Wake Forest Athletics
Women's Basketball Season Wrap-Up
3/19/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
March 19, 2002
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WAKE FOREST WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
2001-02 SEASON WRAP-UP
Overall Record: 12-15
ACC Record/Finish: 5-11/7th
How It Began: The Demon Deacons opened the season with a 70-66 win over Appalachian State at home.
How It Ended: Wake Forest, the seventh seed in the ACC Tournament, fell to Maryland, 72-66, in its opening round game at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Along The Way: Wake's 12 wins were the most in five seasons and its five ACC victories were the highest since 1995-96 ... sophomore Tonia Brown earned third-team All-ACC honors ... Wake captured two weekly league honors during the year, as Meredith Bell was named ACC Rookie of the Week in December and Bianca Brown earned Player of the Week honors in February ... head coach Charlene Curtis captured her 200th career victory with a 58-46 win over Clemson on Jan. 17 ... Tonia Brown broke the school's single-season three-point record, connecting on 62 treys during the year ... LaChina Robinson grabbed 20 rebounds versus Radford in November, an ACC single-game high this season ... three different players notched double-doubles during the season ... WFU recorded its biggest margin of victory against an ACC opponent in 13 seasons, defeating Maryland by 18 points in the regular season finale ... eight of Wake's opponents earned post-season berths, including two No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament ... Wake's 151 three-pointers as a team were the second-highest total in school history.
Women's Basketball Wraps-Up 2001-02 Campaign
The Wake Forest women's basketball season ended Friday, March 1, with a 72-66 loss to Maryland in the opening round of the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.
Despite the sooner-than-expected ending, the 2001-02 campaign goes down as one of the more successful in recent history. The season proved that the program is still on the rise and is continuing to make significant progress each year. Wake Forest, with a final record of 12-16 overall and 5-11 in the ACC, posted its highest number of wins in five seasons and best ACC regular-season record since the 1995-96 campaign.
The 2001-02 campaign also marked the 31st season of women's basketball at Wake Forest University. The Demon Deacons' all-time record is 327-453.
Tonia Brown Named Third-Team All-ACC
Wake Forest sophomore guard Tonia Brown was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference third team, as voted on by 46 members of the Atlantic Coast Sports Writers Association. Brown, from Roanoke, Va., was the top vote-getter on the third team and received one vote for the first team.
Brown, who finished the season as Wake Forest's leading scorer (13.9 ppg) ranked among the ACC leaders in four different categories. She was 10th in scoring, third in three-point field goal percentage (.343), third in three-pointers per game (2.26) and third in steals (2.22). Her productivity increased in ACC games only, as she ranked seventh in scoring (15.2 ppg), ninth in field goal percentage (.380), and second in three-point percentage (.362), three-pointers per game (2.88) and steals (2.38).
Brown knocked down 62 three-pointers this season, breaking Wake Forest's single-season record set by Heidi Coleman in 1996-97 . She scored at least one three-pointer in every ACC game this season and is currently riding a streak of 17 straight games with at least one three-point field goal. She ranks sixth on WFU's career chart with 82 treys.
Brown also led the Demon Deacons in steals (62) this year, a total that ranks ninth on Wake's single-season list. She also played a team-high 30.2 minutes per game and was second on the squad in assists (2.5 apg).
Brown is the 13th player in Wake Forest history to be named to an All-ACC team, and the first since Tracy Connor was a first-team selection in 1996.
25th ACC Tournament Notables
* Wake Forest is one of seven league schools to have played in every ACC Tournament dating back to 1978. The Deacs own an all-time record of 6-25 in the event.
* Wake's seventh seed in 2002 was its highest since earning the No. 7 spot in the 1996 ACC Tournament. The Deacs have entered the tournament as the eight or nine seed in each of the previous five seasons.
* Wake Forest owns a 4-5 record in opening round games, but has yet to post a victory as the No. 7 seed, going 0-7 at that position.
* Wake Forest is still searching for its first ACC Tournament victory in the Greensboro Coliseum. The Deacs are 0-3 in Greensboro as the ACC hosted its third straight tournament in the facility in 2002. WFU will get another chance next year, as the ACC celebrates its 50th anniversary with both the women's and men's tournaments taking place at the Greensboro Coliseum.
Statistical Notables
* With 62 three-pointers this season, sophomore guard Tonia Brown broke the school single-season record, set by former Deacon Heidi Coleman in the 1996-97 season. Brown's accomplishment was the first Wake Forest single-season record broken in any statistical category since Coleman set that mark five years ago.
* Senior point guard Adell Harris dished 108 assists this season, the first Deacon to reach the century mark since Gretchen Hollifield set a school record with 181 in the 1995-96 campaign. Harris' total also ranked among the top 10 seasons, as she finished 10th.
