Thursday, January 7
Winston-Salem, NC
6 p.m.
Wake Forest University
5-3,2-2ACC
63
vs
60
Miami
5-4,2-4ACC
1
2
3
4
F
Miami (FL)
16
12
14
18
60
Wake Forest
11
16
23
13
63
Deacs Tip Off 2021 with Victory Over Miami
1/7/2021 8:56:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Senior Ivana Raca led Wake Forest with a game-high 22 points and career-high 14 rebounds as Wake Forest captured its second ACC win of the season.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Senior forward Ivana Raca scored a game-high 22 points as the Wake Forest women's basketball team downed Miami, 63-60, in the Deacs first contest in 2021 and a layoff of 18 days.
Raca moved into 19th on the all-time scoring list in program history and now has 1,198 career points. The Belgrade, Serbia native also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds for her 10th career double-double and second of the season.
Both double-doubles have come at home this season.
The Demon Deacons (5-3, 2-2 ACC) snapped a two-game losing streak. Additionally, the win marked Wake Forest's first over the Hurricanes since Jan. 7, 2017, three years ago to the day. The Deacs improved to 2-0 inside Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum this season.
In addition to Raca, junior forward Christina Morra finished the night with a career-high tying 19 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Senior guard Gina Conti and Raca crossed the century mark in games played with the Deacs on Thursday.
Conti totaled seven points, seven rebounds and a game-high tying four assists. She needs just 11 more assists to move into the top five in program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
STANDOUT STAT
With her game-high 22 points on Thursday, Ivana Raca moved into 19th on the all-time scoring list in program history and is now just two points shy of 1,200 career points.
Additionally, Wake Forest outrebounded Miami, 41-33, and turned 12 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points. The Demon Deacons improved to 3-0 this season when outsourcing its opponents in that category.
FROM HOOVER
"This team has been so much fun to coach. Even through this difficult time, the pandemic and everything else going on as of late, they just enjoy being in the gym. They like to smile, laugh and joke. We wanted to play a game. We haven't played since December 20, and to be honest, the taste in our mouth from that game is still sour. We felt like we should have done some things and won that one. We wanted to get back out on the court and get that rust out. I thought in the first quarter we showed a little bit of that rust, but really responded well once our juices got flowing."
NEXT UP
Wake Forest's next scheduled game is Sunday, Jan. 10, when it hosts Boston College at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The game will tip off at 4 p.m. on ACC Network.
Raca moved into 19th on the all-time scoring list in program history and now has 1,198 career points. The Belgrade, Serbia native also pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds for her 10th career double-double and second of the season.
Both double-doubles have come at home this season.
The Demon Deacons (5-3, 2-2 ACC) snapped a two-game losing streak. Additionally, the win marked Wake Forest's first over the Hurricanes since Jan. 7, 2017, three years ago to the day. The Deacs improved to 2-0 inside Lawrence Joel Veteran's Memorial Coliseum this season.
In addition to Raca, junior forward Christina Morra finished the night with a career-high tying 19 points while pulling down seven rebounds. Senior guard Gina Conti and Raca crossed the century mark in games played with the Deacs on Thursday.
Conti totaled seven points, seven rebounds and a game-high tying four assists. She needs just 11 more assists to move into the top five in program history.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Six quick points by Christina Morra helped the Deacs jump out to an early 8-5 lead in the first quarter.
- Gina Conti's make from beyond the arc extended Wake Forest's lead to 11-7 with three minutes left in the opening stanza.
- Miami answered with a 9-0 run to end the first 10 minutes, taking a 16-11 lead into the second quarter.
- Back-to-back baskets from Gina Conti and Christina Morra kept Wake Forest within six points at the eight minute mark of the first half.
- After Miami jumped out to a 28-17 lead, their largest of the game, Anaia Hoard ignited a 10-0 Wake Forest run to cut Miami's lead to one heading into intermission.
- The teams matched 3-pointers to open the third, but Wake Forest would reclaim the lead at 32-31 with a Ivana Raca jump shot.
- A bucket by Christina Morra helped knot the game at 40 halfway through the third. That layup would help spur a 10-2 run by Wake Forest, including five straight in the last 90 seconds by Ivana Raca, to hold a 50-42 advantage with 10 minutes left.
- Ivana Raca extended the Deacons' lead to double-digits with her 18th point of the night with 8:32 left in the final quarter.
- Miami battled back to within four with just over seven minutes left thanks to six straight points. Jewel Spear connected on a 3-pointer to get Wake Forest back in rhythm.
- The Hurricanes closed the margin within three points but Ivana Raca scored seven points in the final frame and a crucial defensive stop and rebound from Conti sealed the win for Wake.
STANDOUT STAT
With her game-high 22 points on Thursday, Ivana Raca moved into 19th on the all-time scoring list in program history and is now just two points shy of 1,200 career points.
Additionally, Wake Forest outrebounded Miami, 41-33, and turned 12 offensive rebounds into 11 second-chance points. The Demon Deacons improved to 3-0 this season when outsourcing its opponents in that category.
FROM HOOVER
"This team has been so much fun to coach. Even through this difficult time, the pandemic and everything else going on as of late, they just enjoy being in the gym. They like to smile, laugh and joke. We wanted to play a game. We haven't played since December 20, and to be honest, the taste in our mouth from that game is still sour. We felt like we should have done some things and won that one. We wanted to get back out on the court and get that rust out. I thought in the first quarter we showed a little bit of that rust, but really responded well once our juices got flowing."
NEXT UP
Wake Forest's next scheduled game is Sunday, Jan. 10, when it hosts Boston College at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
The game will tip off at 4 p.m. on ACC Network.
Team Stats
Miami
Wake
FG%
.355
.414
3FG%
.222
.294
FT%
.800
.909
RB
33
41
TO
9
14
STL
7
2
Game Leaders
Pts
22
FGM
8
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
19
FGM
9
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
3
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
2
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Guard
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's Basketball
Forward
/ Women's BasketballGuard
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