Wake Forest University
Nc Wilmington
Women's Basketball Sinks the UNCW Seahawks, 68-60
12/7/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 7, 2001
The Wake Forest women's basketball team opened a Deacon doubleheader at Joel Coliseum on Friday evening, defeating UNC Wilmington, 68-60. The win halted a four-game losing skid for the Deacons, improving their record to 3-4 overall. UNCW drops to 3-3 on the season.
"I'm happy we won this game," said head coach Charlene Curtis. "Its been a tough time for our players, but they were able to come out and be focused for the entire ball game."
Wake Forest started the game on a 13-5 run as the Seahawks missed their first 14 field goal attempts of the game. UNCW kept the game close in the first half, however, by converting on 9 of 12 from charity stripe, while the Deacons did not attempt a free throw in the opening period. UNCW finished the game shooting 81 percent (17-of-21) from the foul line. The Deacons shot 50 percent from the field in the first to take a 31-24 lead at the break.
Wake continued to build on its lead in the second half, going up by as much as 19 points by the 6:29 mark. The Seahawks kept themselves in the game behind the three-point shooting of sophomore guard Jennifer Kapper, who shot a career best six from beyond the arc, including five in the second half.
Wake sophomore guard Tonia Brown (Roanoke, Va.), after picking up two early fouls, used an 18-point second half to widen Wake Forest's seven-point halftime lead. Brown finished the night with a career-high 20 points, including 6-of-7 from the field (3-of-4 from three-point range) and 5-of-6 from the line.
"We got a solid game from LaChina Robinson, she had almost 10 points," said coach Curtis. "Both Tonia Brown and Meredith Bell shot the ball very well. We've struggled from that position (two guard) for the last few games. It was good to get 33 points from that position."
Bell, a freshman, enjoyed a career-best night with 13 points off 5-of-8 shooting. She also scored a trio of three-pointers.
Kapper led the Seahawk effort with a game-high 25 points. Shameka Montgomery and Jeri-Lynn Coker each contributed 12 points for UNCW.
Wake Forest shot over 49 percent from the field, while UNCW connected on just 31 percent of its shots. The teams were nearly equal in rebounding (WFU 35, UNCW 34) and turnovers (UNCW 16 to Wake's 17).
The Wake Forest women's basketball team returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 16, traveling to High Point to take on the Panthers in a 2:00 p.m. tipoff. The Seahawks travel to the College of Charleston on Dec. 12.
