.
- Defensively, Wake Forest held Florida State to just 33 percent shooting from the floor and 20 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
- The Demon Deacons went on a quick 8-3 run to open the third quarter behind baskets from Williams, Harrison and Malaya Cowles.
- A 10-5 Florida State spurt gave the Seminoles a 50-30 lead with 1:46 minutes left in the third quarter.
- The Deacs trailed, 53-34, entering the final 10 minutes of play.
- Wake Forest went on an 11-5 run to start the fourth quarter, narrowing its deficit to 13 with 5:35 minutes remaining in the contest.
- Florida State responded, scoring seven unanswered.
- The Demon Deacons were unable to cut into the deficit as the Seminoles held on for the 70-53 victory.
- Overall, Wake Forest poured in 204 three-pointers during 2023-24 season, which currently ranks fourth in program history:
| Rank | Single-Season Threes Made | Year |
| 1. | 275 | 2004-05 |
| 2. | 227 | 2022-23 |
| 3. | 215 | 2005-06 |
| 4. | 204 | 2023-24 |
| 5. | 195 | 2021-22 |
- Additionally with her 12 points in the game, Williams is 28th in program history in scoring:
| Rank | Player | Career Points |
| 22. | Beth Davis (1988-91) | 1,172 |
| 23. | Alex Sharp (2016-20) | 1,149 |
| 24. | Raeanna Mulholland (1993-97) | 1,110 |
| 25. | Sicily Ray (2008-12) | 1,099 |
| 26. | Ariel Stephenson (2015-19) | 1,079 |
| 27. | Tonia Brown (2000-04) | 1,073 |
| 28. | Elise Williams (2021-Pres.) | 1,065 |
| 29. | Erin Ferrell (2001-05) | 1,044 |
| 30. | Gina Conti (2017-21) | 1,037 |
| 31. | Barbara Buchanan (1980-84) | 1,023 |
- Wake Forest saw a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.5 percent (324-of-447) this season.
- Not only did the Deacs having a resurgent season at the line but one of the best in program history:
| Rank | Single-Season FT Percentage | Year |
| 1. | .753 (461-of-612) | 2004-05 |
| 2. | .741 (317-of-428) | 2020-21 |
| 3. | .725 (324-of-447) | 2023-24 |
| 4. | .724 (397-of-548) | 2005-06 |
| 5. | .719 (323-of-449) | 1993-94 |
| 6. | .707 (475-of-672) | 1991-92 |
| 7. | .694 (279-of-546) | 2021-22 |
| 8. | .693 (392-of-566) | 1985-86 |
| 9. | .691 (449-of-650) | 1990-91 |
| 10. | .686 (374-of-545) | 1992-93 |
From Gebbia
"Obviously, it's not the way we wanted to finish the season. We fought though. We did what we did all year. We battled back, cutting it to 13 and we almost cut it to 10 there on the Elise three. We learned that foul troubles caused us problems all year. That hurt us in the first half. I'm proud of them for their effort in the second half though. We won the second half, which is really important. To come out like that after you didn't shoot the ball well in the first half shows that this is a group that constantly battles. They stayed locked in on the moment and everyone continues to do that moving forward even without these two five-year seniors here. But I am really proud of them and how they brought leadership to the team this year, they brought energy, focus. Toughness is one of the things that I take from watching them over the last two years. So obviously not our best performance today, but we look forward to this stage next year." - Megan Gebbia
Season Highlights
TRENDING IN GREENSBORO
Wake Forest has now advanced in the tournament for the fifth consecutive season with ACC Quarterfinal appearances in 2023, 2021 and 2020.
The Deacs during the Kaia Harrison and Alexandria Scruggs era own a 7-5 record over the past five years in ACC Tournament action.
It also marked the second-consecutive season the Demon Deacons overcame a deficit of at least 15 points to advance in the ACC Tournament. Last season, the Deacs came back from 18-points down against Florida State to win 65-54 on March 2, 2023.
This also marks the third consecutive year that Wake Forest has defeated Virginia in the opening round of the conference tournament.
WELCOME TO 1000
Junior guard Elise Williams made history Thursday night as she reached the 1,000-point mark for her career.
She went into the Clemson game with 983 career points, just 17 points away from becoming the 31st player in program history to reach the 1,000-point milestone. She finished the game with almost a new career-high, dropping 28 points on 8-of-16 shooting and 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
With a game-high 25 points win against Virginia, she moved from 30th to 28th in program history with 1,053 career points.
