Deacons Host California, Visit Liberty
12/27/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 27, 1999
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- After a three-game road swing and a brief holiday break, the Wake Forest women's basketball team returns to action this week with two non-conference matchups. The Demon Deacons host the California Golden Bears at Reynolds Gym on Tuesday, Dec. 28th, at 7 pm, then travel to Lynchburg, Va., to face the Liberty Flames on Thursday, Dec. 30th at 7 pm.
WFU is coming off a 1-2 road trip which ended with a 63-52 loss to No. 13 LSU last Wednesday. Cal has had nine days off since suffering a 85-72 defeat at the hands of Florida in the Oakland Tribune Classic championship on Dec. 19, and Liberty is coming off a 66-45 loss to No. 15 Duke in the title game of the Bahamas Sun Splash Shootout on Dec. 21.
The Wake Forest-Cal game will be broadcast in the Winston-Salem area on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM and on the internet at www.wakeforestsports.com. The Wake Forest-Liberty matchup will be broadcast on WWMC 90.9 FM in the Lynchburg area.
Last Week in Review
The Demon Deacons went 1-2 on their three-game road trip last week, losing to Furman (68-51), defeating New Orleans (58-57), and losing to No. 13 LSU (63-52). Against Furman, junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick scored a career-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds, but the Deacs shot just 31 percent from the floor and were outrebounded by the Paladins, 52-34. WFU led by four midway through the second half, but a 19-1 Furman run put the Paladins ahead for good. Sophomore center LaChina Robinson added 11 points in the loss. Against New Orleans, junior forward Kristen Shaffer hit a baseline jumper with 0.8 seconds to go to lift Wake to a one-point win.
Shaffer was one of four Deacs in double figures with 10 points, junior guard Alisha Mosley had 14, Kirkpatrick added 12 and Robinson netted 11. Kirkpatrick also grabbed a team-high eight rebounds. In the loss to No. 13 LSU, freshman forward Heather Miller exploded for a career-high 17 points, all in the second half, but the Deacs' comeback fell short. Wake trailed by as many as 25 in the second half before using an 18-0 run to get back into the game. Kirkpatrick added 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
The Deacs played all three games without the services of junior forward Olivia Dardy, who is recovering from a foot injury.
Scouting Wake Forest
Through nine games, the Deacs have struggled to put points on the board, averaging just 60.7 points per outing and shooting 39 percent from the floor. No player is averaging in double figures, although three Deacs average over nine points per game - junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (9.9), senior guard Alisha Mosley (9.4) and sophomore center LaChina Robinson (9.0). Despite having numerous three-point shooters, WFU is off to a slow start from behind the arc, shooting at only a 22 percent clip.
Defensively, the Deacs have played well, holding opponents to 63.4 points per game and a field goal percentage of .394. On the boards, Wake has been outrebounded by a 3.7 margin. Kirkpatrick leads the team with 7.1 boards per game.
Scouting Cal
California is off to a 5-3 start and wraps up its non-conference schedule this week with games at WFU and UNC. The Golden Bears most recently hosted the Oakland Tribune Classic, defeating Illinois-Chicago (65-44) but falling to Florida (85-72) in the title game. Through eight games, the Bears have averaged 67.6 points per game (to opponents' 62.8) and shot at a 40 percent clip. Cal has been dominant on the glass, outrebounding opponents by a +7.8 margin. The Bears are led by junior guard Courtney Johnson, who has provided 14.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.4 steals per game off the bench.
Junior guard Kenya Corley (12.8 ppg) and sophomore center Ami Forney (11.4 ppg) are also in double figures, while Forney (7.2 rpg) and junior forward Lauren Ashbaugh (6.5 rpg) lead the team on the boards.
Scouting Liberty
Liberty has posted three straight 20-win seasons featuring NCAA Tournament appearances, and the team is off to a 5-5 start in 1999-2000. The Flames recently played in the Bahamas Sun Splash Shootout, where they defeated UNLV (75-71) but fell to No. 15 Duke (66-45) in the championship game.
Through 10 games, the Flames are averaging 66.6 points per game (while allowing just 64.2), hitting 43 percent of their shots from the floor and 36 percent of their threes. Liberty is led by senior guard Sharon Wilkerson, who averages 17.1 points per game, shooting 50 percent from the floor, 34 percent from three-point range, and 82 percent from the line.
Senior guard Sarah Farley (11.3 ppg) and senior forward Elena Kisseleva (11.0 ppg) also average in double figures, while freshman center Michelle Fricke (6.2 rpg) and Kisseleva (5.4 rpg) lead LU on the boards.
Series History
Wake Forest and California have met only once before, when the Deacs defeated the Bears 61-58 in the opening round of the Old Dominion Dial Classic in November of '96. Wake Forest did compete in Cal's Oakland Tribune Classic last year, but the Deacs were not matched up against the host Bears. The Deacs and the Flames have met only twice before, with Wake Forest winning both matchups in Winston-Salem in the 1980s. WFU defeated Liberty 88-70 in the 1982-83 season and won 56-46 in the 1983-84 campaign.
