Sunday, March 2
Winston-Salem, N.C.
2 p.m.

Wake Forest University

63
vs
79

Pitt

Elise Williams

Demon Deacons End Season with Defeat to Pitt

3/2/2025 5:27:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Senior guard Elise Williams finished her career 12th on the all-time Wake Forest scoring list.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C – In the final game of the 2024-25 campaign, the Wake Forest women's basketball team dropped a home contest to Pitt, 79-63, Sunday afternoon inside the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Demon Deacons (9-20, 2-16 ACC) forced the Panthers (13-18, 5-13 ACC) into 21 turnovers, the eighth time this season Wake Forest forced 20-or-more in a single game. Additionally, the Deacs forced double-digit turnovers in all but three games this campaign.

Individually, sophomore guard Rylie Theuerkauf led the team with 23 points on 6-of-13 from the floor with a pair of threes. She also went a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe Sunday afternoon, which helped the team finish above 80 percent from the line for the 11th time this season.

Theuerkauf finished the year with a team-best 12.0 points per-game, reaching double-figures in 19 of her 29 outings with four 20-point games.

Senior guard Elise Williams finished her career 12th in program history with 1,348 points after dropping 15 against the Panthers in addition to a team-high six assists and four steals. 

Recently, she became just the second player in program history to record over 1,250 career points, over 500 career rebounds, over 300 career assists and over 200 career steals. The only other Demon Deacon to do this was Amy Privette (1983-87).

Before the game. Alyssa Andrews, Raegyn Conley, Malaya Cowles, Tamia Jones, Elise Williams and Demeara Hinds were honored in our Senior & Graduates Day ceremony for their contributions to the program.

This group accounted for 557 combined games played, 290 combined starts, 3,413 combined points, 2,007 combined rebounds, 754 combined assists and 11,512 combined minutes played in their Wake Forest careers.

How It Happened 
  • Pitt got on the board first, but Cowles answered right away with a hookshot off of an assist from Williams at the 8:42 mark.
    • The senior added two more a few possessions later and tied the game at 4-4.
  • It was a defensive battle early on, as Pitt led 7-4 at the first media timeout with 4:24 to go in the first quarter.
  • Williams opened her account for the afternoon with a tough driving layup followed by a three pointer as Wake Forest began to cut into the deficit.
  • Theuerkauf knocked down a pair of free throws and Willaims scored on a fast break as the Deacs ended the first quarter on a 9-0 run.
    • Wake Forest trailed after the first 10 minutes, 18-13.
  • After Pitt extended its lead to double digits, Hinds ended the run off a feed from Williams with 6:26 left before halftime.
  • The Demon Deacons continued to cut into the lead as a Conley three from the top of the key trimmed the deficit down to just six points.
  • The Demon Deacons trailed 37-29 at the half.
    • Williams led the way for Wake Forest with nine points in the opening 20 minutes of the game while also having three assists and three rebounds.
    • Despite battling foul trouble at the end of the second quarter, Theuerkauf added seven points.
    • Hinds pulled down six rebounds and tallied four points.
    • The Deacs 14 turnovers forced in the first half led to 14 points on the other end of the floor.
  • Hinds opened the scoring in the second half with a layup off a dish from Cowles.
  • Williams reached double-digit points on the day with a jumper at the 3:19 mark in the third.
  • Conley connected from deep before the end of the third.
  • Wake Forest trailed 60-39 headed into the final quarter of play.
  • With seven minutes to go, Theuerkauf became the second Deac to reach double-figures as she finished and converted a tough and-one opportunity.
  • Theuerkauf and Williams made layups on back-to-back possessions just before the final media timeout.
  • As time was winding down, Theuerkauf went on a personal 7-0 run, including a three pointer at the 2:53 mark.
  • The Demon Deacons fell to the Panthers, 79-63.
Standout Stats
  • Rylie Theuerkauf led the team with 23 points on 6-of-13 from the floor with a pair of threes
    • She was a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.
    • Theuerkauf finished the year with a team-best 12.0 points per-game, reaching double-figures in 19 of her 29 outings with four 20-point games.
  • Senior guard Elise Williams finished her career 12th in program history with 1,348 points after dropping 15 against the Panthers in addition to a team-high six assists and four steals. 
    • Recently, she became just the second player in program history to record over 1,250 career points, over 500 career rebounds, over 300 career assists and over 200 career steals. The only other Demon Deacon to do this was Amy Privette (1983-87).
From Gebbia 
"It's hard to put into words how this ending feels, but I want to say that I appreciate this senior class incredibly. They stayed and fought their entire careers. Good or bad, it didn't matter. They never stopped fighting. For me, that means a lot. This class is always welcome back here. I want them to come back and see how the program progresses throughout the years and be proud of Wake Forest and their degree from this great university." - Megan Gebbia

Season Highlights


SENIOR TOTALS
Alyssa Andrews, Raegyn Conley, Malaya Cowles, Tamia Jones, Elise Williams and Demeara Hinds were honored in our Senior & Graduates Day ceremony prior to the game.

