Jan. 14, 2000
Wake Forest (5-10, 1-3)
vs. #15 UNC (9-6, 1-4)
Sunday, January 16, 2000
LJVM Coliseum
Winston-Salem, N.C.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team faces
another ranked opponent this weekend as the Demon Deacons host No. 15 North
Carolina for a 3:00 p.m. matchup on Sunday, January 16th. Wake Forest
enters the game at 5-10 overall and 1-3 in the ACC after suffering an 82-48
loss to Duke on Thursday, while UNC is 9-6 overall and 1-4 in ACC play
after dropping its fourth straight ACC game to Georgia Tech, 55-44, on
Thursday.
Last Time Out
Missy West scored 22 points, 17 of which came in the first half, to lead
No. 11 Duke to an 82-48 win over visiting Wake Forest in Durham on Thursday
night. West hit three of her six three-pointers in the game's first 4:20
to help Duke to an early 21-6 lead. Wake Forest got as close as five
points at 23-18 on a Johanna Bjorklund layup with 6:20 left in the first
half, but the Blue Devils closed the period with a 17-2 run to take a 40-20
halftime lead. The Deacs never got closer than 18 points the rest of the
way. Duke dominated the glass, outrebounding WFU 44-22, and hit 10 of 20
three-pointers and 18 of 24 free throws. Wake went to the line just six
times in comparison, making only three foul shots. Junior guard Janae
Whiteside led WFU with 11 points, while junior forward Brenda Mock
Kirkpatrick added 10 points and six rebounds. Senior guard Alisha Mosley
added nine points and a team-high four assists.
Scouting Wake Forest
Through 15 games, WFU is averaging a league-low 58.4 points per outing
while shooting just 39 percent from the floor. No player is averaging in
double figures, but two Deacons average over nine points per game - senior
guard Alisha Mosley (9.7) and junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (9.3).
After hitting only 22 percent of their three-point attempts in the first 12
games, the Deacs have made 39 percent of their treys in the last two games
(17 of 44), averaging 5.6 threes per outing. Defensively, the Deacs have
held opponents to 64.6 points per game and a field goal percentage of .384,
but have been outrebounded by a 5.7 margin, including double-digit rebound
deficits in four of the last six games. Kirkpatrick leads the team with
7.0 boards per game. Opponents have gone to the free throw line 6.1 more
times per game than WFU.
Scouting North Carolina
North Carolina got off to a promising 9-2 start and was ranked No. 9 in the
nation before dropping four straight ACC contests over the past two weeks.
Since Y2K, the Tar Heels have fallen to No. 3 NC State (79-72), Virginia
(87-68), Clemson (60-59), and most recently to Georgia Tech (55-44). The
44 points against Tech tied a UNC school record for fewest points in a
game. The Tar Heels have played the last three games without junior point
guard Nikki Teasley, who has taken an indefinite leave of absence from the
team. Teasley was leading the ACC in assists (5.8 apg) and ranked sixth in
the conference in scoring (14.0 ppg) prior to her departure. Leading the
Heels through 15 games is junior forward (and Winston-Salem native)
LaQuanda Barksdale, who ranks as the ACC's leading scorer (18.4 ppg) and
rebounder (9.7 rpg). Junior guard Juana Brown has added 11.2 points and
6.0 rebounds per game. As a team, the Tar Heels average 74.3 points per
game but rank second to last in the ACC in scoring defense (68.2 ppg). UNC
shoots 40 percent from the floor and 34 percent from three-point range,
averaging a league-best 6.4 threes per game. They own a +0.8 rebounding
margin.
Series History
Wake Forest trails in the all-time series with North Carolina, 44-8, and
the Tar Heels have won the last 18 straight meetings between the two
schools. The Deacs' last wins over UNC came in the 1990-91 season, when
Wake swept Carolina 77-65 in Chapel Hill and 66-62 in Winston-Salem. The
series began in 1973-74, and UNC won the first 25 meetings before the Deacs
took eight of the next nine from 1987-88 to 90-91.
