Wake Forest Athletics
Deacon Basketball Prepares for Four-Game Road Swing
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
November 23, 1998
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.-The Wake Forest women's basketball team hits the road this week for an extended roadtrip through the Northeast U.S., featuring four games in seven days against some challenging nonconference oppponents. First the Deacs head to Rhode Island to play at Providence College on Nov. 24th, then they spend the Thanksgiving holiday in Fairfield, CT, where they'll compete in the Fairfield University-Warner Classic on Nov. 27 and 28. Finally, Wake swings through Morgantown, WV on its way home to face West Virginia on Nov. 30th. The Deacs are currently 1-1 and are looking to bounce back from a disappointing loss to Davidson.
Last Time Out: Davidson 82, Wake Forest 75 Jen O'Brien recorded 21 points, six rebounds, and six assists to lift Davidson to an 82-75 victory over Wake Forest in the Demon Deacons' home opener last Tuesday. Davidson jumped out to a 6-0 lead and led by as many as 17 in the first period. The Deacs used a 19-2 run bridging the first and second halves to get back in the game, tying the score on two Olivia Dardy (Norwalk, CT) free throws just 2:57 into the second period. The game remained tight for the next five minutes, but Davidson used strong rebounding and accurate free throw shooting down the stretch to pull away for the win. The Wildcats dominated Wake on the boards, outrebounding the Deacs by a 48-32 margin, and converted 25 of 32 free throws in the win. Also in double figures for the Wildcats were sisters Jamie and Kerry Brown, who added 19 and 11 points respectively, and Jessica Montrella, who recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 boards. For Wake Forest, senior guard Heidi Coleman (Edmonton, KY) tallied 17 points and five assists, hitting 4-of-6 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the line. Junior guard Alisha Mosley (Ellicott City, MD) added 14 points and five assists, while Dardy had 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds.
Furman Game Moved to Reynolds Gym
The Dec. 17 game between Wake Forest and Furman has been moved from Joel Coliseum to Reynolds Gym on campus due to scheduling conflicts with the Coliseum. Game time is still 7 p.m.
Scouting The Opposition
Providence returned four starters from last year's 10-17 squad, and the Friars currently stand at 0-1 after a season-opening 110-59 loss to Arkansas. Providence committed 27 turnovers in the loss to the Razorbacks and was outrebounded 47-33. Sophomore center Dani Trippany came off the bench to lead PC with 16 points and eight rebounds. Fairleigh Dickinson returned just one starter from last year's 6-21 team, and the Knights stood at 1-1 heading into Tuesday's game vs. Towson. FDU fell to Temple, 74-57, in the season opener but rebounded to defeat Lafayette, 69-63. Through two games, the Knights are led by sophomore guard Nicole Bowman (17.0 ppg).
Fairfield returned three starters from a team that went 20-10 and earned an NCAA berth last year. The Stags are 1-1 thus far, having lost to Central Connecticut (82-71) and defeated Harvard (94-77). Sophomore center Gail Strumpf averaged 22.5 points an 14 rebounds in the Stags' first two games.
East Carolina finished 9-19 last year and lost three starters, but the Pirates are off to a 1-0 start after topping Campbell, 64-43, on Nov. 16. Junior guard Waynetta Vaney scored 19 points in the win. The Pirates face UNC Charlotte on the 24th before heading to the Fairfield tourney. West Virginia went 12-16 last year and returned four starters. The Mountaineers stood at 1-1 before heading west for games at UCLA and UC-Irvine early this week. WVU lost to Virginia in its season opener, 85-72, but bounced back to defeat Robert Morris, 83-48. Senior guard Rebecca Burbridge averaged 24 points per outing.
Series History
Wake Forest and Providence met for the first time last season, with the Deacs earning a 65-52 victory. Emon McMillian (Greensboro, NC) had 13 points and six rebounds to lead WFU in the win. Wake has never played Fairleigh Dickinson or Fairfield, but they have squared off with East Carolina six times. WFU trails in the all-time series with the Pirates, 4-2, with ECU taking a 73-66 decision in Greenville last year. West Virginia and Wake have met only three times before, with the Mountaineers holding a 2-1 series advantage. WVU defeated the Deacs 61-51 in Winston-Salem last year, as Christie Lambert scored 16 points for the Mountaineers.
