Dec. 16, 1999

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest women's basketball team, fresh off a 74-43 blowout of High Point, hits the road for a three-game swing through the Southeast this week. The Demon Deacons (2-4) first travel to Greenville, S.C., to take on Furman on Friday, Dec. 17th at 7:00 pm, then head to Louisiana for games at New Orleans (Dec. 19 at 4:00 pm CDT) and LSU (Dec. 22 at 7:00 pm CDT). Furman also sports a 2-4 overall record, while New Orleans is 3-4. LSU is 7-1 heading into Sunday's game with Mercer and is ranked No. 13 and No. 21 in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today polls, respectively.

Scouting Wake Forest
Junior guard Janae Whiteside scored 14 points to lift Wake Forest over visiting High Point, 74-43, at Joel Coliseum last Wednesday. WFU never trailed in the game, jumping out to a 16-6 lead and building a 23-point halftime advantage (43-20). The Demon Deacons forced 27 turnovers by High Point, 19 of which came on steals. The Panthers shot just 24 percent from the floor (15 of 63), while Wake hit 42 percent of its shots (27 of 64), including 5 of 14 three-pointers. High Point outrebounded the Deacons, 48-42. Whiteside shot an impressive 6 of 10 from the floor and was one of four Deacons to collect four steals on the night. Sophomore center LaChina Robinson added 13 points and a team-high seven rebounds, while junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick added five points, six rebounds, four steals, and a career-high five assists.

Through six games, Wake Forest is shooting 40 percent from the floor, including an uncharacteristically low 20 percent from three-point range. The Deacs average 64 points per game, while allowing 63.8 points by their opponents (a +0.2 margin). WFU has been outrebounded by an average of 2.2 boards per game. The Demon Deacons are led by senior guard Alisha Mosley (10.8 ppg) who has come off the bench to score in double figures in four games. Junior forward Kristen Shaffer is averaging 10.5 points per game, having also netted double figures in four games. Redshirt junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (6.3 rpg) and sophomore center LaChina Robinson (5.3 rpg) are the team's top rebounders, while junior guard Janae Whiteside leads the team in assists (3.0 apg) and steals (1.7 spg).

Scouting Furman
Furman returned four starters from a team that went 13-14 last season, and the Paladins own a 2-4 record through their first six games. Like the Deacs, FU snapped a three-game losing streak with a recent wallopping of High Point, defeating the Panthers 95-71 on Dec. 7. Through six games, the Paladins are shooting 40 percent from the floor and 22 percent from three-point range, committing 23 turnovers per game. Furman has been outscored by an average of 4.8 points per game, but owns a +3.0 rebounding margin. Senior forward Jacki Smith leads FU in scoring (19.2 ppg) and rebounding (10.0 rpg), posting four double-doubles in the last five games. Smith has gone to the foul line nearly 10 times per game, hitting 78 percent of her free throws. Junior forward Kena Hodges averages 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game, while junior guard Torrie Scott dishes 5.3 assists per outing.

Scouting New Orleans
New Orleans returned three starters from a team that went 11-16 last season, and the Privateers are 3-4 thus far in 99-00. After a 3-1 start, UNO has lost three straight, including an 83-62 defeat at Elon last Tuesday. Through seven games, the Privateers are shooting 40 percent from the floor and 37 percent from three-point range. With a relatively small lineup, UNO has been outrebounded by an 8.0 margin. Senior guard Marylou Agustin leads the Privateers in scoring (11.4 ppg), assists (5.1 apg) and steals (6.0 spg), while junior small forward Jen Ludwicki has added 10.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per outing. Five different Privateers are shooting better than 40 percent from three-point range, including Agustin (12-23, .522) and senior guard Maria Brunker (10-22, .455).

Scouting LSU
LSU owns a 7-1 overall record heading into Sunday's game vs Mercer, and the Tigers were ranked No. 13 in the Dec. 13th AP poll. After dropping the season opener to Texas Tech, LSU won seven straight, including an 80-74 win over No. 2 Georgia. Through eight games, the Tigers have shot an impressive 51 percent from the floor, outscoring opponents by an average of 20.7 points per game. Four starters average in double figures: junior guard Marie Ferdinand (18.3 ppg), senior forward Katrina Hibbert (14.8), junior forward April Brown (13.1) and sophomore forward DaTrina White (11.9). Hibbert has shot 46 percent from three-point range (15-33) and also dished 8.5 assists per game.

