Women's Basketball Looks for Second ACC Win

January 4, 1999

WAKE FOREST vs. GEORGIA TECH

Monday, January 4, 1999

7:00 pm

Joel Coliseum

Winston-Salem, NC

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team will look to pick up its second conference win of the year as the Demon Deacons play host to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets this Monday, January 4th, at 7 p.m. at Joel Coliseum. The Deacs (5-8, 1-2 ACC) are coming off a 100-75 loss to No. 6 North Carolina on Saturday, while Tech (9-3, 2-1) topped Florida State, 92-70, in its last outing. The game will be broadcast locally on WXII Newsradio 830 AM and cybercast on the WFU athletics webpage at www.wakeforestsports.com.

Scouting Wake Forest (5-8, 1-2 ACC)
LaQuanda Barksdale scored 26 points and grabbed six rebounds as No. 6 North Carolina topped host Wake Forest, 100-75, in an ACC contest at Joel Coliseum on Saturday afternoon. Wake used an early 12-0 run to take an 18-12 lead over the Tar Heels five minutes into the game, but UNC answered with a 10-0 run of its own to pull ahead and never trailed again. Turnovers proved to be the difference in the game, as UNC forced 29 Deacon miscues - including 19 in the first half - and converted them into 37 points. Wake shot a respectable 47 percent from the floor (27-57) and an impressive 95 percent from the line (18-19), but struggled to get open shots against Carolina's aggressive defense. Nikki Teasley added 20 points and 10 assists for UNC, while Chanel Wright had 18 points and Juana Brown tallied 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy led Wake Forest with 16 points and a game-high nine rebounds. Senior forward Emon McMillian added 10 points for the Deacs, while junior guard Alisha Mosley dished a career-high-tying six assists.

Through 13 games, Dardy leads the team in both scoring (10.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.5 apg), while Mosley averages 10.2 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per game. Wake is averaging 67.1 points per game on 40.2 percent shooting from the floor, and the Deacs have outrebounded their opponents by a +4.1 margin. WFU averages an ACC-high 6.3 three-pointers per game as a team, hitting an impressive 37.6 percent from behind the three-point arc. The Deacs have turned the ball over an average of 18.8 times per game, however, compared to their opponents' 16.2 turnover average.

Scouting Georgia Tech (9-3, 2-1 ACC)
Georgia Tech is off to an impressive 9-3 start, having dropped contests to American (87-67), North Carolina (85-68), and Georgia State (66-56) this year. The Yellow Jackets have won three straight, most recently topping Florida State, 92-70, in a conference game last Saturday. Tech's other conference win came on a 74-73 win at NC State on Dec. 5th. The Jackets are led by senior forward Kenya Williams, who averages 19.6 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Standout freshman guard Niesha Butler has contributed 19.3 points and 6.3 boards per outing, leading the team in scoring in six of the last seven outings. Overall, GT averages 82 points per game on 46 percent shooting, outrebounding opponents by a whopping 9.4 margin.

Series History
Georgia Tech holds a 20-16 advantage in the all-time series with Wake Forest, and the Yellow Jackets have won the last six straight meetings. Last year, Tech swept Wake in the regular season (80-60 in Winston-Salem, 58-53 in Atlanta) and then knocked the Deacs out of the ACC Tournament, 78-67, in the first round. Wake holds a 12-5 homecourt advantage over Tech, however, including a 3-2 edge in Joel Coliseum.

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).

Deacs Show Increased Scoring in 98-99
Last season, despite a strong defensive game, the Deacons consistently struggled to put points on the board. No player finished the season averaging in double figures, and the team as a whole averaged just 57.4 points per game. This year, the Deacs have shown solid improvement in the scoring department, averaging 67.1 points per game in their first 13 outings - an increase of almost 17 percent. Two players are averaging in double figures - sophomore forward Olivia Dardy (10.7 ppg) and junior guard Alisha Mosley (10.2 ppg) - and seven players have recorded at least one double-digit scoring outing thus far (the above two plus senior guard Heidi Coleman, senior forward Emon McMillian, sophomore forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, and freshman centers LaChina Robinson and Elizabeth Biedrycki). After averaging 77 points per outing in their first five games, WFU suffered a bit of a scoring drought with just 56.8 points over its next six contests. The Deacs have gotten back on track in their last two games, however, scoring 71 points vs. UMBC and 75 vs. UNC last week.