Preseason Wrap-Up
The Deacs dropped both of their exhibition contests but definitely showed some promising signs for the season to come. On Nov. 5, the Deacs dropped a hard-fought game to TTT-Riga of Latvia, falling by a 63-60 margin. Wake trailed by seven at the half, 30-23, shooting just 22 percent from the floor in the first period. The Deacs stepped it up in the second half, shooting 49 percent and rallying to within two points in the game's final seconds. Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy led the Deacs with 16 points and 12 rebounds, while sophomore forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (Waynesville, NC) and sophomore swing player Kristen Shaffer (Woodbridge, VA) added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Freshman center LaChina Robinson (Alexandria, VA) collected nine points and four rebounds. On Nov. 10, Wake dropped an 82-66 decision to a strong Tapiolan Honka club of Finland. The Deacs trailed by eight at the half, 36-28, and shot an impressive 52 percent from the floor in the second period, but the TopCats' free-throw shooting helped them pull away down the stretch. Tapiolan Honka went to the free throw line 32 times in the game (on 23 WFU fouls) and hit 22 foul shots. Dardy posted another double-double for Wake, collecting 19 points, 11 rebounds and four assists, while Kirkpatrick added 14 points. Robinson grabbed six boards, while freshman center Elizabeth Biedrycki (Charlotte, NC) added nine points and five rebounds. The Deacs played both games without the services of starters Emon McMillian and Alisha Mosley, who sat out for disciplinary reasons.
Another Former Deacon in the Coaching Ranks
For the second straight week, the Deacs may face a team featuring a former Demon Deacon on the bench. Last week, recent WFU grad Carri Walker sat on the opposite side of the floor as an assistant coach with Davidson. Should the Deacs face East Carolina in the second round of the Fairfield tourney, they will be up against former Deacon Dee Gibson, the new head coach of the Pirates. Gibson played for WFU from 1988-90 before transferring to UNC Charlotte.
Preseason Prognostications
The Demon Deacons were picked to finish ninth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the 1998-99 ACC Media Preseason Poll, released on October 26th. Duke was the favorite to finish first, collecting 207 points in the voting and 17 of 24 first-place votes. Virginia placed second in the voting, followed by 1998 champion North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, Georgia Tech, and Wake.
Looking for Leaders to Emerge
In the hopes that the leadership of the Demon Deacon team will emerge naturally, head coach Charlene Curtis has elected not to appoint team captains for the 1998-99 season. However, game captains will be selected for each contest by the coaching staff.
Fountain of Youth
The Demon Deacons feature an extremely youthful squad this season, with 10 of 14 players on the roster in only their freshman or sophomore years of eligibility. This young squad is anchored by four seasoned veterans, however, including two fifth-year players (Heidi Coleman and Emon McMillian), one true senior (Jenn Miklic), and one junior (Alisha Mosley).
Coleman Closing in On Three-Point Shooting Records
Senior point guard Heidi Coleman already ranks as one of the top three-point shooters in school history, and she is currently closing in on the Wake Forest records for threes made and attempted in a career. In her career as a Deacon, Coleman owns a 35.6 three-point shooting percentage, and she currently ranks second all-time in three-pointers made (147) and attempted (413). Both career marks are held by Nicole Levesque '94, who went on to play with the WNBA's Charlotte Sting. Coleman currently holds the school single-season records in both categories, hitting 61-of-179 treys as a sophomore in 1996-97. Last year she nearly matched those record-setting marks, posting the second-highest single-season numbers for threes made (57) and attempted (166). Coleman also ranks as the school's ninth all-time assist leader with 237 assists in her career. The all-time record of 488 is also held by Levesque.
Deacs Increase Offensive Production
Last season, despite a strong defensive game, the Deacons consistently came up short on the scoreboard as they struggled to score points. No players finished the season averaging in double figures, and the team as a whole averaged just 57.4 points per game. This year, however, the Deacons have already shown significant improvement in the scoring department, averaging 78 points in their first two games. Three players are averaging in double figures after recording double digits in both games - Alisha Mosley (18.5 ppg), Olivia Dardy (15.5 ppg), and Heidi Coleman (15.0 ppg). More impressively, Wake Forest exploded for 54 points in the second half vs. VCU in the season opener - just about three points less than their per-game average in 1997-98.
