Wake Forest University
7-5,4-4ACC
Georgia Tech
7-3,5-2ACC
Deacs Fall for First Time at LJVM
1/21/2021 10:47:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Wake Forest was led by 13 points and eight rebounds from Ivana Raca in the 73-44 defeat Thursday evening.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- The Wake Forest women's basketball team fell inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum to Georgia Tech Thursday evening, 73-44.
This marked the first time this season the Demon Deacons (7-5, 4-4 ACC) dropped a home contest.
The Yellow Jackets (7-3, 5-2 ACC) limited Wake Forest to its fewest points of the season as the Deacs were able to shoot just 26.4 percent from the field and 19 percent from behind the arc.
With a team-high 13 points and eight rebounds, senior forward Ivana Raca continues to put up strong performances inside of LJVM Coliseum. She also continues to etch her name in the program record book as she is now just 86 points away from entering the top-10 in school history in career points.
The Belgrade, Serbia native now has 1,261 points in her collegiate career.
Senior guard Gina Conti also moved closer to some history of her own. She goes into Sunday's matchup with Louisville needing just three assists to move into fifth in Wake Forest history in career assists.
Over her four seasons in Winston-Salem, she has amassed 421 career assists.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Georgia Tech kicked off the scoring with a jump shot and layup by Nerea Hermosa which triggered a hot start offensively for the Yellow Jackets.
- Georgia Tech started the game shooting 7-of-9 from the field, forcing the Deacs to call a timeout, down 17-9 at the 5:05 mark of the first quarter.
- Wake Forest had a strong start from the field, starting the game a perfect 4-of-4 from the field.
- Following the under 5:00 timeout, Wake tightened up their defense to allow just six points over the next three minutes while also forcing back-to-back turnovers with 1:16 left in the quarter.
- Georgia Tech led the contest 21-14 at the conclusion of the first quarter. Senior forward Ivana Raca led the Deacs with five points and two rebounds.
- The second quarter had several missed shots and turnovers from both sides to start. The Yellow Jackets ultimately pushed their lead to 28-16 thanks to baskets from Lorela Cubaj and Loyal McQueen.
- Despite the first half shooting, Raca scored eight points and secured five rebounds as she was on pace to have her fourth double-double in as many games inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
- Georgia Tech led 32-22 going into halftime.
- Wake Forest forced the Yellow Jackets to turn the ball over seven times in the first half, carrying over its pressure of the basketball from the Virginia Tech win on Sunday afternoon.
- Georgia Tech continued to build on the lead to begin the second half with a 9-0 run, forcing a timeout by the Deacs at the 6:32 mark.
- The Yellow Jackets finished the third quarter outscoring Wake Forest 20-7 to bring their lead to 52-29.
- With 5:50 left in the contest, a foul sent senior forward Ivana Raca to the free throw line where she knocked down both shots to become the first Deac to reach double figures with 10 points.
- She has double figures in all but one game this season.
- Wake Forest finished the game shooting just 14-of-53 from the field while Georgia Tech shot 29-of-55 for a final score of 73-44.
STANDOUT STAT
Ivana Raca led the Deacs in scoring and rebounding with 13 and eight, just two rebounds shy of her fourth double-double in as many games inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
FROM HOOVER
"We had a couple good days at practice preparing for Georgia Tech. They did not do anything that surprised us in any way, shape, or form. It was exactly what we had gone over and the exact personnel clips of what we would do. Give them a lot of credit. They knew that we got them here last year, and they remembered that. They have got a veteran basketball team."
NEXT UP
The Deacs continue their homestand, hosting No. 1 Louisville on Sunday, Jan. 24, in Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. It marks the second of four consecutive home contests.
The game will tip off at 2 p.m. on ACC Network.