This group has accounted for 557 combined games played, 290 combined starts, 3,413 combined points, 2,007 combined rebounds, 754 combined assists and 11,512 combined minutes played in their Wake Forest careers.

RYLIE RAISES HER GAME
For the 11 of the last 12 games, sophomore guard Rylie Theuerkauf reached double figures scoring and she has done so 19 times overall this season.

For three consecutive games between North Carolina and NC State, Theuerkauf set a new career-highs in scoring including finishing with 25 points against No. 17 NC State Wolfpack.

25 points is the most in a game by a Demon Deacon since Williams had 31 at Georgia Tech last season on Feb. 25, 2024. It marked her 12th game of the season with double-digit, fifth with at least 15 and second-consecutive with at least 20.

She tied her previous career high (21) with seven minutes remaining in the first half. She opened the game 8-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-3 from deep.

Theuerkauf reached double figures with 20 points against the nationally-ranked Yellowjackets on 9-of-16 shooting including a pair of threes.

She recorded 183 points over the last 11 games (16.6/game) and averaged a team-high 12.0 points this season.

ELISE DOES IT ALL
Senior guard Elise Williams reached 500 career rebounds with four against nationally-ranked NC State on Thursday night.

She became just the second player in program history to record over 1,250 career points, over 500 career rebounds, over 300 career assists and over 200 career steals. The only other Demon Deacon to do this was Amy Privette (1983-87).

1K CLUB
Williams reached 1,000 points in the regular season home finale against Clemson last season. She entered the 2024-25 season ranked 28th in program history in scoring with 1,065 in 99 career games. Williams added to that total, scoring 283 points this season.

Williams finishes her career with 1,348 career points which ranks 12th in program history:
Rank Player Career Points
7. Cotelia Bond-Young (2002-06) 1,507
8. Amber Campbell (2014-18) 1,489
9. Ivana Raca (2017-21) 1,482
10. Jewel Spear (2020-23) 1,385
11. Liz Strunk (2002-06) 1,352
12. Elise Williams (2021-25) 1,348
13. Lisa Stockton (1982-86) 1,347
14. Jane Jackson (1977-80) 1,342
15. Lakevia Boykin (2009-13) 1,309
16. Elisa Penna (2015-19) 1,269
HOME COOKING WITH COWLES 
Malaya Cowles, who led the team in shooting percentage during the 2023-24 season shot a stellar 73-of-126 (57.9 percent) from the floor while inside LJVM Coliseum.

She had similar success this season, shooting 48.5 percent overall at LJVM Coliseum (49-of-101 FG) including shooting 77.8 percent from the field against Queens (7-of-9 FG), 87.5 percent from the field against Gardner-Webb (7-of-8) and 88.9 percent from the field against Campbell (8-of-9).

In addition to shooting a great percentage at home this season, Cowles shooting percentage is at a historic rate for the season as a whole, ranking ninth in program history as she made 56.4 percent of her shots over the course of the season.
 
Rank Player Season FG Pct.
1. Lisa Dodd (1987-88) .647
2. Ona Udoh (2020-21) .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. Malaya Cowles (2024-25) .564
10. Alice Neal (1986-87) .563
Additionally, Cowles career shooting percentage of 55.0 percent is on pace to have her rank third in program history by the end of her career.

ASSISTS ON MADE BASKETS
The Deacs did an excellent job of moving the ball this season, as they assisted on 394 of 667 made baskets this season (59.1 pct.). This was the highest assist percentage in the Gebbia era and the assist percentage ranks in the top 70 percent in the nation according to HerHoopStats.

Wake Forest assisted on 21 of its 27 made baskets (78 percent) against Louisville. This marked the most assists for Wake Forest since they recorded 24 against Saint Louis on Nov. 20, 2023.

Additionally, the 21 assists marked the most this season by the Deacs and most against an ACC opponent since Jan. 19, 2017 in an 80-77 victory over North Carolina. It was the third time this season Wake Forest logged at least 20 assists, with the first two coming against Winthrop and Gardner-Webb (both 20).

Last season, the Deacs assisted 404 of 694 made field goals (58.2 percent). 

Senior guard Elise Williams entered the top 10 in career assists earlier this season and finishes her career ranked eighth in program history:
Rank Player Career Assists
1. Brooke Thomas (2008-12) 513
2. Gina Conti (2017-21) 494
3. Nicole Levesque (1991-94) 488
4. Cotelia Bond-Young (2003-06) 462
5. Gretchen Hollifield (1993-96) 453
6. Amy Privette (1984-87) 424
7. Cathy Wille (1987-90) 396
8. Elise Williams (2021-25) 391
9. Chelsea Douglas (2010-14) 360
10. Liz Strunk (2003-06) 340
FORCING TURNOVERS
Forcing the Panthers into 21 turnovers on Sunday, led to 18 points off turnovers in the game. The Deacs have forced 10 or more takeaways 67 times in the last 71 games. The 71-game stretch goes back to January of 2022. 

