Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons Face Third Ranked Opponent Of The Season
1/12/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 12, 2000
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball team takes on its third ranked opponent of the season as the Demon Deacons travel to No. 11 Duke for a 7:00 p.m. matchup on Thursday, January 13th. Wake Forest enters the game at 5-9 overall and 1-2 in the ACC after suffering a 72-60 loss to Coastal Carolina on Sunday, while Duke is 14-1 and 3-0 in ACC play after defeating Georgia Tech, 64-45, on Sunday.
Wake Forest (5-9, 1-2) at #11 Duke (14-1, 3-0)
Thursday, January 13, 2000 - Cameron Indoor Stadium - Durham, N.C.
Last Time Out
Cheri McNeil scored 24 points to lead Coastal Carolina to a 72-60 victory over visiting Wake Forest last Sunday. The Chanticleers jumped out to an early 15-4 lead, but the Demon Deacons responded with a 13-0 run to take a 17-15 lead on Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick's three-point play. The Deacs led by as many as five in the first period, but the Chants rallied to knot the score at 30-30 at halftime. Coastal again came out hot in the second half, using a 9-2 run to build a 39-32 lead. They would not relinquish the lead the rest of the way, as Wake could get no closer than five points. The Deacs attempted to foul the Lady Chants in the final minutes to close the gap, but CCU connected on 17 of 20 free throws down the stretch to seal the win. Kirkpatrick registered a double-double for Wake Forest with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Janae Whiteside added 13 points, while Alisha Mosley and LaChina Robinson added 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Scouting Wake Forest
Through 14 games, WFU is averaging just 59.1 points per outing while shooting 39 percent from the floor. No player is averaging in double figures, but three Deacons average over nine points per game - senior guard Alisha Mosley (9.8), junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (9.2) and sophomore center LaChina Robinson (9.1). After hitting only 22 percent of their three-point attempts in the first 12 games, the Deacs have made 44 percent of their treys in the last two games (14 of 32), averaging 7.0 threes per outing. Defensively, the Deacs have held opponents to 63.4 points per game and a field goal percentage of .379. On the boards, Wake has been outrebounded by a 4.61 margin, including double-digit rebound deficits in three of the last four games. Kirkpatrick leads the team with 7.1 boards per game.
Scouting Duke
Despite losing six seniors from last year's national runner-up squad, Duke continues to rank among the nation's best this season. The Blue Devils currently own a 14-1 overall mark, having won 13 in a row, and they are ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press and No. 8 by USA Today/ESPN. Duke's only loss came in its second outing of the season, a 77-70 decision to No. 20 Boston College. The Devils are a perfect 3-0 in ACC play, having defeated Virginia (83-62), Maryland (79-61) and Georgia Tech (64-45).
Through 15 games, Duke ranks among the nation's top 15 teams in scoring defense (5th at 52.9 ppg), scoring margin (eighth at 23.0 ppg), rebound margin (13th at 8.7), field goal percentage defense (15th at .358), free throw percentage (7th at .765) and three-point percentage (15th at .387).
Junior guard/forward Georgia Schweitzer leads the team in scoring (18.3 ppg), assists (3.7 apg) and three-point shooting (34-74, 45.9%), while senior forward Peppi Browne averages 13.1 points and a team-high 7.1 rebounds per game.
Series History
Duke holds a 30-19 advantage in the all-time series with Wake Forest, dating back to the 1974-75 season. The Blue Devils have won the last 13 straight games, including a 74-59 decision in Winston-Salem and an 86-48 contest in Durham last year. Wake's last win over the Blue Devils came in the 1992-93 season, when the Demon Deacons edged Duke 70-69 in the ACC Tournament. Duke owns a 15-7 record vs. WFU in Durham.
