Wake Forest University
Western Carolina
Wake Forest Cuts Cats 55-52
12/8/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 8, 2007
CULLOWHEE, N.C. - It came down to the wire, but the Wake Forest women's basketball team pulled out a 55-52 win over Western Carolina on the Catamount hardwood Saturday afternoon. The victory sets the Demon Deacons at 9-1 for the season.
Wake Forest stifled the high scoring Western Carolina (5-2) offense, which boasts a season average of 76 points per game.
"I'm really happy with the win today," Wake Forest head coach Mike Petersen said. "We made a great defensive effort. For us to hold them to 52 points on their home court is a great achievement for us."
Junior Alex Tchangoue led the Deacs with her second double-double of the year, putting up 13 points and 11 boards. Ashley Pellom was the high scorer for the Cats, with 11.
The Demon Deacons had a sloppy start in the Saturday contest, committing turnovers in their first three possessions, but a hot three from Alex Tchangoue set the Deacs just behind the Cats (5-4).
In her season debut, guard Yolanda Lavender took the fast break assist from Camille Collier for her first points of the year, knotting the contest at 7-7.
Groves followed Lavender's basket with a clean layup to give the Deacons their first lead of the game with 12:57 left in the half. WFU senior Christen Brown followed a steal in the Catamount paint with a 3-point bucket to give the Deacons a 12-point lead, their highest of the half with 5:41 to play. The Deacs controlled the advantage for the remaining first half minutes, going to the locker room with a 29-20 lead.
The Cats opened the half with a 6-0 run, cutting the Wake Forest lead to 29-26 five minutes into play. Alex Tchangoue broke the Deacon dry spell with a jumper at the 13:45 mark, setting Wake ahead 31-26.
Just when it looked like the Catamount momentum had slowed up, Emily Clarke struck gold from beyond the arc and Chevon Keith followed with a steal to tie the contest for the first time in the second half at 31-31.
The contest tied for the fifth and final time with a little over three minutes to play. A crucial three-point bucket from Collier put the Deacs ahead with 2:02 left in the half
Four aced free throws from Wake's Christen Brown and Corinne Groves gave the Demon Deacons the final edge in the back and forth contest.
"In that last minute I just told the team to pick their poison," Petersen said. "Sure, you don't want them to score, but if they get a layup that's better than them getting the layup and the foul. I told them to play smart and I counted on the veterans to make their free throws and that's exactly what happened."
The Demon Deacons will break from competition during exams and return to the hardwood on December to face Radford. The game will be the nightcap of a doubleheader with the men's team.