This season, Wake Forest totaled 257 steals including 11 on Sunday. The Demon Deacons steal numbers ended the year ranking inside of the top 100 nationally.

The 28 turnovers forced against Cal was the most forced in a single-game this season for the Deacs. Additionally, it was the second-highest turnover game of the season for the nationally-ranked Bears. The only game where they had more turnovers came on Thursday at No. 14 Duke when Cal turned it over 31 times. This marked the sixth time this season that Wake Forest forced 20-or-more turnovers.

The Deacs forced 21 turnovers against Louisville. This marked the fifth time this season that Wake Forest forced 20-or-more turnovers and the second-consecutive game doing so. The 56-game stretch goes back to January of 2022. 21 turnovers ties the most in a game this season for Louisville, with the other instance coming against UT Martin on Nov. 12. Wake Forest added 26 points off turnovers against the Cardinals.

Against Virginia, Wake Forest forced 20 turnovers, marking the fourth time this season the Deacs have had 20 or more turnovers forced. In total, the Deacs forced 20 turnovers against George Mason, the third time this season that the Deacs have forced 20 or more turnovers. The five games with 20-plus turnovers forced is now more the total number of games last season when the Deacs finished with four such games.

In total, the Deacs forced 24 turnovers against the 49ers, the second time this season that the Deacs have forced 20 or more turnovers. This marks just the second time since 2018-19 that the Demon Deacons have forced 20 or more turnovers in back-to-back games.

The Deacs forced 26 turnovers against the Royals to open the season on Nov. 4, the most in a game since the victory over BYU on Nov. 18, 2023. It resulted in 39 points on the offensive end of the floor.

In total, the Deacs forced 20 turnovers four times over the course of the 2023-24 season which were also the four highest turnover forced games in the Megan Gebbia era:
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)

FROM THE LINE
The Demon Deacons shot at least 70 percent or from the line in 17 of the 29 games of the 2024-25 season, including doing so in six of the last seven games.

The Demon Deacons finished 17-of-23 (73.9 percent) from the line against the Wolfpack on Thursday night, tied for the second-most makes in a game this season, trailing just an 18 free throw make effort in a win over SMU earlier in February.

A key to the Demon Deacons success this season has been the massive improvement at the line from Demeara Hinds. She came into the season shooting just 37.3 percent from the stripe (38-of-102 FT) for her career and this season is nearly 30 percent better at the line, knocking down 62.9 percent (66-of-105 FT).

Elise Williams averaged a career-best 82.8 percent from the stripe (96-of-116) in 2023-24. Additionally, she finishes her career ranking seventh in program history in career free throw percentage with the help of going 49-of-59 (83.1 pct.) from the line this season:
 
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. Elise Williams (2021-25) .782
8. Porsche' Jones (2004-06) .778
9. Ivana Raca (2017-21) .765
10. Amber Campbell (2014-18) .755
Last season, Wake Forest saw a massive uptick in free throw shooting percentage, going from 66.0 percent (343-of-520) in 2022-23 to 73.1 percent (324-of-447) in 2023-24.

Not only did the Deacs have a resurgent season at the line last season but one of the best in program history. This year has been no different with the Deacs having the sixth-best free throw percentage 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. .710 (294-of-414) 2024-25
7. .707 (475-of-672) 1991-92
8. .694 (279-of-546) 2021-22
9. .693 (392-of-566) 1985-86
10. .691 (449-of-650) 1990-91
SHARPSHOOTERS
The Deacs finished the 2024-25 season, knocking down 159 threes (5.5 3FGM per game). This included seven games with eight or more threes made. 

Through the first three seasons under Megan Gebbia, the Demon Deacons have hit 590 threes in 95 games under her direction (6.2 3FGM per game)

This includes her first two seasons which both rank in the top five 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
Against Stanford, senior guard Elise Williams entered the top 10 in program history in threes made and finished her career seventh in program history:
 
Rank Player Career Threes
1. Cotelia Bond Young (2003-06) 267
2. Chelsea Douglas (2010-14) 257
3. Jewel Spear (2020-23) 241
4. Nicole Levesque (1991-94) 193
5. Heidi Coleman (1995-99) 191
6. Lakevia Boykin (2009-13) 167
7. Elise Williams (2021-25) 150
T8. Tonia Brown (2001-04) 142
T8. Ariel Stephenson (2015-19) 142
10. Liz Strunk (2003-06) 141
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