Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Hosts Georgia Tech On Thursday
1/4/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2000
Wake Forest (5-7, 1-1) vs. Georgia Tech (8-4, 1-2)
Thursday, January 6, 2000
LJVM Coliseum - Winston-Salem, N.C.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- After picking up their first ACC win of the year, the Wake Forest women's basketball team looks to make it two in a row as the Demon Deacons host Georgia Tech on Thursday, Jan. 6th, at 7:00 pm in LJVM Coliseum. The Yellow Jackets come into the game at 8-4 overall and 1-2 in the ACC, having dropped two straight contests, while Wake Forest stands at 5-7 overall and 1-1 in conference play after a 64-59 win over Florida State.
Last Time Out
Sophomore center LaChina Robinson scored 17 points and grabbed six rebounds as Wake Forest rallied to defeat Florida State, 64-59, at LJVM Coliseum on Monday night. Both teams struggled in the first half, as each recorded more turnovers than field goals. Wake held a tenuous 20-18 lead at intermission, but FSU opened the second half with a 15-4 run to take a nine-point lead. The Seminoles led until the 2:00 mark, when a Kristen Shaffer layup capped an 8-0 Wake Forest run to give the Deacs a 56-55 advantage. An FSU jumper put the Noles back ahead briefly, but Robinson hit two free throws to put Wake ahead for good. The Deacs shot just 29 percent from the floor in the first half but buried 52 percent of their field goals after intermission. The Seminoles outrebounded WFU, 47-36. Senior guard Alisha Mosley added 11 points, six rebounds and six assists, while Shaffer chipped in 11 points. Junior forward Olivia Dardy was a key player down the stretch, contributing five points, five rebounds and three assists in the last 10 minutes.
Scouting Wake Forest
Through 12 games, WFU has struggled to put points on the board, averaging just 58.9 points per outing and shooting 38 percent from the floor. No player is averaging in double figures, but three Deacs average over nine points per game - senior guard Alisha Mosley (9.8), sophomore center LaChina Robinson (9.4), and junior forward Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (9.3). Despite having numerous three-point shooters, WFU has struggled from behind the arc, hitting only 23 percent of its trey attempts. Defensively, the Deacs have played well, though, holding opponents to 61.8 points per game and a field goal percentage of .381. On the boards, Wake has been outrebounded by a 4.7 margin. Kirkpatrick leads the team with 6.8 boards per game.
Scouting Georgia Tech
Thursday's game marks only the fourth true "road" game of the year for Georgia Tech, who has played nine of its first 12 games in Atlnata (eight at home, one at Georgia State). The Yellow Jackets are off to an 8-4 start, but have dropped their last two games to Pittsburgh (75-69) and Virginia (83-70). Tech is 1-2 in ACC play, having defeated Clemson (81-62) while losing to NC State (80-70) and UVa. The Jackets suffered a blow in late November when 1999 ACC Rookie of the Year Niesha Butler suffered a season-ending knee injury (torn ACL) in the NC State game, Butler was the team's leading scorer at the time of the injury (13.3 ppg). Through 12 games, junior Jamie Kruppa ranks as the team's leading scorer and rebounder (12.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg) while senior guard Danielle Donehew (11.3 ppg) and sophomore guard Milli Martinez (10.3 ppg), who inherited Butler's starting job, also average double-figure points. Donehew averages an ACC-high 3.0 three-pointers per game, sinking 40 percent of her trey attempts. As a team, the Yellow Jackets rank as the ACC's top scoring offense (80.2 ppg), shooting 42.9 percent from the floor. Tech has outrebounded opponents by an impressive 7.3 margin.
Series History
Georgia Tech leads the all-time series with Wake Forest, 21-17, and the Yellow Jackets have won seven of the last eight meetings between the two schools. Last season, Wake and Tech split their two meetings, with the Deacons earning a thrilling 77-72 come-from-behind victory in Winston-Salem, and the Jackets winning 74-58 in Atlanta. On its home court, WFU owns a 13-5 edge over GT.