A QUICK LOOK AT BOTH TEAMS
| CATEGORY | WAKE FOREST | NORTH CAROLINA |
| Location | Winston-Salem, NC | Chapel Hill, NC |
| Enrollment | 3,836 | 24,189 |
| Nickname | Demon Deacons | Tar Heels |
| Colors | Old Gold & Black | Carolina Blue & White |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast | Atlantic Coast |
| Head Coach | Charlene Curtis | Sylvia Hatchell |
| Alma Mater, Year | Radford '76 | Carson-Newman '74 |
| Record at School | 17-53 (3rd yr) | 278-139 (14th yr) |
| Career Record | 179-203 (14th yr) | 550-219 (25th yr) |
| 1998-99 Record | 8-20 (3-13 ACC) | 28-8 (11-5 ACC) |
| Starters Ret/Lost | 2/3 | 3/2 |
| Letterwin Ret/Lost | 9/3 | 7/5 |
| Scoring Offense | 58.4 ppg | 74.3 ppg |
| Scoring Defense | 64.6 ppg | 68.2 ppg |
| Rebound Margin | -5.7 | +2.5 |
| FG Percentage | .388 | .400 |
| 3FG Percentage | .257 | .343 |
| FT Percentage | .671 | .694 |
Rebounding Woes
Rebounding has been a concern this season for the Deacs, who have been
outboarded by 11 of 15 opponents thus far. On the year, Wake has been
outrebounded by an average margin of 5.7, the worst in the ACC. WFU has
been outrebounded by double digits in five games this year, including four
of the last five outings. In five ACC games, the Deacs own a whopping
-12.0 rebound margin and average just 5.6 offensive rebounds per game
(while opponents have averaged 12).
Too Many Freebies
Another key to opponents' success this year has been free throw shooting -
not so much in terms of accuracy, but rather frequency. Deacon foes have
gone to the line an average of 6.1 more times per game than WFU, and ACC
opponents have been to the stripe an eye-popping 18.4 more times per game
than Wake. In 11 nonconference games, Wake shot 71 percent from the line,
compared to 55 percent in five ACC games.
Dardy Plagued by Injury
Shortly after returning from a stress fracture in her foot which caused her
to miss five games, junior forward Olivia Dardy is now plagued by a knee
injury. Dardy suffers from a recurrent patella subluxation, or a shifting
of her kneecap, in her left knee. She has yet to decide whether she will
undergo surgery now and miss the rest of the season, or if she will
cpostpone surgery until the end of the year. (and continue to play). She
is questionable for the UNC game. Dardy, the team's leading returning
scorer and rebounder (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg in 98-99), has averaged 4.3 points
and 3.4 rebounds in 12 minutes of action off the bench this year. She had
a similar problem in her right knee, which was corrected through surgery in
high school.
Mosley Climbs Career 3-Point Charts
Senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks among the top five players all-time at WFU
in three-pointers made and attempted. This season, she's hit 29 percent of
her treys (17 of 58). A look at her climb up the career charts:
3-Pt Field Goals Made in a Career
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1990-94) | 193 |
| 2. | Heidi Coleman (1994-99) | 191 |
| 3. | Sabrina Slone (1989-93) | 113 |
| 4. | Gretchen Hollifield (1992-96) | 104 |
| 5. | Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) | 100 |
3-Pt Field Goals Attempted in a Career
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1990-94) | 550 |
| 2. | Heidi Coleman (1994-99) | 527 |
| 3. | Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) | 343 |
Robinson Increases Offensive Output
Sophomore center LaChina Robinson has emerged as more of an offensive
threat for the Deacs this season after establishing herself as a defensive
force in the paint last year. Robinson earned ACC All-Freshman honors in
1998-99, averaging 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. In
15 games this year, she has netted 8.6 points per game and scored in double
figures eight times, including a 17-point performance in the win over
Florida State. Robinson is shooting 55 percent from the floor and ranks
sixth in the ACC in blocks (0.9 bpg).
Miller Time
Freshman forward Heather Miller has had two big scoring bursts in the early
season, exploding for 17 points vs. No. 13 LSU and racking up a career-high
21 points vs. Georgia Tech - the highest scoring output by a Deacon this
year. In her other 12 games, however, she's averaged just 1.3 points per
game. A USA Today High School All-American, Miller scored 2,395 points in
her high school career.
