Feb. 18, 2000

Wake Forest (6-18, 2-11)
at
Maryland (13-11, 4-9)

Sunday, February 20, 12:30 pm
Cole Field House, College Park, Md.

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest women's basketball team looks to snap an eight-game losing streak this Sunday, Feb. 20th, when the Demon Deacons take on Maryland at 12:30 p.m. in College Park. WFU enters the game at 6-18 overall and 2-11 in the ACC after a heartbreaking 75-69 loss to North Carolina on Thursday night. The Terrapins enter the game at 13-11 overall and 4-9 in the league and have been off since a 66-52 loss to Florida State on Sunday.

TV/Radio Coverage
Sunday's Wake Forest-Maryland game will be televised on the ACC's Regional Sports Network, which includes Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South and the Sunshine Network. The game will also be broadcast via radio in the Winston-Salem area on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM and cybercast on the internet at www.wakeforestsports.com.

Last Time Out
Wake Forest dropped a heartbreaking 75-69 decision to North Carolina on Thursday night in Chapel Hill, narrowly missing out on a season sweep of the Tar Heels. WFU jumped to an early 11-6 lead, but UNC used a 22-4 run to go up by as many as 13 in the first half. The Heels held a 38-29 advantage at halftime, but Wake closed the gap quickly in the second half. The Deacs took a 51-50 lead with 9:05 to play on a lay-up by Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick that capped a 14-3 run. The teams exchanged the lead several times, and Wake Forest led by three with 3:11 to play after an Alisha Mosley bank shot. But UNC outscored the visitors 15-6 down the stretch, making three three-point plays in the game's final minutes.

Wake outrebounded the Tar Heels, 44-36, and shot 47 percent from the floor to UNC's 43 percent. The Deacs committed 18 turnovers, however, and hit just two three-pointers while UNC sunk seven treys. Junior forward Kristen Shaffer led Wake with a career-high 17 points, shooting 7 of 14 from the floor. Kirkpatrick and Mosley each added 15 points for the Deacs, while sophomore center LaChina Robinson grabbed a team-high nine rebounds. Junior forward LaQuanda Barksdale led UNC with 20 points before fouling out.

Scouting Wake Forest
Through 24 games, WFU is averaging a league-low 57.2 points per outing, shooting 38.3 percent from the floor. Senior guard Alisha Mosley is the only Deacon averaging in double figures (10.9 ppg), while junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick contributes 9.0 points and a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game. Despite having several returning three-point shooters on the roster, Wake has struggled all year from behind the arc, shooting just 24.9 percent. Defensively, the Deacs have held opponents to 66.2 points per game on 38.8 percent shooting. Wake has been outrebounded by a 4.7 margin, including double-digit deficits in seven of the last 14 games, and WFU's opponents have gone to the free throw line an average of 8.0 more times per game.

Scouting Maryland
Maryland (13-11, 4-9 ACC) has had a week off since its last game, a 66-52 loss to Florida State. The Terps have lost three straight contests, since their 63-62 upset of No. 12 Duke on Feb. 3rd. Through 24 games, UM is averaging 68.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting, including a 34 percent three-point shooting clip. The Terrapins have been outrebounded by a 3.1 margin, but they rank as some of the ACC's best thieves with 11.5 steals per game. UM's leading scorer is sophomore guard Marche Strickland (13.8 ppg), while senior guard Tiffany Brown (12.9 ppg) and sophomore forward Deedee Warley (11.8 ppg) also average in double figures. Sophomore forward Rosita Melbourne leads the Terps in rebounding (5.1 rpg), while freshman point guard Vicki Brick averages 4.7 assists and 3.1 steals per game.

Series History
Maryland holds a 36-9 advantage in the all-time series with Wake Forest, but the two teams have split their last four meetings. Last season, the Deacs took two of three from the Terps, winning 65-47 in College Park, losing 68-66 in Winston-Salem, and earning an 83-66 decision in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Earlier ths year, however, five Terps scored in double figures as Maryland defeated Wake Forest 73-61 at LJVM Coliseum. Deedee Warley had 18 points for the Terps, while Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick netted 18 points and 11 rebounds for WFU.

