Conti Seals Deacons 73-68 Win Over Florida

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team grabbed its third consecutive win with a 73-68 victory over Florida on Saturday.

The Demon Deacons (7-4) close out non-conference play with four wins in the last five games including a pair in the West Palm Beach Invitational.

For the second consecutive day in the West Palm Beach Invitational, Wake Forest used a big run out of the halftime interval to take control of the game. Trailing by eight with 7:39 left in the third, the Demon Deacons went on a 16-0 run.

The Deacs were helped by 10 points combined from Raegyn Branch and Ona Udoh during the stretch, taking a 59-51 lead with 3:29 left in the quarter.

From that point, the Demon Deacons led the rest of the way.

Florida (8-4) climbed back within one with under three minutes left before Gina Conti sealed the victory. After a layup with 1:48 left in the game, Conti stole the ball from the Gators just 20 seconds later. She ran the length of the floor to give the Demon Deacons a 71-66 lead.

"The energy from the start of the game from our team and the bench was key down the stretch," Gina Conti said. "The momentum just carried through me. I was just ready to get the ball and get the win. I knew I needed to lockdown. It was a big team effort tonight to get this win."

In the first half, Wake Forest was able to control the painted area, scoring 28 of its 43 in the paint. The Deacs efficiency in the paint allowed Alex Sharp to come alive in the second quarter.

The senior knocked down threes on back-to-back-to-back possessions to give Wake a 37-34 advantage midway through the second quarter. A late surge from Florida had the Deacs down 45-43 at half.

HOW IT HAPPENED:

Wake Forest was hot from the field to start the game. The Deacs knocked down eight of its first 10 shots to take an 18-14 edge six minutes into the game. Gina Conti started the game 3-for-3 with seven of Wake's first nine points.
The Demon Deacons were able to get to the rim in the first quarter as 20 of their 24 points came from inside of the paint. It helped them take a 24-21 edge after 10 minutes.
In the second quarter, Alex Sharp came alive from behind the arc. She knocked down three consecutive three pointers to give the Deacs a 37-34 lead midway through the quarter. At half, Wake Forest trailed by just two, 45-43.
With the Gators scoring the first six points of the second half, Wake trailed 51-43. The Demon Deacons proceeded to go on a 16-0 run to take an 8-point lead at 59-51. During the run Raegyn Branch and Ona Udoh combined to score 10 points.
From that point, Wake Forest led the rest of the way. Florida cut it to 67-66 with three minutes remaining. With 1:48 left in the game, Conti sealed the game with a layup on a drive from the left wing. On the next possession, Conti stole the ball and ran the length of the floor for a layup to give Wake a 71-66 lead with 1:28 to play.

UP NEXT
The Demon Deacons will be off the hardwood until Dec. 29 when they travel back to Florida to start ACC play. Wake Forest is scheduled to take on Miami (FL) inside of Watsco Center with first tip scheduled for 2 p.m.

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Team Stats

Alex Sharp

Gina Conti

Ivana Raca

Christina Morra

Players Mentioned

Raegyn Branch

Gina Conti

Alex Sharp

Ona Udoh

Players Mentioned

Raegyn Branch

Gina Conti

Alex Sharp

Ona Udoh

Wake Forest Athletics