Three-Point Arsenal
Wake Forest ranked No. 1 in the ACC and No. 19 in the nation last year in
three-point shooting, averaging 6.1 threes per game and shattering the
school records for threes made (172) and attempted (502) in a season. All
but one of Wake's long-range gunners returned this year, yet the Deacs have
yet to catch fire from outside. Despite all of its outside shooting
weapons, Wake has hit just 26 percent of its threes this year (54 of 210),
averaging just 3.6 treys per game.
Wake's key three-point shooters are junior guard Janae Whiteside (26.9%),
who connected on 50 percent of her threes and averaged 5.4 treys per game
in the last seven games of 98-99, sophomore guard Val Klopfer (22.4%), who
hit 38 percent of her threes last season, and senior guard Alisha Mosley
(29.3%) ranks among the top five all-time three-point shooters at WFU (see
above). Other Deacs with three-point range include sophomore guard Adell
Harris, junior forwards Kristen Shaffer, Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick and Olivia
Dardy, freshman forward Heather Miller, and even rookie center Johanna
Bjorklund.
Whiteside Heating Up From Long-Range
The Deacs have begun to show signs of life from behind the arc in the last
three games, however, hitting 39 percent of their threes (17 of 44) and
averaging 5.7 threes per outing. A large part of that has been the recent
return of junior guard Janae Whiteside's shooting rhythm. After going 6 of
37 from the arc in the first 12 games (16.2%), Whiteside has hit 8 of 15
threes (53.3%) in the last three outings.
Mosley Strong Off the Bench
Senior guard Alisha Mosley currently ranks as the Deacs' leading scorer
despite coming off the bench in all 15 games. Mosley is averaging 9.7
points per game, having hit double figures on eight occassions. She was
fairly hot from the floor in the early season, netting double figures in
four of the first five games (11.8 ppg), but saw her scoring output slow in
the next six games (7.8 ppg). Mosley has been an offensive key again
lately, however, averaging 11.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 4.0 assists per
game in the last five games.
Kirkpatrick A Force Down Low
Junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, a team co-captain, has emerged as a
force down low for the Deacs this year. In her first year as a starter,
Kirkpatrick currently leads the Deacs in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and is second
in scoring (9.3 ppg). She has nine double-figure scoring outings and three
double-figure rebound games, including two double-doubles. Kirkpatrick has
been the team's leading rebounder in 10 games.
| Opponent | Pts | Rebs | Opponent | Pts | Rebs |
| Fairfield | 11 | *8 | LSU | 12 | *8 |
| Davidson | 1 | 3 | California | 8 | *8 |
| Arizona State | 12 | 3 | Liberty | 13 | *6 |
| Richmond | 10 | *8 | Florida State | 2 | 4 |
| NC State | 6 | *10 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 4 |
| High Point | 5 | 6 | Coastal Carolina | *15 | *13 |
| Furman | *20 | *10 | Duke | *6 | 10 |
| New Orleans | 12 | *8 |
(* denotes team highs)
Solid From The Stripe
Senior guard Alisha Mosley has been solid from the free throw line this
season, ranking third in the ACC with a 79.6 free throw percentage (39 of
49). Junior guard Janae Whiteside also averages over 80 percent from the
line (17 of 20, .850) - although she doesn't go often enough to rank among
the ACC leaders. Two other Deacs average over 75 percent from the line -
junior forward Kristen Shaffer (.765) and freshman center Johanna Bjorklund
(.800).
With the exception of two games, Wake has been quite good from the free
throw line this season. Discounting NC State (where they shot a miserable
37.5 percent from the line) and Liberty (57.1%), the Deacs have hit 71.1 of
their foul shots. (Including those two games, WFU owns a .671 free throw
percentage). However, the Deacs have gone to the line 6.1 times less than
their opponents (and 18.4 times less than ACC foes)!
Dee-Fense
Despite struggling to put points on the board, the Deacons have benefitted
>from a strong defense this year. Wake has held opponents to just 64.6
points per game and a 38.4 shooting percentage, keeping five opponents
under 60 points. As a matter of fact, 60 seems to be the magic number for
WFU: when holding an opponent to 59 points or less they are 5-0, when
opponents score 60 or more points, they are 0-10. No. 11 Duke was the
first team to score 80 points on the Deacs.
Biedrycki Leaves Team
Sophomore center Elizabeth Biedrycki recently elected to leave the Demon
Deacon women's basketball program, transferring to Division II Wingate
University at the end of the fall '99 semester. As a freshman last year,
she played just under 10 minutes per game in 27 contests, averaging 1.7
points and 0.9 rebounds per outing. She saw just 2.8 minutes per game in
five games this year, contributing six points and seven rebounds.