A QUICK LOOK AT BOTH TEAMS

PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP

Key Reserves

Too Many Freebies
Wake Forest's 13 ACC opponents have gone to the free throw line an average of 11.2 more times per game, resulting in 7.8 more points per outing. The win over North Carolina on Jan. 16th marked the only ACC contest in which Wake went to the stripe more times than its opponent (the Deacs were 19 of 27 while UNC was 4 of 8.) The other 12 ACC foes have gone to the line an average of 27.2 times per game to Wake's 13.4. Maryland went to the stripe a whopping 47 times on Jan. 19th, scoring nearly half its points at the free throw line (33). The problem is not so much in the quantity of fouls by WFU - the Deacs average only 3.8 more fouls per ACC game than their opponents - but rather in the quality. A large number of the fouls committed by WFU are shooting fouls, rather than fouls on the floor.

FREE THROWS IN ACC GAMES

Rebounding Woes
Rebounding has also been a serious concern this season for the Deacs, who have been outboarded by 15 of 24 opponents. On the year, Wake owns a rebound margin of -4.7, worst in the ACC. WFU has been outrebounded by double-digit margins in eight games, including seven of the last 14 outings. In ACC games, the Deacs own a -5.9 rebound margin and have given up 16.3 offensive boards per game.

Dee-Fense
Despite struggling to put points on the board, the Deacs have benefitted from a solid defense this year. Wake has held opponents to 66.2 points per game and a 38.8 shooting percentage, keeping seven opponents under 60 points and allowing only 10 teams to shoot 40 percent or better from the floor. No team has shot 50 percent or better on the Deacs this year, and Duke and NC State have been the only two teams this year to score 80 points vs. WFU.

Mosley Moves Into Starting Lineup
Senior guard Alisha Mosley, who led the Deacs in scoring from off the bench in the first 15 games, stepped up her game after moving into the starting lineup. Playing the three position in Wake's three-guard lineup, she averaged 16.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.4 steals per game in her first five starts, shooting 47 percent from the floor, 35 percent from the arc and 83 percent from the line. After scoring just six points in the next three games, she netted 15 points on 6 of 9 shooting vs. UNC. On the season, Mosley leads the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and has hit double figures on 14 occassions.

Foul Trouble Limits Robinson's Offensive Output
Sophomore center LaChina Robinson, a 1998 ACC All-Freshman pick, got off to a strong start on the year but has been limited offensively by foul trouble in recent games. Robinson averaged 9.0 points per game in the non-conference schedule, scoring in double figures in 7 of 11 games, but has averaged just 6.6 points with two double-digit games against 13 ACC foes. In three of the last six outings (Virginia, NC State and Duke), early foul trouble has limited her to less than five points and under 15 minutes of playing time.

Dardy Out for Season
Junior forward Olivia Dardy will miss the rest of the season after undergoing surgery on her left knee for recurrent patella subluxation (a shifting of the kneecap) on Feb. 10th. The team's top returning scorer and rebounder (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg in 98-99), Dardy averaged 3.9 points and 3.1 rebounds in 10 games this year. Injuries have plagued her this season, though, as she missed five games due to a stress fracture in her foot earlier in the year.

Where Did The Threes Go?
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 struggled from beyond the arc all year. Despite all of its outside shooting weapons, Wake has hit just 24.9 percent of its threes, averaging just 3.5 treys per game.

Wake's key returning three-point shooters are junior guard Janae Whiteside (24.2% this year), who hit 50 percent of her threes and averaged 5.4 treys per game in the last seven games of 98-99, sophomore guard Val Klopfer (24.7%), who shot 38 percent from the arc last season, and senior guard Alisha Mosley (30.6%), who ranks among WFU's top all-time three-point shooters (see below). 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 rookie center Johanna Bjorklund.

