Wake Forest Athletics
Women's Basketball Recruits Shine in All-Star Game
6/21/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
July 22, 1998
GREENSBORO, N.C. - The girls All-Star Basketball game at the Greensboro Coliseum had a Wake Forest feel as two signees, Adell Harris and Elizabeth Biedrycki, supplied a one-two punch as the West defeated the East 63-55 last night.
Harris, a 5-7 guard from High Point Andrews, dominated offensively and defensively for 11 points to lead the West. Biedrycki, a 6-4 center from Charlotte Catholic, controlled the inside for the West and had nine points and eight rebounds.
Harris, named the Most Valuable Player, said she was excited because the West took a 15-point lead at one time and had to fight hard to win the game.
"That's me, for the last 10 years, that's all I have been doing -- pressing, getting up and pushing the ball. That's all I've been taught to do," Harris said. "I just rely on my ball movement. That's one of the things I do best. That's what I do best and if I feel I can break my man off the dribble and get it to the other man then that's what I'm going to do."
The West held a 46-31 with 2:27 left in the third quarter after Brandy Carland of Asheville Roberson got an offensive rebound and dished it to Biedrycki for the layup. Biedrycki was subsequently fouled by April Cromartie of Union High School and made the free throw.
The East chipped the lead to 48-38 at the end of third with Cromartie and Ebony Green of Richmond County supplying the ammunition. Cromartie hit a layup with 1:31 left to cut the lead to 46-33, and Green added three points in the final 1:09.
A fast-paced fourth quarter allowed the East to trim the lead 50-45 with 5:45 left. Clifeteana McKiver, a 6-3, 202-pound center from East Duplin who has signed with East Carolina, dominated inside with four rebounds and didn't allow the West to set up inside.
After Tonika Smith of the West hit a layup with 5:11 left, Coach Mike Lovin of the East called a timeout. After the timeout, Tiffany Cole of the West stole the inbounds pass, dished it to Harris, and Harris hit a layup to put the West up 56-45.
Coach Eddie Cobb of the West, who recently resigned as head coach at Mount Airy, said the West played better throughout the game than the East. "We were more consistent than they were. They hit a streak. In any basketball game, things are going to happen.
"You've just got to be able to handle it and not let it get you down."
It looked as though the West was going to run away with the game at that point. However, Carrie Emory of the East, who played at East Duplin, put on the afterburners and took over. She scored six points and had a rebound to cut the lead to its smallest deficit since the first quarter to 56-52 with a 3-pointer with 2:46 left.
Lovin said he was pleased with how his team responded after falling behind and coming back.
"We had a breakdown on the full-court press. They scored and pushed it back up to seven, but we couldn't get the ball in. They did such a good job -- they gave everything they had and if they had to do again, they'd do it the same way.
After Carland hit a layup to put the West up 58-52, and Cobb decided to stall the ball and hope the East would foul. The ploy worked even though the East shot poorly from the line.
The West shot 3 for 10 from the line in the final 1:48 and finished at 42 percent for the game.
Stacey Hinkle of Ledford finished with four points, two assists, and one rebounds. Sarah Lewis of East Forsyth had four points.
BOX SCORE
East 11 9 18 17 -- 55 West 13 19 17 14 -- 63East -- Coker 7, Emory 10, Reid 2, Gilchrist 1, McKiver 7, Reader 7, Green 2, Green 14, Cromartie 10, Bryan 2
West -- Hinkle 4, Harris 11, Smith 6, Cole 6, Lewis 4, Carland 4, Reid 7, Jefferson 10, Lesper 2, Biedrycki 9
Story written by Jay Spivey, Journal Now.