Series Histories
Wake Forest leads the all-time series with Furman, 5-2. The Paladins defeated WFU 72-59 in Winston-Salem last year, paced by Jackie Smith's 31 points. Prior to that, the Deacs had won five straight vs. FU. The teams first met in the 1971-72 season, with Furman winning 37-31. Wake and New Orleans have only met once before at a neutral site. The Privateers defeated the Deacons, 70-54, in the championship game of the Miami (Fla.) Masonic Classic in the 1983-84 season. Wednesday's game marks the first-ever meeting between Wake Forest and LSU.

A QUICK LOOK AT ALL FOUR TEAMS

Mosley Climbing Career 3-Point Field Goal Charts
Senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks among the top five all-time at WFU in three-point field goals made and attempted. A look at her climb up the Deacon career charts:

3-Pt Field Goals Made

3-Pt Field Goals Attempted

Preseason Prognostications
Despite their strong finish in 1998-99, the Demon Deacons were selected to finish ninth in the 1999-2000 ACC Preseason Media Poll. North Carolina earned the top spot in the poll, collecting 320 points and 22 first-place votes, followed by NC State (302, 14), Virginia (260, 2), Duke (208), Georgia Tech (192), Clemson (166), Florida State (110), Maryland (88) and Wake Forest (64).

ACC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL

Three-Point Weapons
Wake Forest ranked as the top three-point shooting team in the ACC (and No. 19 in the nation) last year, hitting 6.1 threes per game and shattering the school records for threes made (172) and attempted (502) in a season. This year, all of Wake's long-range gunners return but one, and eight players on the roster can legitimately hit the three.

Junior guard Janae Whiteside emerged as a white-hot three-point shooter late last year, connecting on 50 percent of her threes and averaging 5.4 treys per game in the last seven contests. Sophomore guard Val Klopfer hit 38 percent of her threes last year, while senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks among the top five all-time three-point shooters at WFU. Junior forward Olivia Dardy is an inside-outside threat who can step out of the paint and hit a long-range three, while sophomore guard Adell Harris, junior forwards Kristen Shaffer and Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, freshman swing player Heather Miller, and rookie center Johanna Bjšrklund all have three-point range as well.

1998-99 3-POINT SHOOTING TOTALS

* school record

TOP RETURNING 3-POINT SHOOTERS

Slow Start on Threes
Despite all those outside weapons, however, Wake is off to a very slow start from behind the three-point arc this year. The Deacs have hit just 17 of 87 threes in the first six games for an ACC-low 19.5 percent. Seven of those treys have come from senior guard Alisha Mosley, who is shooting 27 percent from the arc (7 of 26) while the rest of the team is 10 of 51 (.196). Starting guards Val Klopfer and Janae Whiteside, both of whom shot over 37 percent from three-point range last year, are still looking to find their long-range shooting rhythm (they are currently 4 of 20 and 4 of 21, respectively).

Better Accuracy Inside, Though
Although the Deacs are struggling from three-point range, they are shooting better from inside the arc this season. Last year, Wake hit just 41 percent of its shots that were not three-pointers (484 of 1181). In the first six games of 99-00, however, the Deacs are shooting at a 47 percent clip from close range (124 of 263).

Reaching New Heights
Upon her arrival, head coach Charlene Curtis made a commitment to improving the Deacons' inside game. Wake Forest has steadily improved in that area since her arrival, boasting more height, better rebounding and greater defensive presence. This season, WFU has seven players on the roster who stand 6-0 or taller and four who top the 6-4 mark. An ACC All-Freshman pick last year, 6-4 sophomore center LaChina Robinson has become more of an offensive force this year. Sophomore Elizabeth Biedrycki and redshirt freshman LaTisha Pearson, both 6-4, have both seen limited action at center and power forward, while 6-5 freshman center Johanna Bjšrklund, the tallest player ever to don a Deacon uniform, has provided strength and defensive presence inside.

Hot-Shooting Shaffer
Junior forward Kristen Shaffer, the Deacs' starting small forward, was particularly hot from the floor in the first four games. Shaffer notched double figures in each of those four outings, leading the team in scoring three times. Through six games, she ranks second on the team in scoring (10.5 ppg) and has shot 43 percent from the floor.