A QUICK LOOK AT BOTH TEAMS
| CATEGORY | WAKE FOREST | GEORGIA TECH |
| Location | Winston-Salem, NC | Atlanta, GA |
| Enrollment | 3,836 | 13,000 |
| Nickname | Demon Deacons | Yellow Jackets |
| Colors | Old Gold & Black | Old Gold & White |
| Conference | Atlantic Coast | Atlantic Coast |
| Head Coach | Charlene Curtis | Agnus Berenato |
| Alma Mater, Year | Radford '76 | Mount St. Mary's '80 |
| Record at School | 17-50 (3rd yr) | 165-159 (12th yr) |
| Career Record | 179-200 (14th yr) | 225-214 (15th yr) |
| SID | Jen Hoover | Chad Austin |
| Phone | (336) 758-5640 | (404) 894-5445 |
| Fax | (336) 758-5140 | (404) 894-1248 |
| hooverjj@wfu.edu | caustin@at.gtaa.gatech.edu | |
| 1998-99 Record | 8-20 (3-13 ACC) | 13-14 (6-10 ACC) |
| Starters Ret/Lost | 2/3 | 3/2 |
| Letterwin. Ret/Lost | 9/3 | 8/3 |
| Scoring Offense | 58.9 ppg | 80.2 ppg |
| Scoring Defense | 61.8 ppg | 75.0 ppg |
| Rebound Margin | -4.7 | +7.4 |
| FG Percentage | .381 | .429 |
| 3FG Percentage | .228 | .382 |
| FT Percentage | .679 | .676 |
Dardy Returns From Foot Injury
Junior forward Olivia Dardy has returned to the Deacon lineup after missing five games due to a stress fracture in her foot. Dardy saw limited action in the Liberty game (six minutes), but was a significant factor in the Deacs' win over Florida State on Monday. In the last 10 minutes of the game, she netted five points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal as the Deacs rallied from behind to win. On the season, Dardy is averaging 4.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game in 13 minutes of action. 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).
Mosley Climbs Career 3-Point Charts
Senior guard Alisha Mosley already ranks among the top five players all-time at Wake Forest in terms of three-point field goals made and attempted. This season, she is hitting a team-best 31 percent of her three-point shots (16 of 51). A look at her climb up the career charts:
3-Pt Field Goals Made
1. Nicole Levesque (1990-94) 1932. Heidi Coleman (1994-99) 1913. Sabrina Slone (1989-93) 1134. Gretchen Hollifield (1992-96) 1045. Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) 98
3-Pt Field Goals Attempted
1. Nicole Levesque (1990-94) 5502. Heidi Coleman (1994-99) 5273. Alisha Mosley (1996-pres) 335
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 season. Robinson earned ACC All-Freshman honors in 1998-99, averaging 5.5 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game. In 12 games this year, she has netted 9.4 points per game and scored in double figures seven times, including a 17-point performance in the win over Florida State. Robinson is shooting 57 percent from the floor (42-74) and also averages 4.5 rebounds and 0.9 blocks per game.
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 12 games. Mosley is averaging 9.8 points per game, having hit double figures on seven 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's game has started to heat up again, however, as she netted 17 points vs. Liberty (including 4 of 7 three-pointers) and had 11 points, six rebounds and six assists vs. Florida State.
A Quiet 3-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, however, Wake has struggled noticeably from behind the three-point arc this year. The Deacs have hit just 38 of 167 threes in the first 12 games (22.8 percent). Almost half of those treys have come from senior guard Alisha Mosley, who is shooting 31 percent from the arc (16 of 51) while the rest of the team is 22 of 116 (.190). 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 9 of 42 and 6 of 37, respectively).
1998-99 3-POINT SHOOTING TOTALS
172 3-Pt FG Made*502 3-Pt FG Attempted*34.3 3-Pt FG Percentage6.1 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 5.9 points per outing in the last eight games. On the year, she ranks as the team's fourth-leading scorer (8.5 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 after serving as a backup to Emon McMillian for two seasons, Kirkpatrick currently leads the Deacs in rebounding (6.8 rpg) and is third in scoring (9.3 ppg). She has seven double-figure scoring outings and two double-figure rebound games, including a double-double in the loss to Furman with a career-high 20 points and 10 rebounds. Kirkpatrick has been the team's leading rebounder in 8 of 12 games.