Shaffer's Shooting Frenzy Slows
Junior forward Kristen Shaffer was particularly hot from the floor in the
first four games, notching double figures in each and leading the team in
scoring three times. She averaged a team-best 12.3 points per game in
those first four outings, but has since netted just 5.7 points per outing
in the last 11 games. On the year, she ranks as the team's fourth-leading
scorer (7.5 ppg).
A Look at the Rookies
All three of the Deacs' rookies have seen significant action on the court
this year. Swing player Heather Miller has contributed 3.8 points and 1.7
rebounds per game in 9.3 minutes of action, including two double-figure
outings (see previous note). Athletic forward Tiffani Listenbee has played
9.8 minutes per game, averaging 1.5 points and 1.5 rebound. She netted
five points on two occasions. Center Johanna Bjorklund has averaged 9.6
minutes off the bench, averaging 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds. She has
netted eight points on two occasions.
Reaching New Heights
This season, WFU has six players on the roster who stand 6-0 or taller,
including three who top the 6-4 mark: 6-4 sophomore center LaChina
Robinson, 6-5 freshman center Johanna Bjorklund - the tallest player ever
to don a Deacon uniform - and 6-4 redshirt freshman LaTisha Pearson.
Going Deep
In each of her three years at WFU, coach Charlene Curtis has gone deep into
her bench in nearly every game. In fact, the 11 returning players this
year had seen time in 98 percent of their career games, with the five
upperclassmen missing only one game between them. Curtis has continued to
go deep into her bench this year, as 11 of 13 players average over nine
minutes per game apiece.
Oh Captain, My Captain
Redshirt junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick and junior guard Janae
Whiteside were selected as the Demon Deacons' team captains for the
1999-2000 season by a preseason vote of their teammates and coaches.
In Remembrance
The Deacs wear black armbands on their uniforms this season in remembrance
of former assistant coach Stacy Cox, who died in a car accident on Nov.
8th. Cox, 35, played under current Wake Forest head coach Charlene Curtis
at Radford, then served as an assistant coach on Curtis' staffs at Radford,
Temple and WFU (1997-99). She left the Deacs this past August to accept a
teaching and coaching position at an elementary school in New Jersey.
ACC Leaders
Through games of Jan 13th, senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks third in the
ACC in free throw percentage (.796), while sophomore center LaChina
Robinson was sixth in blocks (0.9 bpg) and junior forward Brenda Mock
Kirkpatrick is ninth in rebounds (7.0 rpg). In ACC games only, Mosley is
third in assists (4.8 apg) and Robinson fifth in blocks (1.0 bpg), while
junior guard Janae Whiteside is fourth in three-point field goal percentage
(.471) and sixth in threes per game (2.0).
ACC TEAM RANKINGS
| Category | Leader | Wake Forest |
| Scoring | Virginia (76.5) | 9th (58.4) |
| Scoring Defense | Duke (52.6) | 4th (64.6) |
| Scoring Margin | Duke (+23.7) | 9th (-6.2) |
| FG Percentage | Virginia (.460) | 8th (.388) |
| FG Pct Defense | NC State (.358) | 5th (.384) |
| 3-Pt FG Percentage | Duke (.397) | 8th (.257) |
| 3-Pt FG Per Game | North Carolina (6.4) | 7th (3.6) |
| FT Percentage | Duke (.764) | 5th (.671) |
| Blocked Shots | Clemson (3.9) | 5th (2.6) |
| Steals | Florida State (12.9) | 9th (7.3) |
| Turnover Margin | Clemson (+4.3) | 9th (-1.3) |
| Rebound Margin | Duke (+9.6) | 9th (-5.7) |
Noteable Deacon
A former Wake Forest women's basketball player appeared in Sports
Illustrated's recent issue on the 50 greatest sports figures of the century
>from each of the 50 states. Nicole Levesque, who played for the Deacs from
1990-94 and ranks as the school's all-time leading three-point shooter, was
selected as the 17th greatest athlete from Vermont. She is the only
athlete from that state to play in the WNBA. Levesque, now an assistant
coach at the University of Vermont, is also the only former Demon Deacon to
play in the WNBA.