Mosley Strong Off the Bench
The Deacs' lone senior, guard Alisha Mosley, has come off the bench to provide scoring punch in the first few games for WFU. Against Davidson, Mosley poured in a team-high 19 points on 4-of-8 shooting, and vs. Arizona State she netted 12 points on 5-of-8 shooting. Against Richmond and NC State, she added 13 and 10 points, respectively. Mosley leads the team lead in scoring (10.8 ppg) and is shooting 44 percent from the floor (20 of 45) and 27 percent from three-point range (7 of 26).

A Look at the Rookies
All three of the Deacs' rookies have seen time in the early season, with forward Tiffani Listenbee leading the way at 11.2 minutes per outing. A quick,d athletic player, Listenbee has averaged 2.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per outing. She netted five points on two occasions and grabbed five boards vs. High Point. Center Johanna Bjšrklund, a native of Sweden, has also played in every game, averaging 7.3 minutes off the bench. Her best outings came against Arizona State (6 rebounds, 4 assists in 12 minutes) and High Point (8 points, 3 blocked shots in 13 minutes). Swing player Heather Miller has appeared in five games for an average of 7.6 minutes, contributing 1.8 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She netted five points and five boards vs. High Point.

Backcourt Rotation
The Deacs have utilized a fairly consistent four-guard rotation in their first six games, helping to keep their backcourt players fresh. Starting two-guard and team captain Janae Whiteside has logged the most time on the floor at 30 minutes per game, followed by starting point guard Val Klopfer (21.2 mpg). Although she's come off the bench in the first six games, leading scorer Alisha Mosley has averaged a significant 18 minutes per outing, while freshman Adell Harris is also a regular backcourt player (12 mpg). Harris usually backs up Klopfer at point guard, while Whiteside and Mosley play both point and shooting guard.

From the Stripe
Wake Forest was particularly sharp from the free throw line in its first four games, sinking an ACC-best 74.4 percent of its foul shots (61-82). In the last two games, however, Wake hit a dismal 38 percent from the foul line at NC State and 63 percent vs. High Point. On the season, the Deacs now average 65.4 percent from the line, the second-lowest percentage in the ACC. Senior guard Alisha Mosley currently leads the ACC in free throw percentage, however, shooting 85.7 percent from the stripe (18 of 21). Free throw shooting was a concern for the Deacs last year, as Wake hit just 64.4 percent from the charity stripe.

In Remembrance
The Deacs are wearing black bands on their uniforms this season in remembrance of former assistant coach Stacy Cox, who died in a car accident on Nov. 8th. Cox, 35, was a 1986 graduate of Radford, where she played under current WFU head coach Charlene Curtis. She served as an assistant on Curtis' staffs at Radford, Temple and Wake Forest. She left the Deacon staff in August 1999 for a teaching and coaching position at an elementary school in New Jersey.

ACC Leaders
Through games of Dec. 15th, senior guard Alish Mosley leads the ACCin free throw percentage (.857), while sophomore center LaChina Robinson ranks seventh in blocks (0.8 bpg).

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 vote of their teammates and coaches.

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. Curtis has 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 the Radford Sports Hall of Fame in 1995. She earned her master's degree from Virginia in 1982. Curtis is currently 14-47 at Wake Forest (.230) and 176-197 overall (.472) as a head coach.

PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP

KEY RESERVES

DEACON HOOPS ON THE AIR
More fans than ever before will have the opportunity to follow Wake Forest women's basketball this season with 12 regular-season games and all ACC Tournament games broadcast via radio, television, and the internet. The Wake Forest ISP Sports Network will broadcast 12 regular-season games and all ACC Tournament games this season on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM, with Tom Hart calling the play-by-play. WXII's 50,000-watt clear channel signal reaches a large portion of the Southeastern U.S. at night. All games broadcast on WXII 830 radio will be simulcast on the internet at the Wake Forest athletics website, www.wakeforestsports.com, so parents, fans and alumni around the world can tune into the action. The ACC Regional Sports Network (RSN) features live broadcasts of 16 regular-season ACC women's basketball games and four ACC Women's Basketball Tournament games to the six-state ACC region. Featured games are telcast every Sunday at 12:30 p.m. and every Monday at 7:00 p.m. on Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and the Sunshine Network. The Deacs are featured in three televised games on the ACC Network this year.

DEMON DEACONS ON THE AIR IN 1999-2000