Monday, November 3
Winston-Salem, N.C.
5 p.m.
Wake Forest University
1-0,0-0ACC
71
vs
64
Radford
0-1,0-0Big South
1
2
3
4
F
Radford
8
19
17
20
64
Wake Forest
5
20
20
26
71
Photo by: Bryce Mitchell / Wake Forest Athletics
Demon Deacons Open New Season with Home Victory Over Radford
11/3/2025 8:35:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Three Demon Deacons reached double digits in their Wake Forest debut.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C – On Opening Night of the 2025-26 campaign, the Wake Forest women's basketball team defeated the Radford Highlanders 71-64, Monday evening inside the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons (1-0) were helped by the most free throw makes in the Megan Gebbia era, tallying 20 in the victory over Highlanders (0-1).
Wake Forest finished the game with 48 rebounds, marking the second-highest total in the Meg Gebbia era. The only game with a higher total came against Longwood on Dec. 15, 2022 when the Deacs pulled down 50 rebounds.
Making her debut in the Old Gold and Black, freshman guard Milan Brown opened her rookie campaign with 10 points and 12 rebounds. She was the first freshman Deac to achieve a double-double in the Gebbia era and the first known Wake Forest player to do so in this century (2000-present) in her rookie debut.
Also in her first game as a Deac, redshirt-junior guard/forward Mary Carter spearheaded the Demon Deacons with 16 points. A transfer from Cal-Poly, Carter totaled 550 points and 257 rebounds in her two seasons with the Mustangs. As a sophomore, the Rocklin, Calif.-native averaged 12.7 points ppg in her 27 appearances.
Freshman forward Opal Bird recorded her first double-figure scoring effort of her collegiate career, finishing the night with 10 points including six of the Deacs 20 free throw makes.
Sophomore forward Grace Oliver nearly had a double-double in her Wake Forest debut, posting nine points and nine rebounds.
How It Happened
Standout Stats
From Gebbia
"We found a way despite not having our best performance shooting the ball. We did it in different ways. It was a really good team effort. We only turned the ball over nine times and settled into the game more as it went on. Mary led us in scoring and was happy for Milan to get a double double with 10 and 12. The player of the game for me was Caitlyn who helped us settle the game down in the second half. Obviously some things to get better from out of this one but I am happy to get the win with such a young group." - Megan Gebbia
Up Next
The Demon Deacons are back home again on Thursday when the Deacs play host to Presbyterian at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
The Demon Deacons (1-0) were helped by the most free throw makes in the Megan Gebbia era, tallying 20 in the victory over Highlanders (0-1).
Wake Forest finished the game with 48 rebounds, marking the second-highest total in the Meg Gebbia era. The only game with a higher total came against Longwood on Dec. 15, 2022 when the Deacs pulled down 50 rebounds.
Making her debut in the Old Gold and Black, freshman guard Milan Brown opened her rookie campaign with 10 points and 12 rebounds. She was the first freshman Deac to achieve a double-double in the Gebbia era and the first known Wake Forest player to do so in this century (2000-present) in her rookie debut.
Also in her first game as a Deac, redshirt-junior guard/forward Mary Carter spearheaded the Demon Deacons with 16 points. A transfer from Cal-Poly, Carter totaled 550 points and 257 rebounds in her two seasons with the Mustangs. As a sophomore, the Rocklin, Calif.-native averaged 12.7 points ppg in her 27 appearances.
Freshman forward Opal Bird recorded her first double-figure scoring effort of her collegiate career, finishing the night with 10 points including six of the Deacs 20 free throw makes.
Sophomore forward Grace Oliver nearly had a double-double in her Wake Forest debut, posting nine points and nine rebounds.
How It Happened
- Sophomore guard Aurora Sørbye opened up scoring for the season as she went 2-for-2 at the line for the Deacs.
- Five minutes into the first quarter, freshman forward Opal Bird recorded her first points as a Demon Deacon and of her collegiate career.
- Wake Forest went on a 11-0 run to open the second quarter.
- Redshirt-junior guard/forward Mary Carter posted five points to begin the run for the Deacs.
- Additionally, Wake Forest went 6-of-10 on free throws during the run.
- In her Demon Deacon debut, freshman guard Caitlyn Jones kept the Deacs in front with a jumper in the paint, making it 20-17 with 4:36 left before half.
- With a minute remaining in the half, redshirt-junior guard Raven Preston went 2-for-2 at the line to give Wake Forest the 25-23 lead.
- Radford led 27-25 headed into the locker room.
- Freshman guard Milan Brown led the Deacs in all three offensive categories entering the half with five points, seven rebounds and two assists.
- Just 30 seconds into the half, sophomore forward Grace Oliver opened up scoring with a layup.
- Carter gave the Demon Deacons a 35-33 lead with a three-point jumper.
- With three minutes remaining in the quarter, Brown reached double digits in points and tied up the contest at 38-38.
- As the clock was running down, Oliver notched a jumper to give the Deacs the 45-44 lead to close out the third quarter.
- Jones added five points to the Demon Deacons' lead to open the final quarter.
- Bird went 2-for-2 at the line to maintain the Deac's six-point lead.
- With a rebound at the 2:54 mark, Brown reached double digits.
- This marked the first known double-double in a debut this century.
- The Baltimore, Md.-native is the first freshman to record a double-double during the Gebbia era.
- Sørbye added two from the line to give Wake Forest a 10-point lead with thirty seconds remaining in the contest.
- The Deacs went 10-for-10 at the line in the final quarter.
- The Demon Deacons closed out its first win of the 2025-26 season, 71-64.
Standout Stats
- Freshman guard Milan Brown marked the first Deac to achieve a double-double in the Gebbia era and the first known Deac to do so in this century in her rookie debut.
- She led the team with 12 rebounds while also posting 10 points while also having a team-high tying three assists in the win.
- Making her first appearance in the Old Gold and Black, redshirt-junior guard/forward Mary Carter led Wake Forest with 16 points including knocking down four threes.
- The Demon Deacons were a stellar 10-for-10 from the line in the fourth quarter, and went 11-of-12 (91.7 percentage) throughout the second half.
- The Demon Deacons converted 20 free throws, marking the most free throw makes in the Gebbia era and the most since making 21 against Florida State on Dec. 30, 2021.
- With the win, Wake Forest continued a stretch dating back to 2008 of home opener victories.
From Gebbia
"We found a way despite not having our best performance shooting the ball. We did it in different ways. It was a really good team effort. We only turned the ball over nine times and settled into the game more as it went on. Mary led us in scoring and was happy for Milan to get a double double with 10 and 12. The player of the game for me was Caitlyn who helped us settle the game down in the second half. Obviously some things to get better from out of this one but I am happy to get the win with such a young group." - Megan Gebbia
Up Next
The Demon Deacons are back home again on Thursday when the Deacs play host to Presbyterian at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. on ACC Network Extra.
Team Stats
Rad
WF
FG%
.342
.338
3FG%
.242
.241
FT%
.600
.667
RB
45
48
TO
12
9
STL
5
6
Game Leaders
Pts
16
FGM
5
3FGM
4
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
2
Pts
9
FGM
3
3FGM
0
FTM
3
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's BasketballGuard/Forward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
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