Mosley Lighting Up the Scoreboard
Sophomore guard Alisha Mosley has been the Deacs' top offensive weapon in the first two games, averaging a team-best 18.5 points per outing. Mosley made an impressive debut in her junior campaign, scoring a career-high 23 points in the win over Virginia Commonwealth. She hit a career-high nine field goals from the floor (on 16 attempts), including 3-of-5 from behind the three point arc. She also contributed three rebounds, two assists, and two steals in the win. She then added 14 points in the loss to Davidson, hitting six of her career-high 17 field goal attempts. It marked the 22nd time in Mosley's career that she has hit double figures. An ACC All-Freshman Team selection in 1996-97, Mosley's previous career high in scoring was 18 points, which she scored vs. Georgia Tech last year.
Dardy on a Double-Double Roll
Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy has picked up where she left off last season as one of the Deacs' top scoring and rebounding threats. In Wake's four outings this year (two exhibitions and the first two games), Dardy has recorded three double-doubles and come close to a fourth. In exhibition play, she notched 16 points and 12 rebounds vs. TTT-Riga and 19 points and 11 boards vs. Tapiolan Honka. In the season opener vs. VCU, she tallied 17 points and 11 rebounds, and she added 14 points and eight boards vs. Davidson. Nine of her 17 points vs. the Rams came on three-pointers. Dardy currently leads the team in rebounding (9.5 rpg) and is second in scoring (15.5 ppg).
Dardy collected three-double-doubles as a freshman last year while blossoming into one of the top young post players in the ACC. She led the team in both scoring and rebounding in ACC games in 97-98 and was named to ACC Athlete magazine's All-Freshman Team. A true inside-outside threat, Dardy can score down low as well as from three-point range.
Interior Improvements
The Demon Deacons expect to have a much-improved inside game this season with the return of some key post players and the addition of some new faces in the frontcourt lineup. Anchoring the post is senior power forward Emon McMillian, a fifth-year player who led the team in rebounding (6.7 rpg) last year. McMillian has averaged 8.5 points and four rebounds in the first two games. Also returning are sophomore forwards Olivia Dardy and Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, both of whom made tremendous strides as rookies last year. Dardy is an inside-outside threat who can play the three, four, or five position, and she has averaged 15.5 points and 9.5 rebounds in the Deacs' first two games (see above). Kirkpatrick, a redshirt sophomore, consistently provided a spark off the bench last season. Her play and leadership this fall has impressed the Deacon coaches, and she has contributed five points and 4.5 rebounds in the first two games. In addition, three freshman centers, all standing 6-4, provide the size that Wake so desperately needed inside the paint last year. With a stronger inside game, Wake hopes to increase its scoring down low as well as take some defensive pressure off its guards, allowing them more opportunities to score from the outside.
"The Triple Towers"
Recognizing the Deacons' lack of height inside last year, head coach Charlene Curtis signed not one but three freshmen centers who tower at 6-4. All three will be looked to for strong defensive play inside as well as help on the boards. LaChina Robinson, a solid defensive player and shot-blocker, has earned the starting call at center in the Deacs' first two games, contributing four points, seven boards, and two blocks. Elizabeth Biedrycki, a skilled rebounder who can also score down low, has seen limited action but contributed four points vs. Davidson in four minutes of play. LaTisha Pearson (Birmingham, AL), an athletic player with good rebounding skills, has not dressed for a contest yet as the coaches continue to oversee her development.
Rookies Bring Backcourt Depth Too
Three other talented rookies will bolster the Deacon backcourt this season as well. True point guard Val Klopfer (Albany, NY) is a skilled ballhandler and a talented playmaker who should relieve Heidi Coleman of some playing time. A Street & Smith honorable mention high school All-American, Klopfer has good court vision plays with great intensity. She has averaged 12 minutes of court time in the first two games. Adell Harris (High Point, NC), the MVP of last year's North Carolina East-West All-Star game, is a versatile and athletic guard who has three-point range and can also penetrate for short pull-up jumpers. The strength of Harris' game, however, is truly her pinpoint passing. Harris played an average of 14 minutes each in the first two games. Swing player Liz Rogers (Raleigh, NC), the two-time North Carolina Independent School Player of the Year, is a great competitor with solid shooting and ballhandling skills. She has seen just a minute of action thus far.
Coleman on the Mark
Heidi Coleman has shot an impressive 62 percent from the floor (8-13), 57 percent from behind the three-point arc (4-7) and 91 percent from the free throw line (10-11) in the first two games. She also recorded just the second blocked shot of her career vs. Davidson while dishing five assists, making two steals, and recording no turnovers.
