Wake Forest University
NC State
Wake Forest Closes Home Season Against NC State
2/17/2021 4:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The Demon Deacons ride a three-game winning streak into the matchup, the second longest streak currently in the ACC.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The Wake Forest women's basketball is set for its final home game of the season inside of Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum Thursday night against No. 4 NC State.
The Demon Deacons (11-8, 8-7 ACC) are in the midst of a three-game winning streak, the second longest in the ACC. Senior guard Gina Conti is the reigning ACC Player of the Week after averaging 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in wins over Pitt and Clemson a week ago.
The Wolfpack (13-2, 8-2 ACC) have dropped two of their last three roads games heading into Thursday night. They were named as a No. 2 seed in Region 3 and the No. 6 overall seed in the NCAA Division I Women's Basketball Committee Top-16 Rankings, a precursor to the NCAA Selection Show.
Tipoff for Thursday's game against NC State is scheduled for 7 p.m. (ET) in LJVM Coliseum. The game will air on Regional Sports Networks and ACC Network Extra.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
HONORING CHARLENE CURTIS
Former Wake Forest women's basketball coach Charlene Curtis is set to be honored on Thursday night inside Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum before the Deacons home game against NC State. This is part of the Atlantic Coast Conference's Historical Hidden Figures Campaign coinciding with Black History Month.
Wake Forest and the ACC are partnering with Advancement of Blacks in Sports (ABIS) & Black Leadership Association for Athletes, Athletic Administrators and Coaches (BLAAAC) to promote Curtis' accomplishments as a Demon Deacon and with the ACC.
ACC PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Wake Forest women's basketball senior guard Gina Conti was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week.
This is the Demon Deacons' third ACC weekly honor and second for Conti this season. Ivana Raca claimed this accolade on Jan. 11 while Conti grabbed the honor on Jan. 18.
She averaged 15.5 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Additionally, she was also named to the NCAA Starting Five on Wednesday.
Conti goes into the game needing just 17 points to become the 29th 1,000-point scorer in program history.
More on our ACC Player of the Week
LAST TIME
Wake Forest at Clemson (Feb. 14)
Result: W, 72-65
- The Demon Deacons improved to 7-0 against the Tigers inside of Littlejohn Coliseum since the start of the 2010-11 season. Additionally, head coach Jen Hoover is now one win away from becoming the program's all-time wins leader. She tied the mark on Sunday with win No. 125 during her tenure at Wake Forest.
- Despite being in early foul trouble, 14 points from senior forward Ivana Raca in the first half helped lead the Demon Deacons to a fast start offensively in the first half. She ended the game with a team-high 20 points.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus NC State
Series: NC State leads 74-15
Last: Dec. 17, 2020
Result: L, 65-79
- Wake Forest fell for just the second time in the season with the first two losses coming at the hands of two top-15 opponents in Arkansas and NC State.
- Behind season-best efforts from junior forward Christina Morra and freshman guard Jewel Spear, the Deacs closed the gap to single digits in the second quarter. Spear went a perfect 4-for-4 from behind the arc in the first two quarters of play.
STANDOUT STAT
Head Coach Jen Hoover goes into the game needing two wins to become the all-time wins leader in Wake Forest program history. Additionally, a conference win against NC State would mark the ninth of the season, tying most in program history with the 1987-88 NCAA Tournament team.
|
Coach |
Wake Forest Wins |
|
Mike Petersen (2005-12) |
125 |
|
Jen Hoover (2013-Pres.) |
125 |
|
Joe Sanchez (1986-92) |
109 |
DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINE
Over the course of eight home games this season, senior forward Ivana Raca is averaging a double-double with 16.6 points and 10.1 rebounds. This includes five double-double performances including a 14-point and 11-rebound performance against Pitt the last time out:
|
Game |
Points |
Rebounds |
|
North Carolina |
14 pts |
12 pts |
|
Miami (FL) |
22 pts |
14 reb |
|
Boston College |
16 pts |
11 reb |
|
Louisville |
12 pts |
13 reb |
|
Pitt |
14 pts |
11 reb |
MAY I ASSIST YOU
Gina Conti goes into the game needing just 58 more assists to break the Wake Forest school record for career assists:
1. Brooke Thomas (513; 2008-12)
2. Nicole Levesque (488; 1991-94)
3. Cotelia Bond-Young (462; 2003-06)
4. Gina Conti (456; 2017-21)
5. Gretchen Hollifield (453; 1993-96)
NEXT UP
After a week off the court, the Deacs are back on the road on Thursday, Feb. 25, traveling to Florida for the second matchup of the season with Miami.
The game will tip off at 6 p.m. ET on ACC Network Extra.
