Notre Dame women’s basketball’s Malaya Cowles returns to her home state to face her former team when the Irish travel to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to do battle against Wake Forest Thursday. It’s a homecoming for the grad student, and she hopes to be victorious in it, while the Irish (16-9, 8-6 ACC) look to win their fourth game of the last five.
The Demon Deacons (13-13, 3-11) have never beaten Notre Dame, and the latter won by 36 when the two sides faced off last season. In that game, Cowles dropped a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double for Wake Forest while Hannah Hidalgo scored 23 points and swiped six steals for the Irish.
Notre Dame has not done well on the road this season, going 3-7 away from South Bend, and a loss against the Demon Deacons would be one of the biggest upsets of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) season. Follow along below for live coverage throughout the night.
Notre Dame women’s basketball vs Wake Forest live updates
Wake Forest shows life early in the 4th
After the Irish went 4-0 to start the final quarter of regulation, the Demon Deacons responded with an 8-0 run in just 1:08. With 7:40 left in the fourth quarter, Notre Dame still leads Wake Forest 60-43.
Irish up big after 3
While Notre Dame’s lead grew to as much as 27 points with 1:48 left in the third quarter, it holds a 56-35 advantage over Wake Forest heading into the fourth. Junior Kelly Ratigan was subbed in for the Irish with 2:10 left in the third period, the first time the South Bend native has seen the floor since playing one minute Jan. 19 vs. UConn.
Notre Dame rolling late in the 3rd
The Irish are on a 10-0 run within the past 2:44 and a 14-3 run over the last 4:16 to lead Wake Forest 51-27 with 3:32 left in the third quarter. Junior Hannah Hidalgo is up to 20 points and senior KK Bransford is at 10.
Irish grab 20-point lead in the 3rd
Thanks to a 12-4 start to the third quarter, Notre Dame leads Wake Forest 47-27. With 4:53 left in the period, four Irish players have scored so far.
Notre Dame has a rare lead on the glass, outrebounding the Demon Deacons 26-20 so far. However, the Irish need to be careful as grad students Malaya Cowles and Iyana Moore are playing with three fouls while senior Cass Prosper and junior Hannah Hidalgo have two.
Notre Dame closes out 1st half strong
After being knotted up with Wake Forest at 8-8 with 4:30 left in the second quarter, the Irish finished the period with an 11-5 advantage. During that stretch, Notre Dame hit three 3-pointers, including Hidalgo making her third of the game so far.
At halftime, the Irish lead the Demon Deacons 35-23. Hidalgo has 16 points, and her three buckets from beyond the arc is already just one away from tying her season high.
Irish struggling in the 2nd
With 4:30 left in the second quarter, Notre Dame is shooting just 2-for-8 in the period. Although the Irish lead Wake Forest 24-17, the Demon Deacons have kept pace with their opponent 8-8 in the second.
Hidalgo is the only Notre Dame player to score in the period, dropping eight of her 13 points within the past five and a half minutes.
Notre Dame leads after sloppy 1st quarter
The Irish have turned the ball over seven times while the Demon Deacons have done so six times. Nonetheless, Notre Dame leads Wake Forest 16-9 thanks to a 10-0 fast break scoring advantage.
The Demon Deacons are shooting a measly 29% from the field.
Hot start for the Irish
Four of Notre Dame’s five starters have scored before even three minutes have run off the clock, and the Irish have a 10-0 lead over Wake Forest with 7:11 left in the first quarter. Hidalgo and Moore already have a 3-pointer each.
Notre Dame vs. Wake Forest Starters
Irish:
Demon Deacons:
What channel is Notre Dame women’s basketball vs Wake Forest on today?
The Irish’s tilt against the Demon Deacons is not on a television channel, but rather on ACC Network Extra, a streaming service provided by any subscription or cable package that also has the ACC Network. This may include ESPN+, Hulu+ Live TV, Sling TV, Fubo and more.
Notre Dame women’s basketball vs Wake Forest game details
The Demon Deacons host the Irish Thursday, February 19 at 6 p.m. ET at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Notre Dame is 7-0 when visiting Wake Forest.
Notre Dame women’s basketball remaining schedule
Here is a look at the Irish’s final three games of the 2025-26 regular season.
Wake Forest’s remaining schedule
Here is a look at the Demon Deacons final three games of the 2025-26 regular season.
Kyle Smedley is a sports reporter at the South Bend Tribune. Contact him via email at ksmedley@usatodayco.com or follow him on X @KyleMSmedley.
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame women’s basketball vs Wake Forest live updates, score
Reporting by Kyle Smedley, South Bend Tribune / South Bend Tribune
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