Williams will now look to move up the scoring list on Thursday night as she is eight points away Tonia Brown (2000-04) in 27th and 14 points away from Ariel Stephenson (2015-19) in 26th:
| Rank | Player | Career Points |
| 22. | Beth Davis (1988-91) | 1,172 |
| 23. | Alex Sharp (2016-20) | 1,149 |
| 24. | Raeanna Mulholland (1993-97) | 1,110 |
| 25. | Sicily Ray (2008-12) | 1,099 |
| 26. | Ariel Stephenson (2015-19) | 1,079 |
| 27. | Tonia Brown (2000-04) | 1,073 |
| 28. | Elise Williams (2021-Pres.) | 1,065 |
| 29. | Erin Ferrell (2001-05) | 1,044 |
| 30. | Gina Conti (2017-21) | 1,037 |
| 31. | Barbara Buchanan (1980-84) | 1,023 |
MONTH OF FEBRUARY
The dynamic backcourt duo of Elise Williams and Kate Deeble have lit it up in the month of February and have been the key components of the Deacs peaking at the right time of the season.
Williams, who is averaging 12.8 points per game over the course of the entire season, has been on a blistering pace of the course of the nine games during February:
| Stat | Average/Percentage |
| Points Per Game | 18.1 PPG |
| Rebounds Per Game | 5.6 RPG |
| Steals Per Game | 2.6 SPG |
| Three-Point Percentage | 44.4 pct. |
| Free Throw Percentage | 79.5 pct. |
Deeble has been one of the hottest shooters in the conference lighting it up from behind the arc and from the field throughout the entire month:
| Stat | Average/Percentage |
| Points Per Game | 9.3 PPG |
| Field Goal Percentage | 50.0 pct. |
| Three-Point Percentage | 57.1 pct. |
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 |
Against 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.
At Georgia Tech on Feb. 25, Williams had a career-high 31-point outing, shooting a stellar 10-of-15 from the floor and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. This marked the first 30-point game since Jewel Spear had 34 points in a win over Louisville on Jan. 26, 2023. Williams became just the 21st player in program history to score 30 or more points in a single game.
Thursday against Clemson, Williams notched her fifth 20-point game of the season, as the junior finished with a team-high 28 points in addition to a season-high five steals. It marked the first time in her career she recorded back-to-back 20-point games. She finished an impressive 9-of-10 from the free throw line which were both career highs.
Sunday at No. 12 NC State, the third quarter was immaculate for Williams, finishing the 10-minute period with 15 points on 6-of-6 shooting and added 2-of-2 free throws. It marked her highest scoring quarter of her career. Williams posted a team-high 17 points while also adding a game-high six assists and grabbing four rebounds.
Against Virginia on Wednesday, Williams finished with 25 points and went an impressive 12-of-14 (85.7 percent) from the free throw line in addition to a team-high nine rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Since the start of February, Williams is averaging 19.1 points per game, 6.3 rebounds per game and 3.1 assists per game. She lead the team in all three categories during that span.
During ACC play, Williams leads the team with 14.8 points per game while also averaging 4.9 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. In conference play, Williams was one of the best all-around players in the conference, ranking fifth in steals (1.9 steals/game), fifth in free throw percentage (83.8 pct.) and ninth in assists.
SHARPSHOOTERS
Last week in wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons lit up the three-point line, shooting a scorching 43.6 percent on 17-of-39 shooting. The 43.6 percent from behind the arc ranked 25th nationally for the week and was second in the ACC.
They followed that up by hitting seven more threes Thursday night and seven on Sunday, the 14th and 15th time the Deacs have had seven or more threes in four consecutive games they have done so.
Overall, the 2023-24 Wake Forest team has knocked down 204 threes this season which ranks fourth in program history:
| Rank | Single-Season Threes Made | Year |
| 1. | 275 | 2004-05 |
| 2. | 227 | 2022-23 |
| 3. | 215 | 2005-06 |
| 4. | 204 | 2023-24 |
| 5. | 195 | 2021-22 |
| 6. | 179 | 2008-09 |
| T7. | 172 | 2009-10 |
| T7. | 172 | 1998-99 |
| T9. | 167 | 2012-13 |
| T9. | 167 | 2010-11 |
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. 8 in the Average Opponent NET Rank metric in the country and second in the ACC. This includes 11 games against NET top-50 teams and 23 teams in the NET top-100:
NCAA Average Opponent NET Rank
1. UConn
2. Stanford
3. NC State
4. Tennessee
5. UCLA
5. Maryland
5. Colorado
8. Wake Forest
8. Duke
8. USC
Additionally since the start of conference play, all but seven teams that Wake Forest has played were either ranked or receiving votes in the AP Poll.
The strong schedule has seen Wake Forest rise 28 spots overall in the NET rankings since the start of conference play.
AUSSIE, AUSSIE, AUSSIE
Redshirt freshman guard Kate Deeble finished a stellar 5-of-5 (100 percent) from beyond-the-arc and 7-of-9 from the floor in addition to an assist in the Deacs win over Pitt on Thursday. Her five threes are the most by a Demon Deacon this season and most since Feb. 19, 2023. Of note, she is the first Wake Forest player in the HerHoopsStats era (2009-10) to knock down at least five three-pointers without a miss.
