Wake Forest University
North Carolina State
Demon Deacons Trip Wolfpack, 66-50
2/26/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Feb. 26, 2010
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - In the last home game of the regular season the Wake Forest women's basketball team came up big with a 66-50 win over NC State, breaking the tie with Wolfpack in Atlantic Coast Conference standings to move into fifth place heading into the regular season finale on Sunday.
Wake Forest improves to 17-11 and 7-6 in the ACC while NC State falls to 16-12, 6-7.
For the fifth time in this season four Demon Deacons scored in double figures. Sandra Garcia led the Deacs with 16 points and Brittany Waters and Secily Ray each added 15 points. Brooke Thomas also had 11 in the Wake Forest victory. Nikitta Gartrell had NC State's team-best 14 points.
Ray led both teams on the boards with a career-high 16 rebounds and Bonae Holston added nine for NC State.
Wake Forest held NC State scoreless for just over three minutes until Nikitta Gartrell snuck in a jumper and drew a foul to push NC State up 3-2. The teams exchanged baskets and tied for the fourth at time 10-10 with 11:08 to play on a jumper from Brittany Strachan.
At 10:22 Brittany Waters hit and jumper and drew a foul to spark a 7-0 Wake Forest run. The Deacons led by as much as 10 in the first half but a pair of free throws from Gartrell and a jump shot from Bonae Holston with 27 seconds to play before intermission cut the Wake Forest lead to 24-20 at halftime.
Five minutes into the second half the Wolfpack caught the Deacons at 29-29 with a couple of good free throws from Lucy Ellison. Waters countered with two free throws after Ellison picked up a foul on rebound scramble.
The Wolfpack continued to nip at Demon Deacon heels and at 4:45 Brittany Strachan hit a layup to put NC State just one point behind Wake Forest (45-44). Waters kept the Deacs in front on the next possession with a jumper.
With 3:47 to play senior Courteney Morris hit a 3-point basket give the Deacons at two-possession advantage (50-44) that they would hold for the remainder of the game.
"Courteney making that 3-point basket on senior night was huge," Wake Forest head coach Mike Petersen said. "You can't tell from the stats but she makes huge baskets for us. She comes up big when we need her."
Wake Forest ended the game on a 21-6 run to seal the 66-50 victory.
Wake Forest will finish the regular season on Sunday at Clemson. Tipoff is set for 2 p.m. The Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament will begin on Thursday, March 4 in Greensboro, N.C.
- www.WakeForestSports.com -
