|
Dec. 28, 2008
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The East Tennessee State Buccaneers cut the Wake Forest lead to just one point with two minutes to play, but a jump shot from Corinne Groves allowed the Demon Deacons to stay ahead in the final minute en route to a 72-66 win. ETSU forward Siarre Evans was the leading scorer with 22 points and leading rebounder with 13 boards. Wake Forest sophomore Brittany Waters netted a team-high 19 points and junior Courteney Morris led the Deacons in rebounding with nine. Wake Forest is now 11-0, marking the longest winning streak in program history. The previous win-streak record was set during the 1987-88 season, when Wake Forest finished 23-8 and made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. This was Wake's first game without starting point guard Tiffany Roulhac, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury sustained in practice after the holiday break. Freshman Brooke Thomas got her first start at point, playing 26 minutes with five points, four assists and three steals. Sophomore Camille Collier had her best 3-point performance of the season, hitting four-of-six shots from beyond the arc. The Washington, D.C. native tallied 16 points through 31 minutes. After exchanging baskets in the opening minutes, Wake Forest pulled ahead to gain its largest lead of the game, holding a 22-7 advantage over the Bucs just 10 minutes into play. By the half, ETSU cut Wake Forest lead to nine, going into halftime with a 38-29 score.
Latisha Belcher opened scoring in the second half with a layup in ETSU's first possession. At 17:40 Evans hit a layup and followed with a 3-pointer to whittle Wake's lead to three (42-37). A layup from Wake Forest freshman Secily Ray sparked a 9-0 Deacon run that Belcher finally ended with a jumper with 15:16 on the clock. ETSU was then able to capitalize on free throw opportunities to narrow the lead once again. The Bucs shot 77 percent from the line while the Deacons shot well below their season average of 72 percent with a 46 percent performance (6-13). With exactly two minutes to play ETSU's Gwen Washington put in a layup to cut Wake's lead to 67-66. After a couple of missed free throws from Brittany Waters, the Bucs regained possession, but Alex Tchangoue picked up a rebound and sent a long pass to Corinne Groves who put the Deacs in front 69-66 with her trademark jump shot. The wind immediately blew out of the Buccaneers' sails. Groves followed with another layup and Brooke Thomas set the final score with a free throw. Wake Forest returns to action on January 1, hosting UNC Wilmington at 1 p.m. The Demon Deacons will then kickoff a three-game road trip, starting with Richmond on January 6, continuing with conference opener vs. Maryland on January 8 and wrapping up with Virginia on January 11. - www.WakeForestSports.com - |
