Dec. 1, 1997
Women's Hoops Faces Busy Week
The Wake Forest women's basketball team kicks off a busy week, facing three opponents in the next five-day span. First up for the Demon Deacons are the East Carolina Lady Pirates, who are looking to snap a three-game skid. The Deacs are coming off a disappointing 61-51 loss to West Virginia on Saturday.
West Virginia Tops Wake, 61-51
Christie Lambert scored 16 points, all in the first half, to lift visiting West Virginia to a 61-51 victory over Wake Forest at Joel Coliseum last Saturday. The Mountaineers used an 18-2 run midway through the first half, including 10 points by Lambert, to gain a comfortable lead over the Deacons. The Deacs trailed 35-20 at the half after shooting just 25 percent from the floor in the first period (7 of 28). Wake rallied in the second half, however, closing within four points on an Emon McMillian layup with 3:50 remaining, but could get no closer. West Virginia shot 41 percent from the floor to the Deacs' 35 percent and forced 22 Wake turnovers. WVU's Rebecca Burbridge and Talisha Hargis added 12 and 11 points for the Mountaineers, respectively, while Adrienne Beard grabbed a game-high seven rebounds. For Wake Forest, junior guard Heidi Coleman scored 13 points and sophomore guard Alisha Mosley added 11. Redshirt freshman forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick pulled down a team-best six rebounds, while rookie swing-guard Kristen Shaffer, making her first collegiate start, notched eight points, three rebounds, and three steals.
Through five games, Coleman leads the Deacs in scoring (12.2 ppg), three-pointers (12-34, .353), and steals (2.0 spg). McMillian continues to lead Wake on the boards, averaging 7.8 rebounds per outing. As a team, the Deacons are averaging 60.4 points per game to their opponents' 64.2, while the rebounding averages are even at 39.6. The Deacs are averaging 21 turnovers per game.
Scouting East Carolina (1-3)
The Lady Pirates returned just one starter from last year's 13-16 team and have struggled to a 1-3 start. After edging Hampton 59-58 in the team's season opener, ECU has dropped three straight to Virginia Tech (68-39), NC State (49-32), and UNC Charlotte (45-41). UNCC held the Pirates to just 14 first-half points on 1-for-12 shooting from the floor and forced 28 turnovers in the game. Junior center Beth Jaynes came off the bench to contribute a team-high 15 points for ECU in the loss. East Carolina is led by the frontcourt tandem of 6-5 senior center Jen Cox and 5-11 senior forward Shay Hayes, who returned to the starting lineup after a medical redshirt year. Hayes currently leads the Lady Pirates in both scoring (9.8 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg), while Cox is averaging 6.3 boards and 1.5 blocks per game. ECU has struggled to put points on the board this fall, averaging just 42.8 per game, but defensively has held its opponents to just 55 points per outing. The Pirates are shooting just 30 percent from the floor and committing over 30 turnovers per game (30.5).
Series History
The Deacons trail the all-time series with East Carolina, 3-2. Wake won the inaugural meeting in the 1974-75 season before the Pirates took three straight from 1978-82. The Deacs earned a 45-35 decision in Winston-Salem last year, as Heidi Coleman scored 13 points and Jenn Miklic grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds.
Head Coach Charlene Curtis
Charlene Curtis is in her first season at Wake Forest, bringing a wealth of coaching experience, a commitment to excellence, and a drive to bring the program to new heights. Curtis came to WFU from Connecticut, where she served as an assistant coach for two seasons and helped the Huskies to a 67-5 record, two Big East championships, and an NCAA Final Four appearance. Prior to UConn, Curtis' was the head coach at Temple (1991-95), where she compiled a 41-97 record and coached four Atlantic 10 All-Rookie players, and Radford (1985-90), where she was named Big South Coach of the Year twice and compiled a 121-53 record. Curtis was also an assistant at Georgetown (1984) and Virginia (1982-83) and has also been an assistant coach with USA Basketball and a floor coach for the Olympic Trials. A 1976 graduate of Radford, Curtis was the school's first 1,000-point scorer, a team captain, and named team MVP in 1975 and 1976. In 1995, she was inducted as a charter member of the Radford Sports Hall of Fame. She received a master's degree in secondary education administration from Virginia in 1982. Curtis is currently 2-3 at Wake Forest (.400) and 164-153 overall (.517) as a head coach.