* Wake Forest's 151 three-pointers this year as a team is the second-highest season total in school history. The WFU record is 172, set in the 1998-99 campaign.
ACC Notables
* Wake Forest finished seventh in the ACC standings for the first time since the 1995-96 campaign and posted its highest number of wins (5) since going 6-10 in the league that same season.
* Wake's 18-point win over Maryland in the regular season finale was its biggest margin of victory over an ACC opponent in 13 seasons. The Deacs defeated Georgia Tech, 70-52, in Atlanta in the 1989-90 campaign.
* The Deacons were weekend warriors this season, as they were on the road in ACC play for five of seven weekends in January and February. In fact, Wake's home finale with Maryland on Feb. 24 was its first home weekend game since hosting NC State on Dec. 30, 2001.
* Wake Forest's 5-11 record in ACC play gave head coach Charlene Curtis her best conference record during her tenure at the school. After an 0-16 season during her first year with the Deacons (1997-98), Curtis' teams compiled a 3-13 mark in each of the three previous seasons.
* Wake Forest's win over North Carolina on Jan. 24 marked the third straight season the Deacs have defeated the Tar Heels in Winston-Salem. After halting an 18-game UNC win streak in 2000, the two teams split the last six meetings, with the home team emerging as the winner in those games.
* The win over the Tar Heels marked the Deacons' first victory over a ranked opponent since defeating UNC in the 2000 season.
Demon Deacon Details
Wake Forest returned 11 letterwinners and three starters from last year's squad which produced an 11-17 record, its best in four seasons. The team's top returning scorer a year ago, 6-0 forward Eafton Hill, returned for her sophomore campaign after earning 2001 ACC All-Freshman honors.
Although she was later sidelined for eight games with a broken foot, Hill was the team's leading scorer (12.5 ppg) through the first four contests of the year. A strong shot-blocker, Hill was averaging an ACC-high 2.0 blocks per game before not having enough games to qualify for the rankings. She made a gradual comeback over the second half of the season. After struggling with her shot, converting on just one of 22 attempts over a three-game set in early February, Hill seemed to find her touch against Virginia on Feb. 14. She nailed all three of her three-point attempts and finished with a team-high 11 points. Hill had a solid outing in the season finale versus Maryland, scoring 10 points, including three three-pointers, six rebounds and a career-best four steals.
The senior class consisted of two point guards and two centers. LaChina Robinson, who stands 6-4, played in every game of her collegiate career (112) and had 94 career starts. She reached a milestone in the Deacs' win over Radford (Nov. 21), posting her first double-double with 15 points and 20 rebounds. She led the team and ranked 10th in the ACC in rebounding (6.1 rpg), and also had a team-high 25 blocked shots. Another 6-4 senior, LaTisha Pearson, saw limited action during her career but had a career-best performance against UNC Asheville (Dec. 19) with six points and eight rebounds.
Val Klopfer, a 5-4 senior, was the team's most experienced point guard, but classmate Adell Harris was the one to beat this year for playing time at the point guard position, averaging 4.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and a team-high 3.86 assists per outing.
Junior Tiffani Listenbee stepped into a much larger role this season, but searched for consistency. A 6-1 forward, Listenbee broke her career scoring record with 15 points in the season opener versus ASU (Nov. 19). She set another career best with 10 rebounds at Valparaiso (Dec. 22). In the win over North Carolina on Jan. 21, Listenbee recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds. Junior Johanna Bj?rklund, the tallest player on the team (6-5), provided depth at center. Bj?rklund averaged 4.0 minutes this season, and gradually saw her playing time increase over the season.
In addition to Hill, the sophomore class consisted of three other players who have seen significant action the last two seasons. Point guard Bianca Brown played in every game and had 10 starts, increasing her offensive production over the course of the year. Shooting guard Tonia Brown, a third-team All-ACC pick, was the team's top scorer (13.9 ppg), and broke her career high four times this season. She posted 22 double-figure outings and four 20-point outings this season, including a career-best 28-point performance in the team's win over FSU. Forward Tracy Alston, at 5-10, is a smothering defender and strong rebounder at the small forward position who improved her rebounding numbers late in the season, averaging 8.4 rebounds over a five-game set against ACC opponents. This season Alston set new career scoring (10 points) and rebounding highs (12).
This year's freshman class consisted of 5-9 shooting guard Meredith Bell, 6-0 post player Erin Ferrell and 6-1 guard/forward Jennifer Johnson. All three saw significant action this season and made an impact. Ferrell was the team's top scorer with a 16-point effort at Western Carolina (Nov. 29) and was one of the team leaders in field goal percentage (.417). Johnson is an all-around player who contributed 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds an outing, and scored a team-high 16 points at North Carolina (Dec. 5). Bell, an ACC Rookie of the Week in December, is a strong shooter who knocked down 23 three pointers this season and averaged 3.8 points per game.
