The Demon Deacons got off to a hot start as they tied the most points scored in a quarter in program history, with 33 against the Wolfpack, and knocked down a season-high 12 total three-pointers. Despite the record-setting performance, the Wake Forest women’s basketball team lost the home contest 95-77 after a second half surge from the in-state rival.
Wake Forest’s offense exploded out of the gate. Five Demon Deacons finished in double figures, led by junior Mary Carter, who posted 15 points, seven rebounds and went 3-for-5 from three-point range. Freshman guard Grace Galbavy added a career-high 11 points on a perfect 3-for-3 shooting night from deep, while sophomore Grace Oliver continued her efficient play with 14 points and five rebounds on 6-of-10 shooting. Oliver now leads the ACC in field goal percentage at .609 through 19 games, ranking among the top 10 nationally.
“Grace Galbavy came in and didn’t miss,” head coach Megan Gebbia said postgame. “I am proud of how we came out, especially coming off a long road trip to the West Coast.”
The Demon Deacons lost back-to-back games to Stanford and California, where they put up 43 and 52 points, respectively.
Wake Forest carried a 49-43 lead into halftime last Thursday, but NC State opened the second half by pulling ahead. The Demon Deacons responded with steady pressure as Oliver cut the deficit to one basket three minutes into the third quarter.
With 4:46 remaining in the period, Brown converted an and-one to keep Wake Forest within striking distance as the two teams traded momentum.
Despite the effort, the Wolfpack extended their advantage to 75-62 entering the fourth quarter. A turnaround three-pointer from Sørbye sparked a late 15-2 run for the Demon Deacons, trimming the margin to 89-77. However, the comeback attempt ultimately fell short, and the Demon Deacons were unable to close the gap.
“This is one of the best teams in the league, and we played with them for 40 minutes,” Gebbia said. “We need to keep shooting like that. Just have to clean up the glass better and continue to level up into a big one on the road on Sunday.”
