Wake Forest University
Rice
Deacons Down Owls 79-46
12/2/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 2, 2007
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - In the team's highest margin of victory this season, the Wake Forest women's basketball squad defeated Rice 79-46 at the Joel Coliseum in Winston-Salem, N.C. The win was Wake's fifth consecutive victory, bringing the Demon Deacon season total to 7-1 and 3-0 at home.
The Demon Deacons limited Rice (5-5) shooting to 29 percent overall and just 17 percent in the second half. Wake Forest sophomore Alex Tchangoue led the Deacon scoring charge, putting up 16 points, while Corinne Groves and Mekia Valentine also scored in double figures, with 13 and 11 respectively.
Wake also held the advantage on the glass, pulling 47 boards to the Owls' 29. Groves posted a team high seven in the contest and Tchangoue and Valentine each added five.
Sophomore guard Courteney Morris was sharp on her defensive attack, setting a career high three blocks and leading the team with four steals. The Riverdale, Md. native now leads the Wake Forest sophomore class with a career total of 53 steals.
All active players on the Wake Forest roster earned minutes in Sunday's contest. The Demon Deacon bench scored nearly half of the Wake total, putting up 35 of the 79 points. In her career debut, freshman Brittany Waters scored eight points and pulled three boards through six minutes of action.
The Rice full court press limited the Wake Forest offense in the opening minutes and kept the game close through the first half. The teams exchanged leads nine times, with the final tie occurring with 90 seconds to play on the heels of a good 3-point bucket by Rice forward Maudess Fulton. Freshman Camille Collier inched the Deacons ahead with a jumper at the 22 second mark, giving the Wake Forest a 31-28 lead at the half.
Wake Forest jumped right into second half play with a 10-0 run, extending the lead to 43-28 in just seven minutes of action. With less than two minutes to play, Waters followed two good charity stripe buckets from Camille Collier with a steal and fast break layup to give Wake a 36-point advantage, its highest lead of the game.
Rice added a 3-point basket and a jumper from Morgan Mayse to cut the final Wake lead to 33 points. Before Sunday's game, the Deacons' highest winning margin was 15 points, which they picked up in their previous contest against Northwestern in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Wednesday, November 28.
"We're getting better," Wake Forest head coach Mike Petersen said. "We have a lot of young players and you have to take baby steps."
The Demon Deacons will return to the Joel Coliseum on Wednesday to host Wright State at 7 p.m.