A QUICK LOOK AT ALL THREE TEAMS
| CATEGORY | WAKE FOREST | CALIFORNIA | LIBERTY |
| Location | Winston-Salem, NC | Berkeley, CA | Lynchburg, VA |
| Enrollment | 3,836 | 30,000 | 8,500 |
| Nickname | Demon Deacons | Golden Bears | Flames |
| Colors | Old Gold & Black | Blue & Gold | Red, White & Blue |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast | Pacific-10 | Big South |
| Head Coach | Charlene Curtis | Marianne Stanley | Carey Green |
| Alma Mater, Year | Radford '76 | Immaculata '76 | Coastal Carolina '79 |
| Record at School | 15-49 (3rd yr) | 29-61 (4th yr) | 5-5 (1st yr) |
| Career Record | 177-199 (14th yr) | 409-210 (21st yr) | 5-5 (1st yr) |
| 1998-99 Record | 8-20 (3-13 ACC) | 12-15 (6-12 Pac-10) | 21-8 (9-1 Big South) |
| Starters Ret/Lost | 2/3 | 3/2 | 4/1 |
| Letterwin. Ret/Lost | 10/3 | 9/4 | 8/3 |
| Scoring Offense | 60.7 ppg | 67.6 ppg | 66.6 ppg |
| Scoring Defense | 63.4 ppg | 62.8 ppg | 64.2 ppg |
| Rebound Margin | -3.7 | +7.8 | -2.9 |
| FG Percentage | .393 | .402 | .428 |
| 3FG Percentage | .226 | .276 | .355 |
| FT Percentage | .674 | .621 | .675 |
Dardy Out With Foot Injury
Junior forward Olivia Dardy has missed the Deacs' last four games after suffering a stress fracture in her foot. She is questionable for this week's games as well. Though not a starter, Dardy has been one of the first post players off the bench for WFU in each of the past three years. She was the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder this season (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg in 98-99).
Preseason Prognostications
Despite their strong finish in 1998-99, the Deacs were selected to finish ninth in the ACC Preseason Media Poll. North Carolina earned the top spot, collecting 320 points and 22 first-place votes, followed by NC State (302), Virginia (260), Duke (208), Georgia Tech (192), Clemson (166), Florida State (110), Maryland (88) and Wake Forest (64).
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 |
Mosley Climbs Career 3-Point Charts
Senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks among the top players all-time at WFU in three-point field goals made and attempted. A look at her climb up the career charts:
3-Pt Field Goals Made
| 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) | 94 |
3-Pt Field Goals Attempted
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1990-94) | 550 |
| 2. | Heidi Coleman (1994-99) | 527 |
| 3. | Sabrina Slone (1989-93) | 328 |
| 4. | Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) | 321 |
Three-Point Weapons
Wake Forest ranked tops in the ACC (and No. 19 in the nation) in three-point shooting 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.
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 games. Val Klopfer hit 38 percent of her threes last season, while Alisha Mosley ranks among the top five all-time three-point shooters at WFU. Guard Adell Harris, forwards Kristen Shaffer, Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, Olivia Dardy and Heather Miller have three-point range, as does rookie center Johanna Bj?rklund.
1998-99 3-POINT SHOOTING TOTALS
| 172 | 3-Pt FG Made* |
| 502 | 3-Pt FG Attempted* |
| 34.3 | 3-Pt FG Percentage |
| 6.1 | 3-Pt FG Per Game (16th NCAA) |
* school record
TOP RETURNING 3-POINT SHOOTERS
| G | Janae Whiteside | 36-95 (.379) |
| G | Alisha Mosley | 26-88 (.295) |
| F | Olivia Dardy | 25-83 (.301) |
| G | Val Klopfer | 23-60 (.383) |
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 30 of 133 threes in the first nine games (22.6 percent). Almost half of those treys have come from senior guard Alisha Mosley, who is shooting 32 percent from the arc (12 of 37) while the rest of the team is 18 of 94 (.191). 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 rhythm (they are currently 7-of-34 and 5-of-31, respectively).
