Wake Forest Falls To North Carolina 71-56
1/20/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 20, 2011
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CHAPEL HILL, NC - North Carolina scored the first eight points of the game and led wire-to-wire in downing Wake Forest 71-56 Thursday evening in Carmichael Arena.
The win improves the Tar Heels to 17-2 on the year and 3-1 in the ACC while the Deacons fall to 10-10 and 1-3 in the conference.
North Carolina senior Italee Lucas led all scorers with 20 points while Laura Broomfield chipped-in with a career-high 19 points and 11 rebounds.
For the Deacs, freshman Chelsea Douglas led the way for the second-straight game with 16 points. Junior Brooke Thomas finished with 10 points, five rebounds and four assists while classmate Secily Ray scored five points to go along with her team-leading 11 rebounds.
The Tar Heels shot only 37 percent for the game but held Wake to just 27 percent. The Deacs however, won the battle on the boards 53-51, which included grabbing 28 offensive rebounds. The telling stat came at the free throw line as UNC connected on 20-of-30 attempts while Wake was just 11-of-24.
The Tar Heels raced out to a 12-2 lead off six early points from Lucas. After trading baskets, a three-pointer by Lucas sparked a 19-7 run for the Heels that gave them a 20-point advantage at 36-16 with 3:41 left in the half.
Sandra Garcia then connected on back-to-back jumpers for the Deacs and a runner by Thomas would then cut the lead to 36-22 at the two minute mark. But that's where the scoring would end for the half. Lucas' 16 points led the Tar Heels into break up 36-22. Garcia and Thomas each scored six points to lead the Deacs who shot just 27 percent for the half.
Douglas opened the second half with a jumper in the lane but the Heels responded with a 9-1 run to push the lead back out to 20 at 45-25. Jumpers by Douglas and Wright cut the lead to 45-29 but three-straight mid-range jumpers by She'la White pushed the lead back out to 54-32 with 11:47 to play.
Back-to-back jumpers by Waltiea Rolle and Broomfield then gave UNC its biggest lead of the game at 58-35. After trading baskets for the next five minutes, Thomas hit a pair of free throws and Erin Hall knocked down a three-pointer to cut the lead to 67-51 with 3:20 to play. Thomas followed with a jumper from the free throw to pull Wake within 14 at 67-53 but that would be as close as the Deacs would get the rest of the way. Chay Shegog scored UNC's final four points to provide the final margin of 71-56.
The Deacons will return to action this Sunday when they host Clemson. That game is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m. at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