Interior Improvements
The Deacs have benefitted from a stronger inside game this season with the return of some key players and the addition of some new faces. Three returning forwards - senior Emon McMillian (9.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg) and sophomores Olivia Dardy (10.7 ppg, 7.5 rpg) and Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (8.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) - have demonstrated much-improved inside games this year, ranking as the team's top three rebounders and three of the top five scorers. All three have led the team in scoring or rebounding at least once. In addition, freshman centers LaChina Robinson (4.2 ppg, 3.9 rpg) and Elizabeth Biedrycki (2.7 ppg, 2.2 rpg) have provided the size and defensive presence in the paint that Wake lacked last year.

Guards Boast Strong Assist-to-Turnover Ratio
Another area of dramatic improvement this year is in the Deacon guards' assist-to-turnover ratio. Last season, only one Deac registered a positive assist-to-turnover ratio for the season (senior point guard Heidi Coleman was 57-to-55) and the backcourt as a whole stood at -1.13. This year, however, Wake has three backcourt players with strong assist-to-turnover ratios. Coleman owns a +1.38 ratio (33-to-24), while junior shooting guard Alisha Mosley boasts a +2.09 ratio (46-to-22), and sophomore guard Janae Whiteside holds a +1.75 mark (21-to-12). The three own a combined +1.72 ratio on the season, while the backcourt as a whole (including rookie reserves Adell Harris and Val Klopfer) checks in at +1.39 (124-89).

Mosley, Dardy Earn All-Tournament Honors Alisha Mosley's two-game totals of 31 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and two steals earned the junior guard a spot on the California Oakland Tribune Classic All-Tournament Team on Dec. 21st, marking the second such honor for a Deacon this year. Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy earned all-tourney honors at the Fairfield-Warner's Classic on Nov. 28th after tallying 31 points and 21 rebounds in two games. to help WFU to a runner-up finish.

Preseason Prognostications
The Demon Deacons were picked to finish ninth in the 1998-99 ACC Media Preseason Poll, released on October 26th. Duke was the overwhelming favorite to finish first, collecting 207 points and 17 of a possible 24 first-place votes. Virginia placed second, followed by 1998 champion North Carolina, NC State, Clemson, Florida State, Maryland, Georgia Tech, and Wake Forest.

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 closing in on the Wake Forest records for threes made and attempted in a career. In her career as a Deacon, Coleman owns a 36.2 three-point shooting percentage and ranks second all-time in three-pointers made (168) and attempted (464). 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 marks, hitting 57-of-166 threes. Coleman also ranks as the school's eighth all-time assist leader with 261 assists in her career. The all-time record of 488 is also held by Levesque.

Raining Threes
Wake Forest has utilized an arsenal of three-point shooters this season to rank as the top long-distance shooting teams in the ACC. As of Dec. 31, WFU led the ACC in threes per game (6.6) and three-point percentage (37.8). Senior guard Heidi Coleman remains Wake's top three-point threat (see above), ranking second in the league in three-point percentage (23-54, 42.6) and fourth in threes per game (1.9). Junior guard Alisha Mosley ranks fourth in the ACC with a 34.0 percentage (18-53) and eighth with 1.5 treys per game. Reserve guards Janae Whiteside (6-27, 22.2%), Adell Harris (5-11, 45.5%), and Val Klopfer (7-16, 43.8%) have also contributed some clutch threes. In addition to backcourt players, however, two of the Deacs' post players can step out and hit a big three when needed. Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy (15-34, 44.1%) has been deadly from three-point range, while sophomore forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (4-8, 50.0%) has demonstrated the ability to hit a few threes herself when left open.