Kirkpatrick Emerging as a Force Down Low
Redshirt junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, a team co-captains, has begun to emerge as a force down low for the Deacs this year. In her first year as a starter after serving as a backup to Emon McMillian for two seasons, Kirkpatrick currently leads the Deacs in both scoring (9.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg). In the last three games, she has averaged an impressive 14.7 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, recording a double-double in the loss to Furman with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. On the season, Kirkpatrick has netted double-figure points six times and double-figure rebounds twice. A look at her game-by-game performance (* denotes team-highs):
| Opponent | Pts | Rebs |
| Fairfield | 11 | 8* |
| Davidson | 1 | 3 |
| Arizona State | 12 | 3 |
| Richmond | 10 | 8* |
| NC State | 6 | 10* |
| High Point | 5 | 6 |
| Furman | 20* | 10* |
| New Orleans | 12 | 8* |
| LSU | 12 | 8* |
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, averaging 9.0 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Freshman center Johanna Bj?rklund, the tallest player ever to don a Deacon uniform at 6-5, has provided strength and defensive presence inside, averaging 2.4 points and 1.9 rebounds in just under nine minutes a game. Sophomore Elizabeth Biedrycki and redshirt freshman LaTisha Pearson, both 6-4, have both seen limited action at center and power forward.
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 six points per outing in the last five games, hitting double figures just once (10 points vs. New Orleans, including the game-winning shot with 0.8 second to go). On the year, she ranks as the team's fourth-leading scorer (8.8 ppg).
Mosley Strong Off the Bench
The Deacs' lone senior, guard Alisha Mosley, was also fairly hot from the floor in the early season, netting double figures in four of the first five games (11.8 ppg). In the last four outings, however, Mosley hit double figures just once (14 pts. vs. New Orleans) and averaged just 6.3 points per outing. Mosley ranks second on the team in scoring (9.4 ppg) and is shooting a team-best 32 percent from three-point range (12 of 37).
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 minutes per outing. A quick, athletic player, Listenbee has averaged 2.4 points and 2.0 rebounds per game. She netted five points on two occasions and grabbed five boards vs. High Point. Center Johanna Bj?rklund, a native of Sweden, has also played in every game, averaging 8.9 minutes off the bench. Her best outings came against Arizona State (6 rebounds, 4 assists in 12 minutes) and High Point (8 points, 3 blocks in 13 minutes). Swing player Heather Miller has contributed 3.3 points and 1.6 rebounds per game in 8.3 minutes of action. She recently showed big-game potential, however, exploding for 17 points vs. No. 13 LSU. In that game, Miller hit 5 of 8 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the line.
Backcourt Rotation
The Deacs have utilized a fairly consistent four-guard rotation in their first nine 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 30.6 minutes per game and leads the team in assists (3.3 apg) and steals (1.9 spg). Starting point guard Val Klopfer (22.7 mpg) has contributed 3.4 points and 1.4 assists per outing. Although she's come off the bench in every game, Alisha Mosley has averaged a significant 17.6 minutes per outing and leads the backcourt with 9.4 points per outing. Freshman Adell Harris is also a regular backcourt player (11.7 mpg). Harris usually backs up Klopfer at point guard, while Whiteside and Mosley play both point and shooting guard.
From the Stripe
With the exception of one game, Wake Forest has been fairly sharp from the free throw line this season. Discounting the NC State game, where they shot a miserable 9 of 24 from the line (37.5 percent), the Deacs have hit a respectable 71.6 of their foul shots (counting State, WFU owns a .670 free throw percentage). Free throw shooting was a concern last year for the Deacs, who hit just 64.4 percent from the stripe.
In Remembrance
The Deacs wear 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, played under current WFU head coach Charlene Curtis at Radford, then served as an assistant coach on Curtis' staffs at Radford, Temple and Wake Forest. She left the Deacs in August for a teaching and coaching position at an elementary school in New Jersey.
ACC Leaders
Through games of Dec. 22nd, senior guard Alisha Mosley led the ACC in free throw percentage (.840), while junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick was ninth in rebounds (7.0 rpg) and sophomore center LaChina Robinson ranked fifth 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
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 15-49 at Wake Forest (.234) and 177-199 overall (.471) as a head coach.
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | GP/GS | PPG | RPG | Other |
| F | 20 | Kristen Shaffer | 5-10 | Jr. | 9/9 | 8.8 | 2.8 | 1.0 apg |
| F | 50 | Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick | 6-0 | r-Jr. | 9/9 | 9.9 | 7.1 | 2.6 apg |
| C | 34 | LaChina Robinson | 6-4 | So. | 9/9 | 9.0 | 4.4 | .566 FG% |
| G | 10 | Val Klopfer | 5-4 | So. | 9/9 | 3.4 | 1.7 | 1.4 apg |
| G | 21 | Janae Whiteside | 5-6 | Jr. | 9/9 | 6.3 | 3.0 | 3.3 apg |
KEY RESERVES
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | GP/GS | PPG | RPG | Other |
| G | 11 | Alisha Mosley | 5-6 | Sr. | 9/0 | 9.4 | 2.2 | .885 FT% |
| G | 14 | Heather Miller | 5-10 | Fr. | 8/0 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 17 pts vs LSU |
| G | 23 | Adell Harris | 5-6 | So. | 9/0 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 1.0 apg |
| F | 24 | Tiffani Listenbee | 6-1 | Fr. | 9/0 | 2.4 | 2.0 | .529 FG% |
