WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — Grace Oliver scored 30 points to lead Wake Forest to a 78-66 win over Gardner-Webb in nonconference women’s basketball Monday afternoon at Joel Coliseum. The Demon Deacons improved to 11-3, while the Runnin’ Bulldogs fell to 3-11 before an announced crowd of 1,049. Oliver, a junior from Norwell, Massachusetts, added seven rebounds and four assists. Mary Carter contributed 16 points and six assists for Wake Forest, which used a 23-point third quarter to pull away after leading 35-32 at halftime. Jaelyn Acker led Gardner-Webb with 19 points. The Runnin’ Bulldogs kept pace early but could not overcome Wake Forest’s offensive surge after the break.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — Grace Oliver scored 30 points and Wake Forest used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from Gardner-Webb for a 78-66 victory in nonconference women’s basketball Monday afternoon at Joel Memorial Coliseum. The Demon Deacons, improving to 11-3, shook off a persistent Gardner-Webb squad by outscoring the Runnin’ Bulldogs 23-14 in the pivotal third period. That turned a slim 35-32 halftime lead into a more comfortable 58-46 advantage entering the final quarter. Wake Forest’s efficiency was the story, as it shot 57.7% from the field and 47.8% from 3-point range, posting an offensive rating of 114.4 points per 100 possessions. Oliver, a 6-foot-1 junior from Norwell, Massachusetts, was the catalyst, hitting 13 of her 19 field goal attempts while adding seven rebounds and four assists. Her performance set the tone for a Wake Forest offense that consistently found high-percentage shots against Gardner-Webb’s defense. Gardner-Webb, which fell to 3-11, stayed within striking distance for a half behind the scoring of Jaelyn Acker, who finished with 19 points and five assists. The Runnin’ Bulldogs forced 19 Wake Forest turnovers and connected on 11 3-pointers but were ultimately undone by their own 37.9% shooting from the field. The game’s most critical sequence came early in the third quarter. Leading by just three, Wake Forest opened the second half with a 13-4 run over the first 3:53. Oliver scored six points during the burst, including a layup off an Opal Bird assist that pushed the lead to 42-36. Mary Carter, who finished with 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists, capped the run with a 3-pointer from the wing, forcing a Gardner-Webb timeout with the Demon Deacons ahead 48-36. Gardner-Webb never got the deficit back to single digits after that. Every time the Runnin’ Bulldogs threatened, Wake Forest answered, often through Oliver in the paint or Aurora Sørbye from the perimeter. Sørbye hit five 3-pointers for all 15 of her points. The Runnin’ Bulldogs were led by Acker’s sharpshooting and 15 points from Amina Gray, but they struggled to generate consistent offense outside of the 3-point line. They were outrebounded 36-31 and managed only nine assists on 25 made baskets. Milan Brown provided a significant interior presence for Wake Forest with 10 rebounds, helping her team to a 9-2 edge in second-chance points in the second half. Bird, the freshman from Sydney, Australia, filled the stat sheet with six points, seven assists, three rebounds and a block. Gardner-Webb’s effort was typified by reserve Amira Ofunniyin, who scored 10 points in just 13 minutes, but the team’s depth could not match the firepower of Oliver and the Demon Deacons’ starting unit. Wake Forest, which entered the game as a heavy favorite according to advanced metrics, avoided a letdown after a close loss to Miami in its previous outing. The Demon Deacons now look ahead to Atlantic Coast Conference play, beginning with a trip to Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day. Gardner-Webb, continuing a difficult nonconference slate, opens Big South Conference action on New Year’s Eve at Winthrop.

Preview: Gardner-Webb at Wake Forest WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. (Interstat) — The Wake Forest women’s basketball team looks to rebound from a narrow conference loss when it hosts struggling Gardner-Webb in nonconference play Monday at Joel Coliseum. The Demon Deacons (10-3) fell 64-61 to Miami (Fla.) on Thursday, snapping a two-game win streak. Wake Forest, which has relied on a balanced attack, was led in that game by Aurora Sørbye’s 10 points and seven assists. Opal Bird added nine points and three assists. Bird, a key contributor, has averaged 5.4 points and 3.4 rebounds over her last five games. “We have to be more consistent in our execution, especially late in games,“ Wake Forest coach Jen Hoover said. “This is a final opportunity to sharpen our focus before ACC play resumes.“ Gardner-Webb (3-10) enters on a four-game losing skid, including a 59-37 defeat at East Tennessee State last Thursday. The Runnin’ Bulldogs have struggled offensively, failing to reach 60 points in eight of their 10 losses. A bright spot has been guard Amina Gray, who is coming off a 17-point performance against ETSU. Gray has scored in double figures in five of her last six games, averaging 12.3 points per contest during that stretch. “Amina has been aggressive and given us a scoring lift,“ Gardner-Webb coach Alex Simmons said. “We’ll need that and much more disciplined defense against a very good Wake Forest team.“ The Demon Deacons have dominated the paint this season, outrebounding opponents by an average of 7.2 per game. They face a Gardner-Webb squad that has been outscored by an average of 18.2 points in its losses. This marks the final nonconference tune-up for Wake Forest before it opens the new year at Pittsburgh on Jan. 1. Gardner-Webb opens Big South Conference play at Winthrop on Dec. 31. Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. EST Monday.