1996-97 Recap
Expectations were high for the Demon Deacons last fall, but the season didn't live up to those high hopes. The Deacs posted a seven-game winning streak early in the year, but that early success was followed by a 12-game losing streak which sent the Deacs into a tailspin in the conference standings.
Senior center Tracy Connor led the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg), while senior forward Lindsay Seawright was the top Deac defensively, averaging 1.1 blocks plus 6.4 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore point guard Heidi Coleman started every game and finished second on the team in scoring (10.2 ppg) and first in assists (2.8 apg). She was also the team's top three-point threat, connecting on a school-record 61 of 179 (.341). In addition to the above three, the Deacon starting five featured sophomore guard Cynthia Kelley (8.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg) and freshman Alisha Mosley (7.0 ppg, 2.2 rpg), a member of the ACC's All-Rookie team.
Preseason Prognostications
The Demon Deacons were picked to finish eighth in the conference in the 1997-98 ACC Preseason Media Poll, right where they finished last year. North Carolina was the unanimous first-place choice with 153 votes, followed by Virginia (119), Duke (112), NC State (107), Clemson (83), Maryland (81), Georgia Tech (57), Wake (27), and Florida State (26).
Oh Captain, My Captain
Three players were selected to captain the 1997-98 Demon Deacon squad: senior forward Carri Walker, redshirt junior point guard Heidi Coleman, and redshirt junior forward Emon McMillian. All three will be looked to for leadership, both on the court and off.
McMillian Leads the Way Inside
With both starting post players lost to graduation, the Deacons knew they would have to rely on some new players to step up in the paint this season. Junior forward and team co-captain Emon McMillian has been the Deacs' most consistent player inside thus far, starting all five games at power forward and averaging 9.6 points and a team-high 7.8 rebounds per contest. She has scored in double figures in three games and has recorded one double-double (12 pts., 11 rebs. vs. VCU). She has also led the team in rebounding in three of five games, and her 13 boards vs. Appalachian State last Wednesday was a new career high. After missing the entire 1995-96 season with shoulder surgery, McMillian averaged 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds in just over 17 minutes of action per game as a reserve last year.
Coleman Climbs the Career Charts
Redshirt junior point guard Heidi Coleman already ranks among the top five three-point shooters in Wake Forest history with still two years of eligibility remaining. Coleman currently ranks fourth all-time in both three-pointers made and attempted, and already holds the school single-season records in both categories (she went 61 of 179 last year to set the marks). So far this season, Coleman is averaging 12.2 points per outing and has connected on 12 of her 34 three-point attempts (.353), including a phenomenal 5-of-9 performance in the first half of the App State game. She needs to make six more treys and attempt 10 more to move into third place on both all-time lists. Coleman scored 19 points against ASU and tied a career high with five steals vs. Tennessee State. She also tops the Deacs in free-throw percentage thus far, connecting on 85 percent of her shots from the line (11 of 13).
A look at Wake Forest's top five all-time three-point shooters:
3-Point Field Goals Made
1. Nicole Levesque (1990-94) 193
2. Sabrina Sloane (1989-93) 113
3. Gretchen Hollifield (1992-96) 104
4. Heidi Coleman (1994-pres) 98
5. RaeAnna Mulholland (1993-97) 65
3-Point Field Goals Attempted
1. Nicole Levesque (1990-94) 550
2. Sabrina Sloane (1989-93) 328
3. Gretchen Hollifield (1992-96) 284
4. Heidi Coleman (1994-pres) 274
5. RaeAnna Mulholland (1993-97) 202
Mosley's Buzzer-Beater Lifts Wake Over App State
Sophomore shooting guard Alisha Mosley hit a 12-foot jumper at the buzzer to lift Wake Forest over Appalachian State last week. Mosley, who has started all five games this season and is the team's second leading scorer with 9.6 ppg, got off to a strong start this season with a career-high-tying 16-points in the season opener vs. VCU. In the next few games, however, Mosley began to struggle a bit from the floor, shooting just 3 of 29 in the Deacs' two losses at the Saint Louis University tournament (.103). She's begun to shake off that cold spell, however, contributing 11 points vs. both App State (4 of 16, .250) and West Virginia (5 of 14, .357). Mosley is coming off an outstanding freshman season which saw her break into the starting lineup and earn ACC All-Rookie honors. She averaged 20.6 minutes per game in 1996-97, contributing 7.0 points per game and 8.4 points per ACC contest.
