Wake Forest University
Liberty
Women's Basketball Tops Liberty 54-50
12/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2000
Winston-Salem, NC - The Wake Forest women's basketball won its fourth straight game and improved to 5-1 on the season for the first time in eight years with a 54-50 victory over visiting Liberty at Joel Coliseum Tuesday night. With the loss, Liberty falls to 2-3 on the year.
The Deacons led the entire second half, and had built a 13-point lead by the 6:44 mark, thanks to a nine-point run. But the Flames then went on an 8-1 run that reduced the WFU lead to five with 3:41 left in the game. Liberty got even closer as freshman Kristina Palaimaite sank two free throws with 27 seconds remaining to make the score 52-50. On the following possession, Deacon freshman Bianca Brown (Montclair, NJ) was fouled and went to the line with five seconds left in the game. Both free throws connected with the net, and Brown capped off the game with a steal in the final second to give Wake Forest the 54-50 win.
"Our run in the second half gave us a cushion," said Wake Forest head coach Charlene Curtis. "We were fortunate to have that lead. We're still learning how to play when we're ahead, what to do when we have the lead."
Freshman Eafton Hill (Boone, NC) recorded the team's first double-double of the 2000-01 season, grabbing 13 rebounds and scoring 12 points. The team leader in blocked shots, Hill also recorded two blocks against the Flames, bringing her to nine on the year. Senior Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (Waynesville, NC) also had a 12-point night while pulling down six rebounds. Point guards Val Klopfer (Albany, NY) and Bianca Brown each recorded four steals, while centers LaChina Robinson (Alexandria, VA) and Johanna Bjorklund (Stockholm, Sweden) blocked three shots apiece.
Two Liberty players posted double-doubles, as sophomore Michelle Fricke led the Flames with 13 points and 16 rebounds. Palaimaite finished with 12 points, 13 boards. Junior guard Rachel Young contributed 13 points.
Rebounds were a big part of this game, as Wake Forest shot a season-low 36 percent from the field, and Liberty only connected on 27 percent of their shots. The Flames owned the advantage on the boards, pulling down 57 to the Deacs' 38 rebounds. Wake Forest set a new school record with 11 blocks, surpassing a 10-block performance against South Carolina State in 1989.
The Deacons return to action this Saturday, when they host their ACC opener versus Virginia. The game, which will be played in Reynolds Gym on campus, is slated for a 2:00 pm tipoff.
"I'm confident in this team," Curtis said. "We know we haven't arrived, but we know we can get better. We have to play better on Saturday - Virginia is a very solid team. They return three starters -- Volnaya, Quarles and LaRue -- all very good players. We have our work cut out for us."
