Demon Deacons Cancel Road Test Against Syracuse

SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Wake Forest women’s basketball team (8-15, 1-11 ACC) couldn’t hold on to an early lead, falling to Syracuse (10-13, 4-8 ACC), 62-50, Sunday afternoon inside the JMA Wireless Dome. Despite leading by as much as 12 points in the second quarter, the Demon Deacons saw their advantage slip away in the final minutes of the game.

Hinds and Theuerkauf Lead the Charge

For the second-straight game, redshirt senior forward Demeara Hinds was a standout performer, finishing with a team-high 14 points on 7-of-14 shooting and grabbing six rebounds. Hinds was dominant in the first half, scoring 12 of her 14 points before halftime.

Sophomore guard Rylie Theuerkauf also had a strong game, contributing 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting, marking her 14th double-digit performance of the season. Theuerkauf added several key buckets, including a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper to give Wake Forest a 31-26 halftime lead.

Redshirt junior forward Malaya Cowles rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points and seven rebounds on an efficient 5-of-7 shooting performance.

Freshman guard Aurora Sørbye provided a spark, dishing out a career-high six assists while pulling down a career-best six rebounds.

How It Happened

First Half: Wake Forest Controls the Tempo

• Wake Forest got off to a quick start as Sørbye found Hinds for a layup less than 30 seconds into the game.
• Theuerkauf followed with her first three-pointer, helping the Deacs build momentum.
• Hinds and Theuerkauf combined for 15 of the team’s 17 first-quarter points as Wake Forest led 17-11 after the first 10 minutes.
• In the second quarter, back-to-back three-pointers from Conley extended Wake Forest’s lead to 25-13, forcing a Syracuse timeout.
• Syracuse mounted a small comeback with a 9-0 run, but Theuerkauf ended the half with a buzzer-beating jumper, sending Wake Forest into halftime with a 31-26 advantage.

Second Half: Syracuse Storms Back

• Hinds opened the second half with another layup, and Cowles added a pair of buckets to maintain Wake Forest’s lead.
• Syracuse tied the game at 39-39, but Wake Forest regained the lead with a Theuerkauf layup to close out the third quarter ahead 41-39.
• In the fourth quarter, Syracuse took its first lead at the 7:39 mark and went on an 11-0 run, building a 57-48 advantage with under a minute remaining.
• Despite a three-pointer from Andrews that briefly tied the game at 46-46, the Demon Deacons struggled to execute offensively down the stretch and couldn’t close the gap.

Standout Stats

• Wake Forest tallied 15 assists on 22 made baskets (68%), demonstrating solid ball movement.
• Freshman guard Aurora Sørbye recorded a career-high six rebounds and tied a career-high with six assists.
• Demeara Hinds reached double figures for the fourth-straight game, scoring 32 points and grabbing 19 rebounds over her last two outings.
• Senior guard Elise Williams had four steals, surpassing Lisa Stockton (1983-86) for ninth in program history in career steals (208). She is now just two steals shy of tying Cotelia Bond-Young (2003-06) for eighth place.

Coach Megan Gebbia’s Postgame Thoughts

“The frustrating thing about this one is that the same things keep beating us. It was turnovers, fouls, and some execution things down the stretch. We played well in the first half but didn’t do the things we needed to win in the second half. We fought at times but didn’t make the 50-50 plays. Hopefully, we use this one as a learning lesson because this was a game we should have won today.”

“We have a really good Duke team coming to our place on Thursday. We need some wins down the stretch to push for postseason play.”

Up Next:

Wake Forest returns home to face a tough challenge against No. 9 Duke on Thursday. With the regular season winding down, the Demon Deacons will look to bounce back and end their current losing streak with a win.

Game Summary:

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