Wake Forest University
12-8,5-4ACC
Syracuse
9-10,3-5ACC
Contributions of Bench Lead Demon Deacons to 70-65 Win Over Syracuse
1/26/2020 7:01:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Ona Udoh, Kaia Harrison and Anaia Hoard play key piece in Wake Forest's home victory on Sunday afternoon
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Wake Forest women's basketball team grabbed a 65-60 victory against Syracuse in the Lawrence Joel Veteran Memorial Coliseum.
The Demon Deacons (12-8, 5-4 ACC) got strong contributions from the bench to move past the Syracuse Orange (9-10, 3-5 ACC) on Sunday afternoon. After missing the start of ACC play, Ona Udoh helped provide a spark for the Deacs in the second half.
The senior tallied eight of her 12 points and seven of her eight rebounds in the final two quarters.
With Gina Conti battling foul trouble and Wake Forest down 30-28 at the midway point, Anaia Hoard and Kaia Harrison combined a play a crucial 16 minutes for Wake in the second half.
A jumper from Harrison as the buzzer sounded in the third quarter helped start an 8-0 run that put Wake Forest up 53-44 with 8:03 remaining in the game. From that point, the Demon Deacons had control of the game the rest of the way.
"Their contributions were huge for us," head coach Jen Hoover said. "We talked about always trying, always being ready and those kids put in the time. They're in the gym all the time.
"My daughter and I were in the gym last night getting shots up and Anaia walks in. They're ready and we've got other kids that are ready their opportunities just hasn't come yet. I'm so proud of them because when your opportunity comes and you can seize the moment, it just is a great feeling."
On the offensive end of the floor, Alex Sharp helped put the game away in the second half. She scored 11 of her team-high 16 points in the final 20 minutes including going a perfect 3-of-3 from behind the arc.
Her 16-point output tied her high in ACC play. The Melbourne, Australia native is now just four points away from becoming the 27th member of the 1,000-point club in program history. After crossing the 800-career rebound barrier against No. 14 Florida State, Sharp will become the sixth play in Wake Forest history to reach both milestones.
Despite fighting foul trouble for most of the game, Conti still managed to finish the game with a game-high seven assists. It is the fourth time in the last six games she has had seven or more assists.
The junior from Grove City, Ohio is now just two assists away from tying Alice Neal (1986-89) for eighth on the programs all-time assist list with 340 in her career.
The win was just the second win in series history with all seven matchups coming since Syracuse joined the ACC in 2013. It is the Demon Deacons first victory over the Orange since the 2015 ACC Tournament, defeating Syracuse, 85-79, in Greensboro.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
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Wake was the first on the board as a Christina Morra layup opened the scoring 90 seconds into the game.
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The Deacons were stellar on the boards early, with four of the starting five grabbing a rebound in the first five minutes of the game. Wake continued to attack the glass as a team with five players finishing the game with five or more rebounds.
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Anaia Hoard got on the board for the Deacons with a three-pointer with just 28 seconds remaining in the first quarter, giving the team a 19-13 advantage.
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The game remained close in the second quarter, but a 6-0 from the Orange in the final three minutes gave them a 30-28 edge at half.
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Morra opened the scoring for the Deacons in the second half, laying it in to tie the game 40 seconds in. On the next possession, Ivana Raca gave Wake the lead at 32-30.
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Alex Sharp was on fire shooting to start the third, making two consecutive three-pointers to build the Deacons lead. She would go a perfect 3-for-3 in the second half and 4-of-5 in the game.
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A big three-pointer from the top of the key by Gina Conti pushed the momentum in the Deacons favor with 2:32 remaining in the third quarter, putting Wake in front for good.
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The Deacon offense heated up in the fourth quarter, pushing their lead to 53-47 at the media timeout with 5:29 remaining in the game. Raca, Hoard and Udoh all contributed in the 8-0 scoring run.
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With 24 second left in the game and the Demon Deacons up 63-58, Sharp helped seal the victory on Australia Day. She knocked down a pair of free throwed to put the final touches on a 65-60 victory.
NEXT UP
After two straight home games, the Demon Deacons are back on the road when they fly up to Pittsburgh to take on the Panthers on Thursday. Pitt is on a 12-game losing streak and is the only team in the conference without an ACC win (0-8) this season after a loss to Louisville on Sunday.
The game can also be seen on ACCNX with tipoff scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET).