Kelley Adds a Physical Edge
Junior swing guard Cynthia Kelley brings a physical edge to the Deacon backcourt with her slashing style and tenacious defense. Kelley, who started 22 games last year and averaged 8.2 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, has picked up this season exactly where she left off. In five games thus far, Kelley has contributed 7.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest, including a 10-point performance vs. Texas-Arlington, and continues to be one of the team's top defensive players.
Walker the Deacs' Lone Senior
Senior forward Carri Walker is the Deacs' only true senior on the roster this season and serves as one of the team's three captains. Walker has been a key reserve for the Deacs at forward for three years, and has consistently been one of the first post players off the bench this season. In five games this season, Walker is averaging 3.4 points and 1.8 rebounds per contest.
Nelson Anchors the Low Post
After appearing in only 10 games over the past two years, redshirt junior center Liz Nelson has been called upon to assume a larger role in the Deacon lineup this season. Nelson has earned the starting call at center for the Deacs' first five games, providing much-needed size (6-4) in the middle. She has logged 12.2 minutes per game thus far, averaging 2.6 points and 2.8 rebounds in that time. She had her best performance of her career in the loss to Tennessee State, tallying six points and six rebounds in just 17 minutes of action. She also netted a career-best three blocks in the win over App State, despite playing just nine minutes. She currently leads the squad in blocks (1.0 bpg).
Kirkpatrick Makes the Most of Her Time
In her first season of collegiate action, redshirt freshman forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick has impressed the Demon Deacon coaches by making the most of her time on the floor. Averaging 14 minutes per game thus far, Kirkpatrick is earning more and more court time as the season goes on. She has contributed 5.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game in Wake's first five contests, including career-highs of 14 points and eight rebounds in just 22 minutes vs. Appalachian State. Kirkpatrick played a key role in the Deacs' victory over ASU, nailing a critical three-point play with just 48 seconds remaining to spark a 7-0 run and setting the screen for Alisha Mosley's game-winning basket at the buzzer. Kirkpatrick is currently shooting an impressive 56 percent from the floor (10 of 18) and has also dished off six assists (1.2 apg). A two-time honorable mention high school All-American, Kirkpatrick redshirted the 1996-97 year due to a knee injury.
Shaffer Earns the Starting Call
Freshman guard/forward Kristen Shaffer has been particulary impressive in the early season, earning the first start of her young career last weekend vs. West Virginia. Shaffer logged a career-high 31 minutes vs. the Mountaineers, contributing eight points, three rebounds, and three steals. For the season, Shaffer is contributing an average of 6.8 points and 3.0 rebounds thus far. She has scored in double figures in two of five games (10 vs. VCU, 12 vs. Tennessee State) and came up with a critical steal in the waning seconds of the App State game to set up Alisha Mosley's buzzer-beating shot. Shaffer has also been consistent from the charity stripe thus far, knocking down 80 percent (8 of 10) of her free throws.
Rookie Reserves
Two other freshman have provided solid contributions from the bench this fall. Forward Olivia Dardy has averaged 12.2 minutes per game and posted 2.8 points and 3.2 boards per appearance. She netted six points and five rebounds in her first collegiate game vs. VCU. Guard Janae Whiteside is logging 9.4 minutes per game and contributing just under a point and a rebound per appearance (0.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg). Forward Megan Anderson is still recovering from offseason knee surgery but hopes to be ready to play by January.
Helms Inspires From the Bench
Senior center Nancy Helms has hung up her playing shoes but remains one of the Demon Deacons' most inspirational team members. After struggling with recurrent knee and foot injuries throughout her career, the 6-3 Helms received a permanent medical hardship waiver last year and will finish her career from the sidelines, providing moral support to the Deacs.
Injury Report
Freshman F Megan Anderson (knee), out indefinitely.
Deacs on the Tube
Four WFU games this season will be televised on the ACC's regional sports network, broadcasting to over 14 million homes in the six-state ACC region. Regional affiliates include Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and the Sunshine Network. The following Demon Deacon games will be televised: Jan. 8 at Florida State, (7:00); Feb. 2 at Duke (7:00); Feb. 8 vs. Florida State at home (12:30); and Feb. 15 at Clemson (12:30).