Head Coach Charlene Curtis
Head coach Charlene Curtis (Radford '76) finished her fifth season at the helm of the Demon Deacon program. Her career coaching record of 204-247 (42-97 at WFU) also includes stints at her alma mater, Radford, as well as Temple.
Curtis' head coaching career began at Radford, where she posted a 121-53 mark in six seasons and was twice named Big South Coach of the Year. She then spent four seasons at Temple, producing a 41-97 record and four Atlantic-10 All-Rookie players. Before coming to WFU, Curtis spent two seasons at the University of Connecticut, serving as an assistant coach under Geno Auriemma and helping guide the Huskies to two BIG EAST titles and an NCAA Final Four appearance.
Curtis' coaching career also includes stints as an assistant coach at Virginia (1981-83), Georgetown (1984) and USA Basketball (1989-92, '94). As a player at Radford, Curtis was the school's first 1,000-point scorer and was inducted as a charter member of RU's Hall of Fame in 1995. She earned a master's degree from UVa in 1982.
Curtis Honored by Winston-Salem Chronicle
Wake Forest head basketball coach Charlene Curtis was recently honored as a recipient of the 2002 Winston-Salem Chronicle's "Special Recognition Award" as part of the publication's annual community service awards. Curtis received the award at a banquet in March.
Wake Assistant Coach Named to ACC Silver Anniversary Team
Wake Forest assistant coach and NC State graduate Sharon Manning was named to the ACC Women's Basketball Silver Anniversary team. Manning earned the honor as a result of being selected as an ACC Tournament Most Valuable Player.
Manning led NC State to its fourth conference crown in 1991, using a 31-point, 19-rebound performance to lead the Wolfpack to an 84-61 victory over Clemson.
Manning, along with 22 other former Tournament MVPs, were honored together as the Silver Anniversary Team between semifinal games at the ACC Tournament.
Sophomore Sensations
Last year's freshman class of Eafton Hill, Tonia Brown, Tracy Alston and Bianca Brown all saw significant action as rookies. And this season, they proved the experience they gained paid dividends, as all four started at least seven games and each led the Deacs in either scoring, rebounding or assists at least twice during the year. In fact this sophomore group provided the spark for the Deacons' win over Clemson on Jan. 17, as they finished as Wake's top four scorers, Hill was the leading rebounder, and Alston and Tonia Brown led the team in assists.
Tonia Brown - A Three-Point Threat
Wake Forest shooting guard Tonia Brown ranked as one of the top three-point shooters in the ACC this season. She has drained a team-high 62 three-pointers, including a single-game career best six versus Florida State on Jan. 10. She also broke the school's single-season record with that total.
Divide the season in half and notice the increase in her numbers just over the course of this season. Brown hit 11 total treys in the first 10 games of the season. But over the second half of the season (18 games), Brown connected on 52 three-pointers (2.9 per game).
Her streak of consecutive games with at least one three-pointer now stands at 17, and she scored at least one trey in every ACC game this season.
After two seasons of competition, Brown already ranks in sixth place on Wake's career three-pointers list (82), sixth in three-point attempts (261) and ninth in career three-point percentage (.314).
Brown ranked third in the ACC in three-pointers per game (2.26) as well as third in three-point shooting percentage (.343). In conference games only, she finished second in the league in three-pointers per game (2.88) and third in percentage (.362).
Brown finished her rookie season last year as the Deacons' leader with 20 total three-pointers, and had already passed that mark by the 13th game of this season.
Tonia Brown Stepping Up Her All-Around Game
Sophomore Tonia Brown's three-point shooting has already been mentioned, but it's also worth noting that the 5-10 guard emerged as the team's top scorer this season, averaging 13.9 points per game (15.3 ppg in ACC contests). With last year's leading scorer, Eafton Hill, sidelined for eight midseason games with an injury, Brown took on a greater responsibility of producing points and responded well.
After serving as a backup to senior starter Kristen Shaffer last season, Brown stepped into the starting shooting guard position this year and was the team's top scorer in 21 of 28 games this season and posted 22 double-figure outings, including a career-best 28 points in the win over Florida State on Jan. 10.
"We've been very pleased with her progress," said coach Curtis of Brown. "She showed moments last year in a support role, but this year we've really handed the reins to her as she's done well. The toughest thing for her is that we haven't gotten her any help. We're still looking for a consistent second and third option to go to."