A QUICK LOOK AT BOTH TEAMS
| CATEGORY | WAKE FOREST | DUKE |
| Location | Winston-Salem, NC | Durham, NC |
| Enrollment | 3,836 | 6,207 |
| Nickname | Demon Deacons | Blue Devils |
| Colors | Old Gold & Black | Royal Blue & White |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast | Atlantic Coast |
| Head Coach | Charlene Curtis | Gail Goestenkors |
| Alma Mater, Year | Radford '76 | Saginaw Valley State '85 |
| Record at School | 17-52 (3rd yr) | 162-69 (8th yr) |
| Career Record | 179-202 (14th yr) | 162-69 (8th yr) |
| 1998-99 Record | 8-20 (3-13 ACC) | 29-7 (15-1 ACC) |
| Starters Ret/Lost | 2/3 | 2/3 |
| Letterwin Ret/Lost | 9/3 | 8/6 |
| Scoring Offense | 59.1 ppg | 75.9 ppg |
| Scoring Defense | 63.4 ppg | 52.9 ppg |
| Rebound Margin | -4.6 | +8.8 |
| FG Percentage | .387 | .459 |
| 3FG Percentage | .258 | .387 |
| FT Percentage | .675 | .765 |
Miller Time
Freshman forward Heather Miller has had two big scoring bursts in the early season, exploding for 17 points in the loss to No. 13 LSU and racking up a career-high 21 points in just 22 minutes vs. Georgia Tech - the highest scoring output by a Deacon this year. In her other 11 games, she's averaged 1.4 points per game. A USA Today All-American, Miller scored 2,395 points in her high school career.
Mosley Climbs Career 3-Point Charts
Senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks among the top five players all-time at WFU in three-pointers made and attempted. This season, she's hit 30 percent of her treys (17 of 56). A look at her climb up the career charts:
3-Pt Field Goals Made in a Career
| 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) | 100 |
3-Pt Field Goals Attempted in a Career
| 1. | Nicole Levesque (1990-94) | 550 |
| 2. | Heidi Coleman (1994-99) | 527 |
| 3. | Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) | 341 |
Dardy Returns From Foot Injury
Junior forward Olivia Dardy has returned to the lineup since missing five games with a stress fracture in her foot. She's played just 9.5 minutes per game in the last four outings, but was a key to the Deacs' comeback win over Florida State on Jan. 3rd. In that game, she added five points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal in the game's last 10 minutes. On the year, Dardy is averaging 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. She was the team's leading returning scorer and rebounder this season (9.6 ppg, 6.8 rpg in 98-99).
Robinson Increases Offensive Output
Sophomore center LaChina Robinson has emerged as more of an offensive threat for the Deacons this season after establishing herself as a defensive force in the paint last year. Robinson earned ACC All-Freshman honors in 1998-99, averaging 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. In 14 games this year, she has netted 9.1 points per game and scored in double figures eight times, including a 17-point performance in the win over Florida State. Robinson is shooting 55 percent from the floor and ranks fourth in the ACC in blocks (1.0 bpg).
Biedrycki Leaves Team
Sophomore center Elizabeth Biedrycki recently elected to leave the Demon Deacon women's basketball program. A 6-4 native of Charlotte, N.C., she announced her intention to transfer following the team's game at LSU on Dec. 22nd. She has not yet decided to which school she plans to transfer.
As a freshman in 1998-99, Biedrycki played just under 10 minutes per game in 27 contests, averaging 1.7 points and 0.9 rebounds per outing. She saw just 2.8 minutes per game in five games this year, contributing six points and seven rebounds.
Mosley Strong Off the Bench
Senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks as the Deacs' leading scorer despite coming off the bench in all 14 games. Mosley is averaging 9.8 points per game, having hit double figures on eight occassions. She was fairly hot from the floor in the early season, netting double figures in four of the first five games (11.8 ppg), but saw her scoring output slow in the next six games (7.8 ppg). Mosley has been an offensive key again lately, however, netting 17 points vs. Liberty (including 4 of 7 three-pointers), adding 11 points, six rebounds and six assists vs. Florida State, collecting nine points and a career-high seven assists vs. Georgia Tech, and scoring 11 points vs. Coastal Carolina.
