NC State women's basketball scouting report: Wake Forest
After losing its past two ACC matchups and falling to 6-6 in the league, NC State hits the road again Thursday looking to begin building positive momentum against Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons host the Wolfpack standing 14-10 on the year and 5-8 in the ACC, most recently defeating Clemson in overtime.
NC State come into the matchup 16-7 and .500 in conference play and sit just two spots above Wake Forest in the conference standings. This will be the first matchup between the two programs this year. Head coach Megan Gebbia leads the Demon Deacons in her first year with the program after coaching American from 2013 to 2022.
Tip off is scheduled for 8 p.m. EST in Winston-Salem, and the game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
Three Wake Forest players to watch
1) Jewel Spear
Jewel Spear is one of the ACC’s elite scorers, averaging 16.2 points per game this year, and NC State will need to slow her down to return home with a win. In Wake’s last outing against Clemson, the junior guard scored 29 points and hit 6 threes. She scored a season-high 34 points against Louisville Jan. 26. Spear shoots 36.5 percent from three, the third-best mark in the conference, so the Wolfpack will have to limit her perimeter opportunities as well.
2) Elise Williams
Elise Williams, a 5-9 sophomore guard from Raleigh, is the team’s second-leading scorer and leads the program in assists at 3.3 per game. She has been a reliable scoring presence all year for Wake Forest, especially in conference play, finishing each of her past 11 games with at least 8 points. Defensively, she also contributes 1.6 steals per game.
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3) Olivia Summiel
Olivia Summiel is a 6-2 senior forward who ranks second on the team in rebounds per game with 6.3, while also tying Spear for Wake Forest’s top shooting percentage from three at 36.5 percent. She also records 2 assists and 1.5 blocks per game, so she might be the most versatile athlete on the program’s roster.
Two storylines that could impact the game
1) Wake Forest is the worst scoring team in the ACC
The Demon Deacons average a dismal 60 points per game, ranking last in the conference. NC State scores 73.1 points per game, the No. 6 average in the ACC. With that said, the Wolfpack is down to 66.6 points in conference play but, despite its recent struggles, NC State continues to play sound defense and should be able to limit Wake Forest on the perimeter. The Demon Deacons are third in the conference in made three-point field goals despite its low scoring average, so that will likely be a defensive focus for the Pack.
2) The Demon Deacons hold an elite record at home
Despite its sub-.500 ACC record, Wake Forest is 11-1 at home this year. It is worth noting that the program has only played one ranked team in its home arena, a 60-50 loss to Duke. The Deacons have won three-consecutive home conference clashes, defeating Louisville, Miami and Clemson. NC is 4-4 on the road this season and lost its most recent away matchup to Georgia Tech one week ago.
One prediction: NC State 65, Wake Forest 59
NC State has won eight-consecutive matchups against Wake Forest, with the last defeat coming in Raleigh in 2017. The Demon Deacons hold opponents to 58.8 points per game, but the Wolfpack has taken a step forward offensively behind a recent hot streak from Diamond Johnson, who is now averaging 13.6 points per game this year. Thursday’s matchup will be an intense defensive battle, but the Pack should prevail and snap its losing streak.