Mosley Stepping it Up
Sophomore guard Alisha Mosley has been one of the Deacs' top offensive weapons in the first 13 games, averaging 10.2 points and a team-high 3.5 assists per outing. Mosley has scored in double figures seven times this year (including a career-high 23 points vs. Virginia Commonwealth) and she has led the team in scoring four times. More impressively, Mosley has led the team in assists in eight of the first 13 games. She set a new career best with six set-ups vs. FDU, then matched it with six more vs. UNC on Jan. 2. Mosley ranks among the ACC's top five three-point shooters (18-54, 33.3%) and boasts an impressive +2.09 assist-to-turnover ratio on the year (46-to-22). She was named to the California-Oakland Tribune Classic All-Tournament Team after totalling 31 points and seven assists in two games. An ACC All-Freshman pick in 1996-97, Mosley averaged 7.6 points and 2.1 assists per game last year.

Dardy A Versatile Scoring Threat
Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy continues to rank among the ACC rebounding leaders with a team-high 7.5 boards per game (8th in the ACC). She also leads the team in scoring (10.7 ppg) and boasts a 41.7 three-point shooting percentage (15-36). On the season, Dardy has notched three double-doubles (six double-digit scoring games and three double-figure rebound games overall). Earlier this year, she earned All-Tournament honors at the Fairfield-Warner's Classic, racking up 31 points and 21 rebounds in two games to help WFU to a runner-up finish. She also earned ACC Co-Player of the Week honors on Dec. 13th for her 17-point, 15-rebound outing in Wake's victory over Maryland. A versatile player who can play either the three, four, or five position, Dardy can score both in the paint and from three-point range. Last season, she lead the team in scoring and rebounding in ACC games (8.8 ppg, 6.7 rpg) and was named to ACC Athlete's All-Freshman Team.

Kirkpatrick Emerging as Force in the Frontcourt
Sophomore forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick has been particularly impressive in the early season, emerging as yet another inside weapon for the Deacs. A leader on the court with a tremendous work ethic, Kirkpatrick posted four straight double-figure outings in an eight-day span (FDU-Virginia), averaging 13.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game over that stretch. She netted a career-high 15 points in the win over Fairleigh Dickinson, then repeated the feat the next day with 15 points vs. East Carolina. At West Virginia, she collected 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds, and at Virginia, she netted 10 points and six caroms. For the year, Kirkpatrick is averaging 8.5 points (fifth on the team) and 4.8 rebounds (third). She is shooting a team-best 50.6 percent from the floor (43-85) and can also hit from three-point range (4-8, 50.0%).

Freshman Centers Provide Needed Height
Two of the Deacs' three 6'4" freshman centers - LaChina Robinson and Elizabeth Biedrycki - have seen significant action in the team's first 13 games, and both turned in huge performances in the win over Providence. Robinson, a solid defensive player and rebounder, has started every game at center, averaging 4.2 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. She exploded for 17 points in the win over the Friars, hitting 6-of-9 from the floor and 5-of-9 from the line, and she also grabbed six rebounds. Biedrycki, a skilled rebounder who can score down low, has shared time with Robinson in all 13 games, averaging 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per outing. She tallied season highs in points and rebounds vs. Providence (12 and eight), all in just 15 minutes of court time.

Rookies Bring Perimeter Depth Too
Three other rookies have bolstered the Deacon perimeter game as well. Val Klopfer is a skilled ballhandler and a talented playmaker who has ably relieved Heidi Coleman of some playing time. at the point guard position. She has played in 11 games, averaging 2.5 points in just over nine minutes of court time and hitting 47 percent of her threes (8-17). She scored a season-high nine points vs. UMBC. Adell Harris is a versatile, athletic guard with pinpoint passing skills. She has averaged just over nine minutes in all 13 contests, contributing 2.2 points per game and a season-high seven points vs. East Carolina. Swing player Liz Rogers, a tenacious competitor, has appeared in 10 games and averaged 1.6 points and 1.3 rebounds in just under four minutes a contest. She recorded six points and five rebounds in just eight minutes vs. FDU.