Opponent Pts Rebs Opponent Pts RebsFairfield 11 *8 Furman *20 *10Davidson 1 3 New Orleans 12 *8Arizona State 12 3 LSU 12 *8Richmond 10 *8 California 8 *8NC State 6 *10 Liberty 13 *6High Point 5 6 Florida State 2 4(* denotes team highs)
Strong From The Stripe
Senior guard Alisha Mosley has been outstanding from the free throw line this season, leading the ACC with an 82.9 free throw percentage (34 of 41). Junior guard Janae Whiteside is also averaging over 80 percent from the line (although she doesn't go often enough to rank among the ACC leaders), having hit 17 of 20 foul shots (.850). Actually, with the exception of two games, Wake Forest has been quite sharp 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 72.6 of their foul shots (counting those two games, WFU owns a .676 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 forward Tiffani Listenbee leading the way at 10.0 minutes per outing. A quick, athletic player, Listenbee has averaged 1.8 points and 1.8 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 9.0 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 2.8 points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 8.2 minutes of action. She exploded for 17 points vs. No. 13 LSU, hitting 5 of 8 from the floor and 5 of 6 from the line.
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 a 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. An ACC All-Freshman pick last year, 6-4 sophomore center LaChina Robinson has become more of an offensive force this year, averaging 9.4 points and 4.5 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 2.5 points and 2.0 rebounds in just over nine minutes a game. Redshirt freshman LaTisha Pearson, who stands 6-4, has seen limited action at both center and power forward.
Going Deep
In each of her three seasons at WFU, head coach Charlene Curtis has gone deep into her bench in nearly every game, keeping her players on the floor fresh and giving the young players significant playing experience. In fact, the 11 returning Deacons 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 season, as 11 of 13 players have become part of her regular rotation. She is even known to substitute all five players at once, replacing starters Val Klopfer, Janae Whiteside, Kristen Shaffer, Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick and LaChina Robinson with reserves Alisha Mosley, Adell Harris, Heather Miller, Tiffani Listenbee, Olivia Dardy and/or Johanna Bjorklund.
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 Jan 3rd, senior guard Alisha Mosley led the ACC in free throw percentage (.829), while sophomore center LaChina Robinson ranked fifth in blocks (0.9 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
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 17-50 at Wake Forest (.254) and 179-200 overall (.472) as a head coach.
1999-2000 ACC PRESEASON MEDIA POLL
1. North Carolina (22) 3202. NC State (14) 3023. Virginia (2) 2604. Duke 2085. Georgia Tech 1926. Clemson 1667. Florida State 1108. Maryland 889. Wake Forest 64
PROBABLE DEMON DEACON LINEUP
Pos. No. Name Ht. Yr. GP/GS PPG RPG Other F 20 Kristen Shaffer 5-10 Jr. 12/12 8.5 3.2 .411 FG% F 50 Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick 6-0 r-Jr. 12/12 9.3 6.8 2.3 apg C 34 LaChina Robinson 6-4 So. 12/12 9.4 4.5 .568 FG% G 10 Val Klopfer 5-4 So. 12/12 3.6 1.6 1.3 apg G 21 Janae Whiteside 5-6 Jr. 12/12 5.8 2.7 2.8 apg
Key Reserves G 11 Alisha Mosley 5-6 Sr. 12/0 9.8 2.8 .829 FT% F 32 Olivia Dardy 6-1 Jr. 7/0 4.6 4.0 1.0 spg F 14 Heather Miller 5-10 Fr. 11/0 2.8 1.5 17 pts vs. LSU C 12 Johanna Bj?rklund 6-5 Fr. 12/0 2.5 1.9 0.8 apg G 23 Adell Harris 5-6 So. 12/0 2.1 1.8 1.3 apg F 24 Tiffani Listenbee 6-1 Fr. 12/0 1.8 1.8 .474 FG%
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 and all ACC Tournament games on WXII NewsRadio 830 AM, 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 broadcasts of 16 regular-season and four ACC Tournament games to the six-state ACC region. Featured games are telcast Sundays at 12:30 pm and Mondays at 7:00 pm on Home Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and the 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/TV11/19 Fairfield 7:00 pm WXII/Internet11/23 at Davidson 7:00 pm WXII/Internet11/26 Arizona State 7:00 pm WXII/Internet11/28 Richmond 3:00 pm WXII/Internet12/3 at NC State 7:00 pm WXII/Internet12/28 California 7:00 pm WXII/Internet1/3 Florida State 7:00 pm WXII/Internet1/24 at Clemson 7:00 pm WXII/Internet1/31 NC State 7:00 pm WXII/Internet2/6 at Georgia Tech 12:30 pm WXII/Internet/RSN2/14 Duke 7:30 pm WXII/Internet/RSN2/20 at Maryland 12:30 pm WXII/Internet/RSN3/3-6 ACC Tournament TBA WXII/InternetSchedule subject to change.