Brown, who has natural point guard abilities as well, ranked second on the team with an average of 2.5 assists per game. She also stepped up her rebounding numbers, averaging 4.3 boards - a mark that was fourth on the team. She also led the squad with 62 steals (2.2 spg), including a career-best and team single-game season high six thefts against NC State on Jan. 31.
In fact, in ACC games only, Brown appeared among the league's top 10 players in five different statistical categories, including scoring, field goal percentage, three-point field goals, three-point percentage and steals.
Youth Movement
Even with four seniors on the roster, the overall makeup of the WFU women's basketball team was still quite young in 2001-02. Four of Wake's starting lineups this season consisted of one senior, one junior and three sophomores or two seniors, two sophomores and a freshman. A pair of sophomores - Eafton Hill and Tonia Brown - ranked first and third on the team in scoring.
Of the 5,625 minutes of court time logged by the Demon Deacons this season, Wake's sophs and freshmen accounted for 59.8 percent of those minutes, playing 3,365.
Also, a freshman or sophomore led the Deacs in scoring in 25 of 28 games this season and in rebounding on 15 occasions. In fact, 26 of Wake's 38 points scored against top-ranked UConn in November were posted by either sophomores or freshmen.
Johnson All Over the Court
Freshman Jennifer Johnson didn't lead the Demon Deacon squad in any particular statistic, but the 6-1 guard/forward made an impact in several areas of Wake's game this year.
Johnson, who averaged 12.6 minutes of playing time, had a knack for being in a position to make something happen. In her collegiate debut against Appalachian State, Johnson grabbed a key offensive rebound in the closing seconds to help preserve a four-point Deacon victory. In her ACC debut versus North Carolina in Chapel Hill, Johnson scored 16 points and pulled down six rebounds. In the ACC Tournament game versus Maryland, Johnson played a big role in helping WFU close the gap on a 26-point second-half deficit, sinking three long-range three-pointers at key moments in the comeback.
Johnson showed flashes of a solid perimeter game, with a quick-release shot that ranked her fifth on the team with 14 three-pointers.
Robinson "Posts" the Big Numbers
Center LaChina Robinson had a career-best night on Nov. 21 versus Radford. The 6-4 senior notched her first career double-double with a 15-point, 20-rebound performance against the Highlanders. Robinson surpassed her previous rebounding high of 10 boards with over four minutes remaining in the first half, and tacked on another nine in the second half. While it was not her career high in scoring, it was the most points she has posted since scoring 22 against Georgia Tech in the 1998-99 season.
With that 20-rebound performance, Robinson became just the fourth player in WFU history - and first since 1995 - to pull down at least 20 rebounds in a single game. It also goes down as the 18th-best rebounding performance in ACC history, and she is the only league player this season to post 20 boards. The school record is 22, set by Tracy Connor in 1993.
This season Robinson moved onto Wake's all-time rebounding chart. She finished her career in 15th place with 475 boards.
WFU's All-Time 20-Rebound Games
22 * Tracy Connor vs. NC State (Jan. 21, 1993) - tied for sixth in the ACC
21 * Barbara Durham vs. Duke (Nov. 24, 1979) - tied for 11th in the ACC
20 * RaeAnna Mulholland vs. Georgia Tech (Jan. 12, 1995) - tied for 18th in the ACC
20 * LaChina Robinson vs. Radford (Nov. 21, 2001) - tied for 18th in the ACC
Tough Schedule
Wake Forest faced a tough schedule in 2001-02. Six teams on this year's slate - Clemson, UConn, Duke, Norfolk State, UNC and Virginia - earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament, including two No.1 seeds (UConn and Duke). Two other opponents - Georgia Tech and Valparaiso - secured spots in the Women's NIT bracket.
Three opponents on this year's slate were currently ranked among the top 25 teams in the final regular season Associated Press poll and USA Today/ESPN coaches' poll. For the second straight year, WFU has faced No. 1 UConn. ACC opponents Duke (No. 4) and North Carolina (No. 19/21) also appeared in the polls.
Playing in the ACC presented a monumental task in itself as the six other teams in the league were either ranked or received votes during the year. Clemson and Virginia were among those receiving votes in the final regular season polls.
Looking Ahead to 2002-03 Although Wake Forest will lose four seniors, including two starters, to graduation, here is what this year's underclassmen will bring to the table next season:
* 77 percent of its scoring (1,310 of 1,701 points)
* 74 percent of its rebounding (810 of 1,096)
* 91 percent of its three-pointers (137 of 151)
* 62 percent of its assists (239 of 387)
* 63 percent of its shot-blocking (50 of 79)
* 74 percent of its steals (182 of 247)
* 71 percent of its minutes (3,973 of 5,625)