ACC Leaders
As of Dec. 31st, senior point guard Heidi Coleman ranked as the ACC's second-most accurate three-point shooter, hitting 42.6 percent of her attempts. Coleman also ranked fourth in threes per game at 1.9. Junior guard Alisha Mosley ranked fourth in three-point percentage (.340) and eighth in treys per game (1.6).Sophomore forward Olivia Dardy ranked eighth in the ACC in rebounding (7.3 rpg).

Team Rankings
Through games of Dec. 31st, Wake Forest led the ACC in three-pointers per game (6.6) and three-point percentage (37.8). Other ACC team rankings: 8th in scoring (66.4 ppg), 5th in scoring defense (64.8 ppg), 8th in scoring margin (+1.6), 9th in field goal percentage (.397), 5th in field goal percentage defense (.396), 8th in free throw percentage (.633), 9th in blocks (2.3 bpg), 9th in steals (6.3 spg), 8th in turnover margin (-1.6), and 6th in rebound margin (+4.4).

Honors and Awards
Olivia Dardy (So, F) - Fairfield-Warner's Classic All-Tournament Team, 11/28; ACC Co-Player of the Week, 12/14. Alisha Mosley (Jr, G) - California-Oakland Tribune Classic All-Tournament Team, 12/21.

Tip-Ins
The Deacs held Maryland to a 27.4 field goal percentage - the lowest by an opponent this year...Wake shot a season-high 48.3 percent vs. No. 9 Colorado State...Wake Forest has outrebounded 10 of its first 13 opponents for a +4.1 rebounding margin...the Deacs have drained 10 or more three-pointers on three occasions (FDU, Virginia, UMBC)...the seven turnovers Wake committed vs. UMBC tied the school record for fewest TOs in a game (set in 1982)...the 22 assists Wake made vs. FDU were the most by the Deacons in over a year...the season-opening win over VCU snapped a 16-game losing streak for the Deacs, the longest in school history...Wake hit an impressive 94.7 percent of its foul shots (18-19) vs. UNC ... the 29 turnovers vs. UNC were a season high for Wake.

PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP

Pos. No. Name                  Ht.  Yr. GP/GS  PPG  RPG   Other
 F    5  Emon McMillian        6-1  Sr. 13/13  9.5  5.2  1.4 apg
 F   12  Jenn Miklic           6-0  Sr. 12/11  2.1  1.8  0.8 apg
 C   34  LaChina Robinson      6-4  Fr. 13/13  4.2  3.9  0.8 bpg
 G   11  Alisha Mosley         5-6  Jr. 13/12 10.2  2.6  3.5 apg
 G   22  Heidi Coleman         5-6  Sr. 13/13  8.7  3.5  2.5 apg

Key Reserves

 F   32  Olivia Dardy          6-1  So.  13/2 10.7  7.5  2.1 apg
 F   50  Brenda Mock
         Kirkpatrick       6-0  So.  13/0  8.5  4.8  0.9 apg
 C   33  Elizabeth Biedrycki   6-4  Fr.  13/0  2.7  2.2  0.4 bpg
 G   21  Janae Whiteside       5-7  So.  13/1  2.8  0.9  1.6 apg
 G   10  Val Klopfer           5-6  Fr.  11/0  2.5  1.0  0.8 apg

STATISTICAL COMPARISON

    WFU     Statistic                GTech
    67.1    Points Per Game           82.0
    67.5    Points Allowed/Game       63.8
    -0.4    Scoring Margin           +19.2
    40.2    Field Goal %              45.8
    40.4    Field Goal Pct Defense    35.6
    37.6    3-Point Field Goal %      33.3
     6.3    3-Point Field Goals/Game   3.7
    65.8    Free Throw                66.7
    16.4    Assists                   15.3
    18.8    Turnovers                 18.8
     2.3    Blocks                     2.6
     6.0    Steals                     9.5
    -2.6    Turnover Margin           +0.5
    41.5    Rebounds                  47.1
    +4.1    Rebound Margin            +9.4

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