Three-Point Arsenal
Wake Forest ranked No. 1 in the ACC and No. 19 in the nation last year in three-point shooting, averaging 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 returned but one, and eight players on the roster have legitimate three-point range.
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 (see above). Guard Adell Harris, forwards Kristen Shaffer, Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, Olivia Dardy and Heather Miller also have three-point range, as does rookie center Johanna Bjorklund.
Despite all those outside weapons, Wake has struggled from behind the three-point arc this year. The Deacs have hit just 51 of 198 threes in the first 14 games (26 percent), most of which have come from Mosley (17 of 56, .304). Klopfer and Whiteside, both of whom shot over 37 percent from the arc last year, are still looking to find their rhythm (they are 11 of 48 and 11 of 46, respectively). The Deacs have shown signs of life from behind the arc in the last two games, however, hitting 9 of 21 vs. Georgia Tech (.429) and 5 of 11 vs. Coastal Carolina (.455).
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) |
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 6.1 points per outing in the last 10 games. On the year, she ranks as the team's fourth-leading scorer (7.9 ppg).
Kirkpatrick A Force Down Low
Junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick, a team co-captain, has emerged as a force down low for the Deacs this year. In her first year as a starter, Kirkpatrick currently leads the Deacs in rebounding (7.1 rpg) and is second in scoring (9.2 ppg). She has eight double-figure scoring outings and three double-figure rebound games, including two double-doubles (vs. Furman and Coastal Carolina). Kirkpatrick has been the team's leading rebounder in 9 of 14 games.
| Opponent | Pts | Rebs | Opponent | Pts | Rebs |
| Fairfield | 11 | *8 | LSU | 12 | *8 |
| Davidson | 1 | 3 | California | 8 | *8 |
| Arizona State | 12 | 3 | Liberty | 13 | *6 |
| Richmond | 10 | *8 | Florida State | 2 | 4 |
| NC State | 6 | *10 | Georgia Tech | 2 | 4 |
| High Point | 5 | 6 | Coastal Carolina | *15 | *13 |
| Furman | *20 | *10 | (* denotes team highs) | ||
| New Orleans | 12 | *8 |
Solid From The Stripe
Senior guard Alisha Mosley has been solid from the free throw line this season, ranking fourth in the ACC with a 79.2 free throw percentage (38 of 48). Junior guard Janae Whiteside averages over 80 percent from the line - although she doesn't go often enough to rank among the ACC leaders (17 of 20, .850). Two other Deacs average over 75 percent from the line - junior forward Kristen Shaffer (76.5) and freshman center Johanna Bjorklund (75.0).
With the exception of two games, Wake Forest has been quite good from the free throw line this season. Discounting NC State (where they shot a miserable 37.5 percent from the line) and Liberty (57.1%), the Deacs have hit 71.6 of their foul shots (including those two games, WFU owns a .675 free throw percentage). Free throw shooting was a concern last year for the Deacs, who hit just 64.4 percent from the stripe.
A Look at the Rookies All three of the Deacs' rookies have seen time in the early season, with swing player Heather Miller leading the way. Miller has contributed 4.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in 9.2 minutes of action, including two double-figure outings (see previous note). Quick, athletic forward Tiffani Listenbee has also seen significant action at 9.6 minutes per outing, averaging 1.6 points and 1.6 rebounds per game. She netted five points on two occasions and grabbed five boards vs. High Point. Center Johanna Bjorklund, a native of Sweden, has averaged 9.0 minutes off the bench, averaging 2.1 points and 1.8 rebounds. Her best outings came against Arizona State (6 rebounds, 4 assists) and High Point (8 points, 3 blocks).
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 and greater defensive presence in the paint. This season, WFU has six players who stand 6-0 or taller and three who top the 6-4 mark: 6-4 sophomore center LaChina Robinson, 6-5 freshman center Johanna Bjorklund, the tallest player ever to don a Deacon uniform, and 6-4 redshirt freshman LaTisha Pearson.
