Wake Forest University
11-10,8-9ACC
Miami
10-10,7-10ACC
Wake Forest Comeback Falls Short at Miami
2/25/2021 9:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
Senior forward Ivana Raca led the Deacs with 22 points, her seventh 20-plus point game of the season and the second against the Hurricanes.
CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Despite a fourth quarter push, theWake Forest women's basketball team fell on the road at Miami, 69-67, on Thursday evening at Watsco Center.
The Demon Deacons (11-10, 8-9 ACC) were led by seniors Ivana Raca and Gina Conti. Raca posted her seventh 20-plus point game of the season while Conti nearly recorded a triple-double in the loss to the Hurricanes (10-10, 7-10 ACC).
Conti ended the evening with 11 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. The Grove City, Ohio native now ranks third in program history in assists.
She goes into Sunday with 998 career points, two shy of becoming the 29th member of the Wake Forest 1,000-point club.
Raca finished with a game-high 22 points on 8-of-16 shooting from the field.
She was key in the Demon Deacons fourth quarter comeback as her runner with 3:17 minutes remaining in the game gave Wake Forest a 63-62 lead. Their only lead of the fourth quarter.
The Belgrade, Serbia native had six of the Deacs 18 fourth quarter points, all coming during the 12-3 run.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Demon Deacons got off to a fast start on the opening possession of the game when they got the ball to junior forward Christina Morra. The Toronto, Ontario native got the bucket and converted the and-one opportunity to give Wake Forest the first lead of the game at 3-0.
- From that point, the Deacs struggled to find the bottom of the bucket, managing just five points over the next five minutes.
- A pair of free throws from senior guard Gina Conti helped settle the Wake Forest offense with 2:29 left in the opening frame.
- Despite trailing by as much as nine points in the first quarter, the Demon Deacons worked their way back into the contest late in the opening quarter.
- They were helped by a fast break three from Conti with just over a minute left to play in the first.
- By the end of the quarter the Deacs trailed by just three, 18-15.
- Through much of the second quarter, Miami hung on to a slim lead. The Deacs cut into the deficit further when Conti was able to find a wide open Olivia Summiel right in front of the rim. Summiel finished the easy layup to make it a 23-21 game with 4:41 left before halftime.
- After trailing for much of the first 20 minutes, freshman guard Jewel Spear found senior forward Ivana Raca open at the top of the key. Raca drilled the three to put Wake Forest in front for the first time since early in the first quarter at 26-24 with 3:16 remaining before the halftime intermission.
- It was the only time in the quarter Wake Forest led as Miami closed the quarter on a 8-2 run from that point.
- The Hurricanes took a 32-28 lead into the locker room.
- Wake Forest made the most of their 11 trips to the free throw line in the first 20 minutes, converting on 10 attempts.
- Raca had a game-high 12 points in the opening two quarters, the only double-figure scorer for either team.
- En route to passing the 1,000-point barrier, Conti tallied seven points in the opening two frames.
- The Deacs came out of the on a 5-2 run with an Alexandria Scruggs and-one conversion making it a 34-33 game at the 8:42 mark of the third quarter.
- The Hurricanes answered right back with a run of their own. They scored the next seven points to claim a 41-33 advantage with 6:34 left in the third.
- Wake Forest continued to battle back with the help of the three ball. Spear and Scruggs each knocked down a pair of threes to close the gap.
- Back-to-back triples from Scruggs made it a 49-47 game at the 2:58 mark of the third, forcing Miami to call a timeout.
- Despite multiple chances to take the lead back, the Hurricanes clung on to a 53-49 edge heading into the final quarter.
- After a made bucket from the elbow at the 6:37 mark of the fourth, Raca knocked down a pair of free throws on the next possession to make it a 59-56 game.
- The free throws gave her 20 points in the game, marking the seventh time this season she has gone for 20-plus points.and the second time this season against Miami.
- The Deacs finally found their way back in front when Raca knocked down a running floater from five feet. It gave Wake Forest a 63-62 lead with 3:17 left in the game.
- At this point, Wake Forest was in the midst of a 12-3 run after trailing by as much as eight points in the fourth.
- It was the last basket the Demon Deacons managed in the game as the Hurricanes closed the final three minutes, allowing the Deacs to score just four points.
- Wake Forest fell 69-67 at Miami.
STANDOUT STAT
With seven assists in the contest, Gina Conti moved into third on the Wake Forest all-time list. She now has 465 in her four-year career, passing Cotelia Bond-Young (2003-06) on Thursday night.
Additionally, her eight rebounds tied her career-high. It is the third time in her career she has pulled down eight rebounds.
FROM HOOVER
"I just did not think our defensive details were good from the jump. I told them in the locker room that is my fault. When you look at their statlines, they did what they do. Every person. From number 14, all she does is shoot threes. When we do not lock in to those details from the beginning, you dig yourself a hole. This team is going to fight. They are going to fight, fight, fight, until they are told that you are not going anywhere and you are not good enough. So, I am proud of our fight. If we lock into the details early, we do not have to fight for our lives, and tonight we were in a fight for our lives." - Head Coach Jen Hoover
NEXT UP
The Demon Deacons close the regular season on Sunday, traveling to Tallahassee for the second matchup of the season with Florida State.
The game will tip off at Noon ET on Regional Sports Networks.