Career Bests
Olivia Dardy's three three-pointers vs. VCU tied her career high, while her four assists vs. the Rams were a new career best...Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick blocked a career-high two shots in the loss to Davidson... sophomore guard Janae Whiteside (Charlotte, NC) tied her previous career high with five points in the season opener vs. VCU, then topped it with seven points vs. Davidson. She also dished a career-best four assists vs. the Wildcats and logged a career-high 24 minutes on the floor.
Coming Home
Olivia Dardy will get to play two games this week in front of a hometown crowd. The 1997 Connecticut Post Player of the Year, Dardy hails from Norwalk, CT, just down the road from Fairfield, and she enjoyed a stellar playing career at Brian McMahon High School.
Picks and Rolls
The Deacs have scored nearly twice as many points in the second half as they have in the first half through two games (100-56)...Wake posted an impressive 2.0 assist-to-turnover ratio vs. Davidson (20-10). Last season, the Deacs recorded more assists than turnovers only once, in a loss to East Carolina (13-12)...the 10 turnovers vs. Davidson were the lowest total by the Deacons in over a year, while the 20 assists vs. the Wildcats tied the team's season high from a year ago...the win over VCU snapped a 16-game losing streak for the Demon Deacons, the longest in school history...Wake hit an impressive 54 percent of its threes (7-13) and 83 percent of its foul shots (20-24) in the win over VCU.
PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP
Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. GP/GS PPG RPG Other F 5 Emon McMillian 6-1 Sr. 2/2 8.5 4.0 1.5 spg F 32 Olivia Dardy 6-1 So. 2/2 15.5 9.5 3.5 apg C 34 LaChina Robinson 6-4 Fr. 2/2 2.0 3.5 1.0 bpg G 11 Alisha Mosley 5-6 Jr. 2/2 18.5 4.0 3.5 apg G 22 Heidi Coleman 5-6 Sr. 2/2 15.0 3.5 4.5 apg1998-99 SCHEDULEKEY RESERVES F 12 Jenn Miklic 6-0 Sr. 1/0 2.0 3.0 3.0 apg G/F 20 Kristen Shaffer 5-10 So. 2/0 3.0 1.0 0.5 spg G 21 Janae Whiteside 5-7 So. 2/0 6.0 0.5 3.0 apg G 23 Adell Harris 5-8 Fr. 2/0 1.5 1.0 1.0 apg F 50 B. M. Kirkpatrick 6-0 So. 2/0 5.0 4.5 1.5 spg
November
Sat. 14 at Va. C'wealth 81-71 W
Tue. 17 DAVIDSON 75-82 L
Tue. 24 at Providence (DH) 5:30
Fairfield-Warner Classic
Fri. 27 vs. Fairleigh Dickinson 5:00
Sat. 28 vs. Fairfield/ECU 2:00/4:00
Mon. 30 at West Virginia 7:00
December
Fri. 4 at Virginia* 7:30
Sun. 13 at Maryland* 2:00
Thu. 17 FURMAN (RG) 7:00
Cal-Oakland Tribune Classic
Sun. 20 vs. Colorado State 7:00
Mon. 21 vs. Cal/Pittsburgh 7:00/9:00
Tue. 29 UMBC (RG) 7:00
January
Sat. 2 NORTH CAROLINA* 4:00
Mon. 4 GEORGIA TECH* 7:00
Mon. 11 DUKE* 7:00
Thu. 14 at Florida State* 7:00
Sun. 17 at Clemson* (TV) 12:30
Sun. 24 NC STATE* (TV) 12:30
Thu. 28 VIRGINIA* 7:00
Sun. 31 at North Carolina* 1:00
February
Wed. 3 at Georgia Tech* 7:00
Sat. 6 MARYLAND* (RG) 2:00
Thu. 11 Duke* 7:00
Mon. 15 FLORIDA STATE* 7:00
Thu. 18 CLEMSON* 7:00
Sat. 20 at NC State* 2:00
Fri. 26- ACC Tournament @ Charlotte
Mon. Mar 1
All times Eastern;* ACC games
DH - Doubleheader with men's game
RG - Home game at Reynolds Gym
TV - Broadcast on the ACC Regional Sports Network (HTS, Fox Sports South, Sunshine)
