WINSTON-SALEM, N.C – On Opening Night of the 2025-26 marketing campaign, the Wake Forest ladies’s basketball staff defeated the Radford Highlanders 71-64, Monday night contained in the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons (1-0) have been helped by essentially the most free throw makes within the
Megan Gebbia period, tallying 20 within the victory over Highlanders (0-1).
Wake Forest completed the sport with 48 rebounds, marking the second-highest complete within the Meg Gebbia period. The solely sport with a better complete got here towards Longwood on Dec. 15, 2022 when the Deacs pulled down 50 rebounds.
Making her debut within the Old Gold and Black, freshman guard
Milan Brown opened her rookie marketing campaign with 10 factors and 12 rebounds. She was the primary freshman Deac to attain a double-double within the Gebbia period and the primary identified Wake Forest participant to take action on this century (2000-present) in her rookie debut.
Also in her first sport as a Deac, redshirt-junior guard/ahead
Mary Carter spearheaded the Demon Deacons with 16 factors. A switch from Cal-Poly, Carter totaled 550 factors and 257 rebounds in her two seasons with the Mustangs. As a sophomore, the Rocklin, Calif.-native averaged 12.7 factors ppg in her 27 appearances.
Freshman ahead
Opal Bird recorded her first double-figure scoring effort of her collegiate profession, ending the night time with 10 factors together with six of the Deacs 20 free throw makes.
Sophomore ahead
Grace Oliver almost had a double-double in her Wake Forest debut, posting 9 factors and 9 rebounds.
How It Happened - Sophomore guard Aurora Sørbye opened up scoring for the season as she went 2-for-2 on the line for the Deacs.
- Five minutes into the primary quarter, freshman ahead Opal Bird recorded her first factors as a Demon Deacon and of her collegiate profession.
- Wake Forest went on a 11-0 run to open the second quarter.
- Redshirt-junior guard/ahead Mary Carter posted 5 factors to start the run for the Deacs.
- Additionally, Wake Forest went 6-of-10 on free throws in the course of the run.
- In her Demon Deacon debut, freshman guard Caitlyn Jones saved the Deacs in entrance with a jumper within the paint, making it 20-17 with 4:36 left earlier than half.
- With a minute remaining within the half, redshirt-junior guard Raven Preston went 2-for-2 on the line to provide Wake Forest the 25-23 lead.
- Radford led 27-25 headed into the locker room.
- Freshman guard Milan Brown led the Deacs in all three offensive classes coming into the half with 5 factors, seven rebounds and two assists.
- Just 30 seconds into the half, sophomore ahead Grace Oliver opened up scoring with a layup.
- Carter gave the Demon Deacons a 35-33 lead with a three-point jumper.
- With three minutes remaining within the quarter, Brown reached double digits in factors and tied up the competition at 38-38.
- As the clock was working down, Oliver notched a jumper to provide the Deacs the 45-44 result in shut out the third quarter.
- Jones added 5 factors to the Demon Deacons’ result in open the ultimate quarter.
- Bird went 2-for-2 on the line to keep up the Deac’s six-point lead.
- With a rebound on the 2:54 mark, Brown reached double digits.
- This marked the primary identified double-double in a debut this century.
- The Baltimore, Md.-native is the primary freshman to document a double-double in the course of the Gebbia period.
- Sørbye added two from the road to provide Wake Forest a 10-point lead with thirty seconds remaining within the contest.
- The Deacs went 10-for-10 on the line within the ultimate quarter.
- The Demon Deacons closed out its first win of the 2025-26 season, 71-64.
Standout Stats
- Freshman guard Milan Brown marked the primary Deac to attain a double-double within the Gebbia period and the primary identified Deac to take action on this century in her rookie debut.
- She led the staff with 12 rebounds whereas additionally posting 10 factors whereas additionally having a team-high tying three assists within the win.
- Making her first look within the Old Gold and Black, redshirt-junior guard/ahead Mary Carter led Wake Forest with 16 factors together with flattening 4 threes.
- The Demon Deacons have been a stellar 10-for-10 from the road within the fourth quarter, and went 11-of-12 (91.7 share) all through the second half.
- The Demon Deacons transformed 20 free throws, marking essentially the most free throw makes within the Gebbia period and essentially the most since making 21 towards Florida State on Dec. 30, 2021.
- With the win, Wake Forest continued a stretch relationship again to 2008 of residence opener victories.
From Gebbia
“We found a way despite not having our best performance shooting the ball. We did it in different ways. It was a really good team effort. We only turned the ball over nine times and settled into the game more as it went on. Mary led us in scoring and was happy for Milan to get a double double with 10 and 12. The player of the game for me was Caitlyn who helped us settle the game down in the second half. Obviously some things to get better from out of this one but I am happy to get the win with such a young group.” – Megan Gebbia
Up Next
The Demon Deacons are again residence once more on Thursday when the Deacs play host to Presbyterian at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Tipoff is scheduled for six p.m. on ACC Network Extra.