Going Deep
In each of her three years at WFU, coach Charlene Curtis has gone deep into her bench in nearly every game, keeping her players fresh and giving younger players significant court time. In fact, the 11 returnees this year had seen time in 98 percent of their career games, and the five upperclassmen had missed only one game between them. Curtis has continued to go deep into her bench this year, as 11 of 13 players are part of her regular rotation.
Rebounding A Concern
Rebounding has been a concern this season for the Deacs, who have been outboarded by 10 of 14 opponents thus far. On the year, Wake has been outrebounded by an average margin of 4.6, the worst in the ACC. WFU has been outrebounded by double digits in four games this year, including three of the last four outings.
ACC Leaders
Through games of Jan 9th, senior guard Alisha Mosley ranks fourth in the ACC in free throw percentage (.792), while sophomore center LaChina Robinson was fourth in blocks (1.0 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.
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.
Noteable Deacon
A former Wake Forest women's basketball player appeared in Sports Illustrated's recent issue on the 50 greatest sports figures of the century from each of the 50 states. Nicole Levesque, who played for the Deacs from 1990-94 and ranks as the school's all-time leading three-point shooter, was No. 17 from Vermont. She is the only athlete from the state to play in the WNBA.
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 17-52 at Wake Forest (.246) and 179-202 overall (.470) as a head coach.
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 |
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | GP/GS | PPG | RPG | Other |
| F | 20 | Kristen Shaffer | 5-10 | Jr. | 14/14 | 7.9 | 3.1 | 1.1 apg |
| F | 50 | Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick | 6-0 | r-Jr. | 14/14 | 9.2 | 7.1 | 2.0 apg |
| C | 34 | LaChina Robinson | 6-4 | So. | 14/14 | 9.1 | 4.6 | 1.0 bpg |
| G | 10 | Val Klopfer | 5-4 | So. | 14/14 | 3.5 | 1.9 | 1.4 apg |
| G | 21 | Janae Whiteside | 5-6 | Jr. | 14/14 | 6.3 | 2.6 | 2.5 apg |
Key Reserves
| Pos. | No. | Name | Ht. | Yr. | GP/GS | PPG | RPG | Other |
| G | 11 | Alisha Mosley | 5-6 | Sr. | 14/0 | 9.8 | 2.7 | .792 FT% |
| F | 32 | Olivia Dardy | 6-1 | Jr. | 9/0 | 4.3 | 3.4 | 0.8 spg |
| F | 14 | Heather Miller | 5-10 | Fr. | 13/0 | 4.3 | 1.8 | 21 pts vs. GT |
| C | 12 | Johanna Bjorklund | 6-5 | Fr. | 14/0 | 2.1 | 1.8 | 0.3 bpg |
| G | 23 | Adell Harris | 5-6 | So. | 14/0 | 2.4 | 1.6 | 1.3 apg |
| F | 24 | Tiffani Listenbee | 6-1 | Fr. | 14/0 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 0.3 bpg |
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 on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM in Winston-Salem, with Tom Hart calling the play-by-play and Roper Halverson or Cathy Neville on color. WXII's 50,000-watt clear channel signal reaches a large portion of the Southeastern U.S. at night. All radio games will be simulcast on the internet at www.wakeforestsports.com, so parents, fans and alumni around the world can tune into the action. The ACC Regional Sports Network (RSN) features live telecasts of 16 regular-season and four ACC Tournament games to the six-state ACC region. Featured games are telecast Sunday at 12:30 pm and Monday at 7:00 pm on Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and Sunshine Network. The Deacs are featured in three televised games on the ACC Network this year.
