Wake Forest University
Florida State
Women's Basketball Falls To Florida State, 70-57
2/23/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 23, 2006
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Freshman Deirdre Naughton eclipsed the 20-point mark for the fifth consecutive game with 26, but the Demon Deacons were unable to recover from a 10 point half time deficit and the Florida State Seminoles defeated Wake, 70-57, Thursday night at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center.
In the last five games, Naughton has averaged 25 points per game, including a record-breaking 37 points in the Deacs last outing against Savannah State. Overall in 2006, the Winnetka, Ill. native has scored in double figures in 24 of the 26 games played and leads the team in scoring through all ACC games with 16.3 points per game.
The loss tonight drops the Demon Deacons to 12-14 overall and 3-10 in the ACC, while the win clinches the fourth place spot in the conference for the Seminoles. Florida State improves to 18-8 overall and 9-4 in the ACC.
The Deacs had trouble offensively in the first seven minutes of the game and the Seminoles were quick to take advantage, jumping out to a 12-2 lead. Attempting a comeback, Naughton sunk 12 points in the remainder of the half, but the `Noles continued to push out by as much as 13.
In the second half, FSU continued to forge ahead, despite senior Liz Strunk scoring 11 of her 12 points in that half. Adding 14 in the final stanza, Naughton helped chip away at the deficit, but it wasn't enough.
Florida State's had five players in double figures, including freshman Britney Miller with 22. Alicia Gladden added 10 points, in addition to leading all players with five assists. As a team, the `Noles outrebounded the Deacs 36 to 34 and scored 34 points in the paint.
The Demon Deacons will close the regular season with one final road contest against Virginia Tech on Sunday, Feb. 23 at 2 p.m. Earlier in the year, Wake Forest defeated then No. 24/18 Virginia Tech, 77-71 in an overtime battle in Winston-Salem.