Her 20 points were a career-high, becoming the third player this season (Elise Williams and Madisyn Jordan) to score 20 points in a single game.
Deeble has been a catalyst on the defensive end of the floor, recording a career-high five steals against North Carolina. It helped lead the Demon Deacons to 24 turnovers, which was the most turnovers in the Courtney Banghart era and the most since the 2018-19 season when North Carolina turned it over 27 times against Auburn on Dec. 20, 2018.
COWLES GETS IT GOING
Malaya Cowles finished the night against Virginia with four points, three rebounds, one assist and one block.
Additionally, she shot a stellar 73-of-126 (57.9 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
- 5-of-12 vs. North Carolina
- 3-of-6 vs. Clemson
Alexandria Scruggs made her 149th appearance in a Wake Forest uniform Thursday, adding to her program-record. Additionally, Kaia Harrison moved into second place in the all-time games played list:
RK Name Years Games Played
1. Alexandria Scruggs 2019-Pres. 149
2. Kaia Harrison 2019-Pres. 145
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
Her 244 points this season are the most she has had in her career and her 7.4 points per game is the highest average of his career. She now has 923 points during her five seasons at Wake Forest.
ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
This season, the Deacs have assisted 402 of 694 made field goals (58.2 percent). This matches the same percentage from last season and ranks in the 72nd percentile.
Last week in wins over Pitt and Georgia Tech, the Demon Deacons had 34 assists over the two wins which was the highest total and the 17.0 assists per game were the highest average in the conference.
Additionally, Wake Forest had a 1.48/1 assist/turnover ratio last week which ranked 35th nationally and second in the ACC. Alexandria Scruggs helped lead in the assist/turnover ratio as her 7/1 assist/turnover ratio led the ACC and ranked 11th nationally during this past week.
FORCING TURNOVERS
Defensively, the Demon Deacons forced double-digit turnovers against Florida State for the 42nd time in the last 43 games, with the lone game coming against Syracuse on Jan. 11. The 43-game stretch goes back to January of 2022.
Over the last 10 games, the Deacs are averaging 16.0 turnovers forced per game..
In total, the Deacs forced 24 turnovers against North Carolina. This was the most turnovers in the Courtney Banghart era and the most since the 2018-19 season when North Carolina turned it over 27 times against Auburn on Dec. 20, 2018. Additionally, Wake Forest forced All-ACC Deja Kelly into a career-high eight turnovers.
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 second-highest total forced in ACC play both this season and during the Gebbia era as well as tied for the third-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)
2. vs. North Carolina - 24 turnovers forced (Feb. 18, 2024)
T3. at Clemson - 20 turnovers forced (Jan. 28, 2024)
T3. 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 90-of-113 (79.6 pct.), ranking sixth in the ACC and 91st nationally in free throw percentage.
Junior Elise Williams averaged a career-best 82.8 percent from the stripe (96-of-116) this season, ranking fifth in percentage in the league and 81st nationally. Additionally, she is now eighth in program history in career free throw percentage:
| Rank | Player | Career 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. | Elise Williams (2021-Present) | .773 |
| 9. | Ivana Raca (2017-21) | .765 |
| 10. | Amber Campbell (2014-18) | .755 |
Wake Forest saw a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) last season to 72.5 percent (324-of-447) this season.
Not only did the Deacs have a resurgent season at the line but one of the best in program history:
| Rank | Single-Season FT Percentage | Year |
| 1. | .753 (461-of-612) | 2004-05 |
| 2. | .741 (317-of-428) | 2020-21 |
| 3. | .725 (324-of-447) | 2023-24 |
| 4. | .724 (397-of-548) | 2005-06 |
| 5. | .719 (323-of-449) | 1993-94 |
| 6. | .707 (475-of-672) | 1991-92 |
| 7. | .694 (279-of-546) | 2021-22 |
| 8. | .693 (392-of-566) | 1985-86 |
| 9. | .691 (449-of-650) | 1990-91 |
| 10. | .686 (374-of-545) | 1992-93 |
Team Stats
WF
FSU
FG%
.333
.404
3FG%
.280
.176
FT%
.444
.840
RB
33
46
TO
13
14
STL
7
8
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
14
FGM
6
3FGM
2
FTM
0
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
11
FGM
5
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
6
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's BasketballCoach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Sept. 22, 2025)
Monday, September 22
Wake Forest Football Head Coach Jake Dickert Press Conference (Week 5)
Monday, September 22
Football Media Availability (9/18/25)
Thursday, September 18
Matt Barrie SportsCenter at Wake Forest with Demond Claiborne
Wednesday, September 10