Increased Blockage
With a taller inside lineup this season, the Deacs have seen an improvement in their shot-blocking ability this year. Last season, the Deacs averaged 2.1 blocks per game, mostly due to then-rookie center LaChina Robinson (0.8 bpg). This year, Robinson (0.7 bpg) and freshmen Johanna Bjorklund (0.5 bpg) and Tiffani Listenbee (0.5 bpg) have combined to give the Deacs an effective "swat" team inside, as all three rank among the ACC's top 10 shot-blockers in conference games. On the season, Wake is averaging 2.8 blocks per game overall and 3.0 blocks per ACC outing.

Kirkpatrick A Force Down Low
Junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick has emerged as a force down low for the Deacs this year in her first year as a starter. Kirkpatrick leads the Deacs and ranks eighth in the ACC in rebounding (7.3 rpg) and is second on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg). She has 12 double-figure scoring outings and five double-figure rebound games, including four double-doubles, and she's been the team's leading rebounder in 15 games.

(* denotes team highs)

Trio Climbs Three-Point Charts
The Deacs currently have three players on the roster who rank among the school's top 10 all-time three-point shooters: senior Alisha Mosley, junior Janae Whiteside and sophomore Val Klopfer. Mosley also ranks among the top 10 in career free throw percentage (8th, 72.7%) and assists (10th, 210). A look at where each ranks on the three-point charts:

3-Pt Field Goals Made

3-Pt Field Goals Attempted

Solid From The Stripe
Senior guard Alisha Mosley has been outstanding from the free throw line this season, connecting on 79 percent of her free throws (64 of 81). Three other Deacs average over 80 percent from the line, although they doesn't go often enough to rank among the ACC leaders - junior guard Janae Whiteside (23 of 28, .821), sophomore guard Val Klopfer (12 of 15, .800) and freshman center Johanna Bjorklund (8 of 10, .800). Overall, the Deacs have been solid from the free throw line this season (when they've gotten there), hitting 67.2 percent. However, the Deacs are shooting just 63 percent in ACC games after knocking down 71 percent in the non-conference schedule.

A Significant Win
The Deacs' 69-56 win over No. 15 North Carolina on Jan. 16th was significant in a number of ways. It marked Wake's first win over UNC in nine years, snapping an 18-game Tar Heel winning streak that dated back to 1991. It also marked WFU's first win over an AP-ranked team since a 75-64 victory over No. 18 NC State on Feb. 25, 1996, and was the program's 14th-ever win over an AP-ranked team. The 56 points was the fewest UNC has scored against WFU since a 61-53 decision in 1988.

Miller Time
Freshman forward Heather Miller has had two big scoring bursts this season, exploding for 17 points vs. No. 13 LSU and racking up a career-high 21 points vs. Georgia Tech. She's been relatively quiet in her other 20 games, however, averaging under two points per game. A USA Today High School All-American, Miller scored 2,395 points in her high school career.

Reaching New Heights
This season, WFU has six players on the roster who stand 6-0 or taller, including three post players 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 WFU uniform - and 6-4 redshirt freshman center/forward LaTisha Pearson.

A Look at the Rookies
All four of the Deacs' rookies have seen significant action this year. Swing player Heather Miller (3.3 ppg, 1.4 rpg) has seen 7.9 minutes of action and had two double-figure scoring outings. Forward Tiffani Listenbee (1.6 ppg, 1.7 rpg, 0.5 bpg) has played 9.0 minutes per game and netted six points and six boards vs. NC State. Center Johanna Bjorklund (2.5 ppg, 2.0 rpg, 0.5 bpg) has averaged 10.9 minutes and averages 0.8 blocks per game in conference outings. Redshirt freshman center LaTisha Pearson (0.1 ppg, 1.1 rpg) has appeared in 15 games for an average of 5.0 minutes, she played a season-high 20 minutes vs. NC State.

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 10 of the 12 active players average over eight minutes per game apiece.