HEAD COACH CHARLENE CURTIS
Head coach Charlene Curtis is in her third season at Wake Forest, bringing
a wealth of experience, a commitment to excellence and a drive to bring the
program to new heights. Curtis came to WFU from UConn, where she was an
assistant for two seasons and helped the Huskies to a 67-5 record, two Big
East titles and a Final Four appearance. Curtis was also 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 Big
South Coach of the Year twice and had a 121-53 record. She also served as
an assistant at Georgetown (1984), Virginia (1982-83) and with USA
Basketball, and was a floor coach for the Olympic Trials. A 1976 Radford
graduate, Curtis was the school's first 1,000-point scorer and was inducted
as a charter member of RU's Hall of Fame in 1995. She earned her master's
degree from UVa in 1982. Curtis is 17-53 at Wake Forest (.243) and 179-203
overall (.469).
ACC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
| 1. North Carolina (22) | 320 |
| 2. NC State (14) | 302 |
| 3. Virginia (2) | 260 |
| 4. Duke | 208 |
| 5. Georgia Tech | 192 |
| 6. Clemson | 166 |
| 7. Florida State | 110 |
| 8. Maryland | 88 |
| 9. Wake Forest | 64 |
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
DEACON HOOPS ON THE AIR
More fans than ever before will have the opportunity to follow Wake Forest
women's basketball this season via radio, television, and the internet. The
Wake Forest ISP Sports Network will broadcast 12 regular-season games and
all ACC Tournament games on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM in Winston-Salem, with
Tom Hart calling the play-by-play. WXII's 50,000-watt clear channel signal
reaches much of the Southeastern U.S. at night. Radio games will be
simulcast on the web at www.wakeforestsports.com.
The ACC Regional Sports Network (RSN) features live telecasts of ACC
women's hoops in the six-state ACC region. Featured games are telecast
Sunday at 12:30 pm and Monday at 7:00 pm on Home Team Sports, Fox Sports
South, and Sunshine Network. The Deacs are featured in three televised
games on the ACC Network this year.
DEMON DEACONS ON THE AIR IN 1999-2000
| Date | Opponent | Time | Radio/Internet/TV |
| 11/19 | Fairfield | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/23 | at Davidson | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/26 | Arizona State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/28 | Richmond | 3:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 12/3 | at NC State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 12/28 | California | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/3 | Florida State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/24 | at Clemson | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/31 | NC State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 2/6 | at Georgia Tech | 12:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 2/14 | Duke | 7:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 2/20 | at Maryland | 12:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 3/3-6 | ACC Tournament | TBA | WXII/Internet |
1999-2000 ROSTER
| No | Name | Ht | Cl | Pos | Hometown/High School |
| 10 | Val Klopfer* | 5-4 | So. | G | Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn |
| 11 | Alisha Mosley*** | 5-6 | Sr. | G | Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron |
| 12 | Johanna Bjorklund | 6-5 | Fr. | C | Stockholm, Sweden/Bronnkyrka Gym. |
| 14 | Heather Miller | 5-10 | Fr. | G | Bassett, VA/Bassett |
| 20 | Kristen Shaffer** | 5-10 | Jr. | G/F | Woodbridge, VA/C.D. Hylton |
| 21 | Janae Whiteside** | 5-6 | Jr. | G | Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Latin |
| 23 | Adell Harris* | 5-6 | So. | G | High Point, NC/T. Wingate Andrews |
| 24 | Tiffani Listenbee | 6-1 | Fr. | F | Clinton Township, MI/Mount Clemens |
| 32 | Olivia Dardy** | 6-1 | Jr. | F/C | Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon |
| 34 | LaChina Robinson* | 6-4 | So. | C | Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams |
| 45 | Liz Rogers* | 5-9 | So. | G/F | Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft |
| 50 | Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick** | 6-0 | r-Jr. | F | Waynesville, NC/Tuscola |
| 54 | LaTisha Pearson | 6-4 | r-Fr. | C | Birmingham, AL/Woodlawn |
* letters won
Head Coach: Charlene Curtis (Radford '76), third season
Assistant Coaches: Wray Cannaday (Salisbury State '77),
Stephanie Lawrence Yelton (North Carolina '96),
Beth Kane (Colgate '91)
