Wake Forest University
South Alabama
Deacons Roll Past South Alabama 92-66
12/20/2013 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 20, 2013
Final Stats | Final Stats (PDF)
By Gary Petit, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWBB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Junior Dearica Hamby scored a career-high 31 points and senior Chelsea Douglas chipped-in with 20 points as Wake Forest rolled past South Alabama 92-66 Friday evening at the Joel Coliseum.
The win was the third-straight for the Demon Deacons who improve to 7-4 on the season and a perfect 6-0 at home. South Alabama drops to 2-8 overall.
Hamby dominated on both ends of the floor. In addition to her 31 points, she grabbed 11 rebounds, had four steals and dished-out a season-high four assists. This was her sixth-straight double-double and the ninth in 11 games this season.
Douglas knocked-down three shots from beyond the arc en route to her seventh 20-point game of the season. She also finished with season-highs of five assists and four steals.
The Deacons got solid contributions from a number of players on Friday. Freshman Ataijah Taylor scored nine points and dished-out four assists while redshirt-freshman Kelila Atkinson scored eight points and grabbed a pair of rebounds. Senior Lindsy Wright came off the bench and provided an immediate spark, scoring six points and pulling-down a total of nine boards.
For South Alabama, Meghan Dunn hit five three-pointers and finished with a team-high 17 points. As a team, the Jaguars made a season-high 10 three-pointers and shot over 55 percent from beyond the arc on the night.
Wake Forest held a 51-27 rebounding edge and scored 50 points in the paint compared to just 18 for the Jags. The Deacs also took advantage of 25 USA turnovers and converted them into 31 points.
The Deacs set the tone from the opening tip with a trapping full court press. Wake forced five turnovers in the Jaguars first six possessions and raced-out to a 12-0 lead. But USA settled down and got back in the game from beyond the arc. Three shots from distance helped the Jags comeback and grab a 19-18 lead at the 10:54 mark.
The score stayed close for the next six minutes. After a Saunders lay-in gave the Jaguars a 29-28 lead with 4:52 to play in the half, the Deacs responded with a 17-6 run to end the period and take a 45-35 lead at the break. Hamby was 7-of-9 from the floor in the first half and scored 19 of her 31 points.
A Dunn three-pointer trimmed the lead to 49-43 four minutes into the second half and the Wake lead would stay in single digits for the next three minutes. Taylor and Douglas each finished lay-ins on the break to help spark a 12-2 run for the Deacs that helped push the lead out to 19 points at 68-49. Douglas had six points during the run while Hamby chipped-in with four.
South Alabama crept back within 14 points a couple of minutes later but Wake put the game out of reach over the final six minutes with a 24-9 run.
The Demon Deacons will have a couple of days off the enjoy Christmas with family before reconvening in Miami, Fla., next weekend for the FIU Fun & Sun Classic. Wake will take on Florida A&M on Dec. 28 and then play either Fairleigh Dickinson or Florida International on Dec. 29.
