Wake Forest University
Miami
Wake Forest Falls To Miami 84-53
1/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 4, 2014
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By Gary Petit, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWBB)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Wake Forest junior Dearica Hamby scored 17 points but Miami used a big second half run to take an 84-53 victory in the ACC opener for both teams.
The loss snaps the Demon Deacons five-game win streak and drops them to 9-5 on the season. Miami also improves to 9-5 on the year with the win.
The Hurricanes broke open what was an eight-point game at halftime with an 18-0 run midway through the second half. The Deacons were held to a season-low 33 percent from the floor and failed to make a three-pointer for the first time in 188-straight games.
Hamby led the Deacons with 17 points and three assists. She also grabbed six rebounds and was 7-of-8 from the free throw line. Freshman Ataijah Taylor, who made her first collegiate start on Saturday, tied her season-high with 12 points. That was her fourth game this season with double-figure points.
Sophomore Kandice Ball came off the bench and grabbed a career-high eight rebounds for the Deacs.
Four Miami players scored in double-figures led by Suriya McGuire's 22 points. Krystal Saunders hit a pair of three-pointers and finished with 15 points and a team-high four assists.
Miami shot 44.6 percent from the floor and out-rebounded the Deacs 45-36.
The Deacons came out of the gate and made their first five shots which led to an 11-8 advantage. The `Canes then responded with a 10-2 run to snag a 20-15 lead but the Deacs answered with a 6-0 run to regain the lead with 11 minutes to play in the opening half.
That was Wake Forest's last lead of the game as a 15-3 Miami run gave the visitors a 35-24 lead and it would not look back. Wake would cut the deficit to 37-29 at the break as Milan Quinn rebounded a miss and laid it in as the first half buzzer sounded.
Miami scored the first eight points of the second half to push the lead to 16 at 45-29 but it was an 18-0 run that spanned over five minutes that put the game out of reach. The Deacons were held to just five field goals in the second half.
Wake Forest returns to action next Thursday when it travels to No. 8 Maryland for a 7 p.m. tip at the Comcast Center. The Demon Deacons pushed Maryland to the brink in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament last season, eventually falling to the Terps in overtime.
