2023 ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament: Virginia Falls To Wake Forest 68-57 (3-2-23)

By: Justice Miller

Headline Photo Credit: UVA Athletics

Wake Forest defeated Virginia 68-57 in the first round of the 2023 Ally ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, NC. 

In a game that only dressed seven Cavaliers, Virginia fought hard against a fully charged Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons lead the game by a 12+ point deficit in each quarter. Wake Forest had multiple chances to close the game early, however, the Cavaliers never stopped fighting till the very end. Virginia managed to stamp out a 21-point deficit to just 5 points with three minutes left in the game but ultimately fell in the end. 

The momentum in the first half went to Wake Forest after going on a 16-0 run capitalizing off of Virginia turnovers, who struggled with securing the ball in the 1st quarter. Then the momentum shifted to the Cavaliers at the start of the second. Going on a 6-0 run thanks to some good old-fashioned defense in the first four minutes. Before the quarter was over Wake Forest went three possessions scoreless after a great hustle play by UVA’s London Clarkson sparked a 7-0 run. Ending the 1st half 28-25 Wake Forest is in the lead. 

Despite UVA cutting the lead down to just one point at the start of the third,  Wake Forest then laid waste to their efforts going on a 21-1 run in that same quarter. UVA spent the 4th quarter fighting their way back to a six-point deficit with about 4 mins left in the game. 

Jewel Spear scored 19 points for the Demon Deacons while Elise Williams had 14. Demeara Hinds had 11 rebounds with eight points. Camryn Taylor led the Cavaliers with 19 points and eight rebounds. Alexia Smith finished with 14 points, matching her career high.