Shaking up the Lineup
Coach Charlene Curtis made a few changes to the Deacs' starting five for the UNC game on Feb. 17th. Freshman center Johanna Bjorklund got her first start in place of LaChina Robinson, who had been plagued by early foul trouble in recent outings. Junior forward Kristen Shaffer made a reappearance in the starting lineup, while leading scorer Alisha Mosley moved back to two-guard in place of Janae Whiteside. Regular staters Val Klopfer (point guard) and Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (power forward) rounded out the lineup.

Biedrycki Transfers
Sophomore center Elizabeth Biedrycki transferred from WFU to Division II Wingate University at the end of the fall semester. She had played 2.8 minutes per game in five games this year, tallying six points and seven rebounds.

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 head coach Charlene Curtis at Radford, then served as an assistant on Curtis' staffs at Radford, Temple and WFU (1997-99). She left the Deacons in August of '99 for a teaching and coaching position at an elementary school in New Jersey.

ACC Leaders
Through Feb 15th, senior guard Alisha Mosley ranked third in the ACC in free throw percentage (.805), while sophomore center LaChina Robinson is seventh in blocks (0.7 bpg) and junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick is eighth in rebounds (7.2 rpg). In ACC games only, Mosley is 14th in scoring (11.7 ppg) and fifth in free throw percentage (.756), while freshman center Johanna Bjorklund (0.8 bpg) is sixth, freshman forward Tiffani Listenbee (0.7 bpg) is seventh and Robinson (0.6) is ninth in blocks.

ACC STANDINGS AS OF 2/18

ACC TEAM RANKINGS AS OF 2/15

Iron Women
Senior guard Alisha Mosley has played in every single game of her collegiate career at Wake Forest, a streak which now totals 107 games over the last four years. Other "iron women" who have yet to miss a game include junior forwards Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick and Kristen Shaffer (79 straight).

Iron Women, Part II
Junior forward Kristen Shaffer, sophomore guard Val Klopfer and freshman forward Heather Miller all achieved "Gold Club" status in the Wake Forest weight room this year. To earn such a distinction, athletes must meet high standards in several strength and conditioning exercises.

Robinson's Starting Streak Snapped at 50
Sophomore center LaChina Robinson had been the only Deacon to started every game of her collegiate career - a streak of 50 straight games - until being replaced by Johanna Bjorklund vs. UNC on Feb. 17th.

Oh Captain, My Captain
Redshirt junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick and junior guard Janae Whiteside were selected as the Deacons' team captains for the 1999-2000 season by a preseason vote of their teammates and coaches.

Noteable Deac
A former Deacon 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 still ranks as the school's all-time leading three-point shooter, was selected as No. 17 from Vermont as the only athlete from the state to play in the WNBA. Levesque is now an assistant coach at the University of Vermont.

Tip-Ins
The 4,031 fans that witnessed Wake's 69-56 upset of No. 15 North Carolina on Jan. 16th marked the largest home women's basketball crowd in school history ... six different opponents this year have corralled over 20 offensive rebounds against the Deacs, while Wake has done so only three times ... no team has shot over 50 percent from the floor against WFU this year, and only 10 have topped 40 percent ... this year marked the third straight season that a Deacon freshman has posted a 20+ point performance vs. Georgia Tech - Heather Miller scored 21 vs. Tech on Jan. 6th, while LaChina Robinson netted 22 last year and Olivia Dardy collected 28 in 1997-98 ... the 11 free throws Alisha Mosley made vs. UNC were the most by a Deacon since Nicole Levesque sunk 14 (of 14) against Georgia Tech on Feb. 26, 1994 ... former Deacon Amy Privette Perko became te second women's basketball player to be inducted into the Wake Forest Sports Hall of Fame this past January.

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. Previously Curtis was an assistant at UConn for two years, helping 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 was an assistant with Georgetown (1984), Virginia (1982-83) and 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 a master's degree from UVa in 1982. Curtis is 18-61 at Wake Forest (.228) and 180-211 overall (.460).

DOUBLE-DIGIT DEACS

ACC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

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