DEMON DEACONS ON THE AIR IN 1999-2000
| Date | Opponent | Time | Radio/Internet/TV |
| 11/19 | Fairfield | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/23 | at Davidson | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/26 | Arizona State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 11/28 | Richmond | 3:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 12/3 | at NC State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 12/28 | California | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/3 | Florida State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/24 | at Clemson | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 1/31 | NC State | 7:00 pm | WXII/Internet |
| 2/6 | at Georgia Tech | 12:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 2/14 | Duke | 7:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 2/20 | at Maryland | 12:30 pm | WXII/Internet/RSN |
| 3/3-6 | ACC Tournament | TBA | WXII/Internet |
1999-2000 ROSTER
| No | Name | Ht | Cl | Pos | Hometown/High School |
| 10 | Val Klopfer* | 5-4 | So. | G | Albany, NY/Bishop Maginn |
| 11 | Alisha Mosley*** | 5-6 | Sr. | G | Ellicott City, MD/Mt. Hebron |
| 12 | Johanna Bjorklund | 6-5 | Fr. | C | Stockholm, Sweden/Brannkyrka Gym. |
| 14 | Heather Miller | 5-10 | Fr. | G | Bassett, VA/Bassett |
| 20 | Kristen Shaffer** | 5-10 | Jr. | G/F | Woodbridge, VA/C.D. Hylton |
| 21 | Janae Whiteside** | 5-6 | Jr. | G | Charlotte, NC/Charlotte Latin |
| 23 | Adell Harris* | 5-6 | So. | G | High Point, NC/T. Wingate Andrews |
| 24 | Tiffani Listenbee | 6-1 | Fr. | F | Clinton Township, MI/Mount Clemens |
| 32 | Olivia Dardy** | 6-1 | Jr. | F/C | Norwalk, CT/Brien McMahon |
| 34 | LaChina Robinson* | 6-4 | So. | C | Alexandria, VA/T.C. Williams |
| 45 | Liz Rogers* | 5-9 | So. | G/F | Raleigh, NC/Ravenscroft |
| 50 | Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick** | 6-0 | r-Jr. | F | Waynesville, NC/Tuscola |
| 54 | LaTisha Pearson | 6-4 | r-Fr. | C | Birmingham, AL/Woodlawn |
* letters won
Head Coach: Charlene Curtis (Radford '76), third season
Assistant Coaches: Wray Cannaday (Salisbury State '77), Stephanie Lawrence Yelton (North Carolina '96), Beth Kane (Colgate '91)
1999-2000 SCHEDULE
| November | ||
| Fri. 19 | FAIRFIELD ? | 56-63 L |
| Tue. 23 | at Davidson | 64-54 W |
| Fri. 26 | ARIZONA STATE ? | 65-70 L |
| Sun. 28 | RICHMOND ? | 71-79 L |
| December | ||
| Fri. 3 | at NC State* (6/6) | 54-74 L |
| Wed. 15 | HIGH POINT | 74-43 W |
| Fri. 17 | at Furman | 51-68 L |
| Sun. 19 | at New Orleans | 58-57 W |
| Wed. 22 | at LSU (13/17) | 52-63 L |
| Tue. 28 | CALIFORNIA ? | 57-48 W |
| Thu. 30 | at Liberty | 40-64 L |
| January | ||
| Mon. 3 | FLORIDA STATE* | 64-59 W |
| Thu. 6 | GEORGIA TECH* | 62-73 L |
| Sun. 9 | at Coastal Carolina | 60-72 L |
| Thu. 13 | at Duke* (11/8) | 7:00 |
| Sun. 16 | NORTH CAROLINA* | 3:00 |
| Wed. 19 | MARYLAND* | 7:00 |
| Mon. 24 | at Clemson* | 7:00 |
| Thu. 27 | VIRGINIA* | 7:00 |
| Mon. 31 | NC STATE* | 7:00 |
| February | ||
| Thu. 3 | at Florida State* | 7:00 |
| Sun. 6 | at Georgia Tech* | (TV) 12:30 |
| Mon. 14 | DUKE* | (TV) 7:30 |
| Thu. 17 | at North Carolina* | 7:00 |
| Sun. 20 | at Maryland* | (TV) 12:30 |
| Thu. 24 | CLEMSON* | 7:00 |
| Sun. 27 | at Virginia* | 2:00 |
| March | ||
| Fri. 3- | ACC Tournament | |
| Mon. 6 | @ Greensboro, N.C. |
* ACC game
? - Reynolds Gym (all other home games at LJVM Coliseum)
TV - ACC Regional Sports Network (Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, Sunshine Network)
