Wake Forest University
Oklahoma State
Wake Forest Set for First Round Matchup with Oklahoma State
3/20/2021 9:17:00 AM | Women's Basketball
This is the second NCAA Tournament appearance for the Demon Deacons in program history, the Deacs have been a No. 9 seed in both tournament appearances.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - The Wake Forest women's basketball is set to take on No. 8 seed Oklahoma State Sunday afternoon at St. Mary's University in San Antonio, Texas.
For the second consecutive season, the Demon Deacons (12-12) advanced to the ACC Tournament Quarterfinal with the help of a victory over in-state rival North Carolina. It marked the sixth victory of the season over a top-50 NET team, a major reason the Deacs were selected to the NCAA Tournament.
This is the second time in program history that Wake Forest has advanced to the NCAA Tournament, the first since the 1987-88 season. Additionally, head coach Jen Hoover becomes just the eighth person to lead their school to the tournament as both a player and a coach. She was a freshman on the 1988 tournament team and lifted the team to the second round after a game winning basket over No. 8 seed Villanova.
The Cowgirls (18-8) earned the No. 3 seed in the Big 12 Tournament and advanced to the semifinal round with an 89-80 victory over Oklahoma in the quarterfinals. Oklahoma State is led by AP Third Team All-American Natasha Mack at center. She enters the game needing just 10 points to enter the 1,000-point club despite spending just two seasons in Stillwater.
Mack (19.8 points per game) and guard Ja'Mee Asberry (17.4 points per game) are one of the highest scoring duos in the country, combining for 37.2 points per game. The Cowgirls also rank 12th in the country in total assists (432) and 20th in assists per game (16.6).
Tipoff for Sunday's game against Oklahoma State is scheduled for 1 p.m. (ET) in Bill Greehey Arena. The game will air on ESPN2.
Fans can follow along via the Demon Deacons Twitter, Instagram and Facebook accounts (@WakeWBB).
OPPONENT PROFILE
- Team:
- No. 8 Seed Oklahoma State
- Coach:
- Jim Littell
- Record: 176-111 (10th year at Okla. St.)
- Key Players:
- Center Natasha Mack:
- 19.2 ppg, 12.2 rpg. and has 107 blocks this season (leads nation)
- 296 rebounds are the fourth-best total in the country.
- Second-team All-American by Sports Illustrated and ESPN and third team by the AP
- Guard Ja'Mee Asberry
- 17.4 ppg. 3.8 apg, .422 3FG%
- She shot 52 percent from beyond the arc in league play.
- Second Team All-Big 12 Selection
- Center Natasha Mack:
- Key 2020-21 Wins:
- 78-73 over West Virginia (Dec. 18, 2020)
- 68-51 over Texas (Jan. 27, 2021)
- Key Stats:
- Rank 12th in the country in total assists (432) and 20th in assists per game (16.6).
- Eleven of OSU's league wins have come by double figures and its average margin of victory in those games is +20.1.
- The Cowgirls won 13 Big 12 games this season, the highest league win total in program history. OSU won 11 conference games 1990-91, 2007-08, 2013-14, 2015-16 and 2017-18.
- NCAA Tournament Record:
- 11-15 all-time
- 4-5 under Jim Littell
FIRESIDE ON MANCHESTER
Come out and support your Demon Deacons! Wake Forest is set to host a special viewing of the NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament at Fireside on Manchester Sunday afternoon for the Deacs first round game against Oklahoma State at 1 p.m.
Free food will be on site beginning at 12:30 p.m. from the Morfa Empanadas and Dusty Donuts food trucks.
INTERNATIONAL PLAYER OF THE YEAR FINALIST
Wake Forest women's basketball senior forward Ivana Raca was named a finalist for the Women's International Player of the Year, as announced by World Exposure Report on Monday morning.
The Belgrade, Serbia native is one of 10 finalists for the award.
The two-time All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection is having her best season to date, coming out of the ACC Tournament averaging 16.8 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game including nine double-double performances.
LAST TIME
Wake Forest vs No. 5 Louisville (March 5)
Result: L, 65-53
- In both matchups this season Wake Forest has limited the most potent offense in the league, one that came in averaging 80.5 points per game, to just 65 points. The Cardinals were limited to just just 43 percent shooting for the game and only had one player finish in double figures, freshman guard Van Lith.
- Wake Forest limited two-time reigning ACC Player of the Year Dana Evans to just eight points, the first time she has not reached double figures in 40 games.
SERIES HISTORY
Versus Oklahoma State
Series: First meeting
Last: N/A
Result: N/A
- The Demon Deacons have never faced Oklahoma State and this marks just the sixth matchup against a Big 12 team in program history. The Deacs are 2-3 against the conference all-time.
- Wake Forest has faced a Big 12 foe just once during Jen Hoover's nine-year tenure, coming in her first season at the helm. In the matchup, the Demon Deacons faced Kansas coming on Nov. 18, 2012.
STANDOUT STAT
Head coach Jen Hoover becomes just the eighth person to lead her alumna mater to a NCAA Tournament as both a player and as a coach. She has the unique distinction of being a part of both tournament runs. She was a freshman on the 1988 Wake Forest that advanced to the second round.
DOUBLE-DOUBLE IVANA
After recording a double-double with 21 points and a game-high 12 rebounds against North Carolina, senior forward Ivana Raca has now recorded nine double-doubles this season and has 17 double-double performances in her career. That career mark, ranking sixth in program history:
|
Team |
Date |
Points |
Rebounds |
|
North Carolina |
Dec. 10 |
14 pts |
12 reb |
|
Miami |
Jan. 7 |
22 pts |
14 reb |
|
Boston College |
Jan. 10 |
16 pts |
11 reb |
|
at Virginia Tech |
Jan. 17 |
17 pts |
19 reb |
|
Louisville |
Jan. 24 |
12 pts |
13 reb |
|
at Syracuse |
Feb. 4 |
16 pts |
12 reb |
|
at Georgia Tech |
Feb. 7 |
11 pts |
12 reb |
|
Pitt |
Feb. 11 |
14 pts |
11 reb |
|
vs. North Carolina |
March 4 |
21 pts |
12 reb |
MAY I ASSIST YOU
In the Demon Deacons first game in the ACC Tournament, Gina Conti dropped a career-best 12 assists in the win over North Carolina. It was the most assists by one player in any conference tournament game around the country this season.
She goes into the game needing just 29 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. Gina Conti (485; 2017-21)
4. Cotelia Bond-Young (462; 2003-06)
5. Gretchen Hollifield (453; 1993-96)
NEXT UP
The winner of the first round game will go on to play the winner of No. 1-seed Stanford and No. 16-seed Utah Valley State on Tuesday. Tipoff times and networks for the second round games will be announced at a later date.
It would mark the second time the Demon Deacons would face a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, playing top-seeded Tennessee in 1988.
