Wake Forest University
8-8,5-7ACC
Syracuse
10-4,7-4ACC
Conti Drops 25 in Loss at Syracuse
2/4/2021 8:37:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The senior from Grove City, Ohio continued to inch closer to becoming the 29th 1,000-point scorer in Wake Forest history.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Despite an efficient night from senior guard Gina Conti, the Wake Forest women's basketball team fell, 85-78, on the road at Syracuse on Thursday evening.
Conti led the Demon Deacons (8-8, 5-7 ACC) and all scorers with 25 points on the night, marking the fourth time this season the Grove City, Ohio native has gone for 20 or more points.
She now has 932 points in her Wake Forest career as she inches closer to becoming the 29th player in program history to break the 1,000-point barrier. She also recorded a team-high six assists, needing just 10 points to move into fourth place in program history for assists.
Additionally, Conti has five or more assists in the last three contests.
The Orange (9-5, 6-5 ACC) became just the second team this season to defeat Wake Forest when Ivana Raca records a double-double. Her 16-point, 12-rebound performance was the sixth double-double of the season for the Belgrade, Serbia native. She led the Deacs on the boards and now goes into Sunday needing just seven rebounds to break into the top 10 in program history.
Junior forward Christina Morra and freshman guard Jewel Spear also finished the night in double figures posting 17 and 11 points, respectively.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Senior guard Gina Conti got the Demon Deacons going early in the game, scoring Wake Forest's first five points in the contest to knot the score at 5-5 with 7:10 remaining in the first quarter.
- Conti's quick start to the game helped open things up for freshman guard Jewel Spear who was coming off a season-best 24 points on Sunday against Clemson. She scored back-to-back buckets to help get the Deacs in front, 14-12 with three minutes remaining in the quarter.
- Conti's first quarter performance was one of the best in her four-year career at Wake Forest, netting 12 of the Demon Deacons 19 points in the opening 10 minutes of action.
- She ended the quarter shooting 5-of-6 from the field and knocked down 2-of-3 from behind the arc.
- At that point, Wake Forest held a slim 19-18 advantage.
- The Demon Deacons quickly pushed the lead up to five points after a second Jewel Spear three gave the Deacs a 24-19 edge at the 7:33 mark of the second quarter.
- They again led by five points when sophomore forward Olivia Summiel found a wide open junior forward Christina Morra underneath the basket.
- It made the score 26-21 as at that point Wake Forest held Syracuse to just 35.0 percent shooting from the field.
- From that point, the game tightened to be within one score for much of the remaining time in the second quarter.
- Ivana Raca got going at the end of the second quarter including a layup off glass with four seconds left, seemingly giving the Deacs a 37-35 lead heading into the locker room.
- A Syracuse running three at the buzzer gave the Orange a slim 38-37 edge at the midway point.
- Syracuse continued to build on that lead in the third quarter, extending it out to as much as 10 points in the frame.
- During the third quarter, a pair of back-to-back triples from Raca kept the Deacs within striking distance and made it a 54-49 game with 2:43 left in the quarter.
- Her third quarter performance helped solidify Raca's sixth double-double of the season and the 14th of her career. She is now tied for 10th in program history with 14 career double-double performances.
- By the end of the third, Syracuse had pushed their advantage to 62-54.
- Syracuse held on the lead the rest of the way, pushing it to double digits in the fourth quarter.
- The Deacs continued to battle to the final whistle as a Raca three from the top of the key made it a 79-71 with 1:04 remaining in the game.
- With 12 seconds left in the game, Christina Morra converted an and-one opportunity, pushing her total to 14 for the game and making it an 82-78 contest.
- With a few last second free throws, Syracuse won 85-78.
STANDOUT STAT
Ivana Raca recorded her sixth double-double of the season and her 14th of her career. With No. 14 in her Wake Forest career, she now is tied for 10th in program history with that number.
This is just the second time this season the Demon Deacons have lost when the Belgrade, Serbia native has recorded a double-double. The Deacs are 4-2 in those games.
FROM HOOVER
"This team is not going to win games if we do not defend and rebound, and in the third quarter they shot 58 percent against us. We know that right now that is our Achilles heel.
We scored 78 points, that is great, but we cannot give up 85. It still comes down to who is going to get down in a stance and defend and rebound. If we do that, then we will start coming out on the right side of the equation, but as long as we continue to try to outscore teams, we are just not built that way. We have got to be the tougher team and we were not that for the entire 40 minutes." - Head Coach Jen Hoover
NEXT UP
The Deacs continue their week on the road, visiting Georgia Tech for a Sunday afternoon tip in Atlanta, Ga.
The game will tip off at Noon on Regional Sports Networks.
