A Quick Summary of the Regular SeasonExpectations were high for the Wake Forest Demon Deacons last fall, but the season didn't live up to those high hopes. The Deacs posted a seven-game winning streak early in the year, which included a pair of victories in the Big 4 Classic and a win over 15th-ranked Clemson. However, that successful streak was followed by a 12-game losing streak which sent the Deacs into a tailspin in the conference standings. As such, the 10th victory in the team's 12-16 record came on January 5th vs. Florida State, but the Deacons didn't record their 11th win until the last regular-season game on February 23rd, in WFU's second regular-season meeting with the Seminoles. The squad's 3-13 ACC record was far below where Wake Forest expected to see itself, and a first-round win over FSU in the ACC Tournament gave way only until the Deacs lost 86-60 to the eventual tourney champion, North Carolina. Leading the Way for the Demon DeaconsWFU senior center Tracy Connor led the team in scoring (12.9 ppg) and rebounding (7.4 rpg). Senior forward Lindsay Seawright was the top Deac defensively, averaging 1.1 blocks per game, plus 6.4 points and 6.3 rebounds. For their careers, Connor started 88 of the 94 games she played and Seawright was a member of the first five in an impressive 95 of 97 games. Sophomore point guard Heidi Coleman, like Seawright, started every game in the 1996-97 season. She finished second on the team in scoring, at 10.2 points per game, and first in assists, at 2.8 per Deacon contest. She earned ACC Player of the Week honors after helping the Deacs to victories over Clemson (26 second-half points) and Florida State. A Strong FoundationWith a deep and versatile sophomore class in 1996-97, the Wake Forest women's basketball team laid a strong foundation to build on for the future. In addition to sophomore point guard Heidi Coleman (see above), the Deacon starting five featured sophomore guard Cynthia Kelley (8.2 points, 4.0 rebounds per game) and freshman Alisha Mosley (7.0 points, 2.2 rebounds), a member of the ACC's All-Rookie team. In addition, sophomore forward Emon McMillian played in all 28 games, earned six starts, and contributed 3.3 points and 3.9 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Jenn Miklic was a factor as well, playing in all 28 games, starting six, and contributing 5.3 points and 3.5 rebounds per outing. Honors & Accolades HEIDI COLEMAN ACC Player-of-the-Week (January 6) TRACY CONNOR All-Tournament, ODU/Dial Classic All-Tournament, The Big Four Classic ALISHA MOSLEY ACC All-Rookie Team ACC Rookie-of-the-Week (February 3) In the ACC Standings Statistic Player All Games ACC Games Scoring T. Connor 14th 12.9 12th 12.9 Rebounds T. Connor 6th 7.4 3rd 7.9 L. Seawright 10th 6.3 10th 5.9 3Pt FG Percentage H. Coleman 7th .341 7th .325 3Pt FG per Game H. Coleman 2nd 2.2 1st 2.4 Blocks L. Seawright 4th 1.1 4th 1.4 T. Connor 9th 0.7 8th 0.7 |