Wake Forest University
1-0,0-0ACC
Mercer
0-1,0-0SoCon
Morra Helps Deacs Close Season-Opening Victory
11/9/2021 9:25:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The senior forward scored seven of the final 13 points for the Demon Deacons to close out the 13-point victory on the road at Mercer.
MACON, Ga. -- The Wake Forest women's basketball team opened up the season with a 68-55 victory on the road at Mercer on Tuesday night.
Senior forward Christina Morra led the way for the Demon Deacons (1-0) with a career-high tying 19 points in the victory over the 2021 Southern Conference Champions (0-1). Sophomore Jewel Spear added 14 points and junior Niyah Becker totaled 10 points in her Wake Forest debut.
After absorbing an early run from Mercer, the Demon Deacons clamped down on defense in the second quarter to help turn the tide of the game. Wake Forest limited the Bears to just 25.0 percent shooting in the second quarter to work back into the game and eventually take a 32-29 edge into the halftime interval.
Junior forward Olivia Summiel tallied seven boards to tie for the team high along with Morra. The Deacs controlled the rebounding battle most of the night, finishing with a 43-33 edge on the glass.
The Demon Deacons also did plenty of damage from the free throw line, stepping to the charity stripe 30 times in the game as they knocked down 22 of those attempts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
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An early dribble drive layup from the right key got sophomore guard Jewel Spear to the rim as she laid it up and in to tie the game 2-2 on the Demon Deacons second offensive possession of the game.
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The Mercer Bears answered with a 12-0 run before sophomore forward Demeara Hinds got to the free throw line and sunk a pair from the charity stripe.
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This allowed the Demon Deacons to set up their full court defense and force the Bears to turn the ball over multiple times.
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The Deacs got out on transition multiple times including a Spear layup at the 2:21 mark of the first quarter as a part of a 7-0 run to cut the deficit to just five.
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In the second quarter, the Wake Forest defense continued to cause problems for Mercer as the Demon Deacons started the quarter on a 6-2 run.
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Alyssa Andrews' jumper at the 6:24 mark made it a 21-17 game as the Deacs climbed back into the contest.
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After limiting the Bears to under 23 percent shooting for much of the second quarter, Wake Forest used a 7-0 run to jump in front for the first time.
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The Deacs took the lead on a pair of free throws from junior guard Kaia Harrison put the Demon Deacons in front at 28-26.
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Wake Forest nearly took an 11-0 run to the half before a Mercer three ended it with 13 seconds remaining before halftime.
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The Demon Deacons took a 32-29 edge into the halftime break.
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Christina Morra led the way with eight points including going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line. She also had a team-best five rebounds at the midway point.
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In total the Demon Deacons attempted 16 free throws in the first 20 minutes, knocking down 11 tries.
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Wake Forest also held a 22-18 rebounding edge.
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Junior Niyah Becker helped kickstart the Wake Forest offense in the third quarter, scoring the first six points for the Demon Deacons.
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Her free throw at the 7:04 mark gave the Deacs a 38-35 lead.
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The Becker free throw make started a 9-0 run for the Demon Deacons as Wake Forest stretched its lead to 11 points, its largest of the game to that point.
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The Demon Deacons took a 50-41 lead into the final 10 minutes of action with Becker, Morra and Spear all in double figures through three quarters of play.
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A Spear layup at the 7:48 mark of the fourth pushed Wake Forest's advantage back to double digits at 53-43, adding to her team-high 12 points at that point.
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The Bears made a mini run in the fourth to come within six points of the Deacs at 57-51 just under the 5:00 minute mark.
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With the help of a jumper from Elise Williams, Wake Forest pushed the lead back to nine points a minute later at 60-51.
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Morra played the role of closer in the fourth quarter, scoring seven of the last 13 points to help the Demon Deacons close out a double-digit victory.
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Her game-high 19 points tied her career high. Morra also tied for the team high with seven rebounds in the game.
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Wake Forest started the season 1-0 with a 68-55 victory on the road at Mercer.
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Spear added 14 points while Becker posted 10 points in her debut .
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STANDOUT STAT
The Demon Deacons hold an all-time record of 47-28 against Southern Conference opponents with a winning record against every SoCon foe. Additionally, a win improves the Demon Deacons to 7-1 in season opening games over the last eight seasons.
FROM HOOVER
"It is never easy starting the season on the road, especially against a strong opponent like Mercer. I am really proud of this team for the way they handled being down early in the game. We showed how strong we can be on defense and the effort on that end really helped us take control of the game. On the offensive side, we showed that a lot of people can score and contribute. I'm especially proud of the way Christina started her senior season and helped us close out a road victory. We look forward to getting back in front of our home fans on Friday at LJVM. Deacon Nation's support means everything to us."
NEXT UP
Wake Forest is set to start their home slate of action Friday, Nov. 12 against Cornell at Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum as a part of a doubleheader with the men's program. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.
Be sure to arrive early and turn your attention to the rafters as Wake Forest honors the 2021 NCAA Tournament team prior to tipoff with the Big Red.
Grab your spot for Opening Night at LJVM at GoDeacs.com/Tickets.
For those not in attendance on Friday night, the game will also stream on ACC Network Extra.
