Nov. 3, 2007

Final Stats

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - It took over four minutes for either team to score a bucket, but once the Wake Forest women's basketball team put in its first at the 15:57 mark, the Demon Deacons never looked back as they opened their exhibition schedule with a 67-50 victory over Anderson University Saturday afternoon at Joel Coliseum.

Sophomore Mekia Valentine led all players with 19 points and pulled down four rebounds.

Two other Deacs joined Valentine in doubles figures in the scoring column. Senior Christen Brown scored on 4-of-7 from beyond the arc for 12 of her 14 points, while junior Corinne Groves added 10 points. Groves and Brown along with junior Alex Tchangoue each totaled five rebounds.

Sophomore Tiffany Roulhac led the Deacs with five assists, while fellow sophomore teammate Courteney Morris added four of her own assists.

Whitney Ketner led the Lady Trojans with 12 points, while Alex Neal added 10 points. Nikki Anthony led all players with seven rebounds.

Wake opened the first half with a 13-2 run and extended its first-half lead by as many as 15 after Valentine put in a lay-up and free throw. The Deacs closed the half with an 18-point lead, 34-16, after a lay-up from Tchangoue.

The two teams traded points for much of the second half, but Wake was able to keep its double-figure lead. Valentine's two free throws at the 9:09 mark sparked a 6-0 run for the Deacs and a three-pointer from Morris gave the Deacs their largest lead of the game - 22 points at 3:44.

The Lady Trojans answered with a three-point basket by Fogle-Wilson, but freshman Camillie Collier's 3-pointer of her own put Wake back up 21 points with just over a minute left in regulation.

Anderson added four points on two jumpers in the final minute to cut the margin to 17 where it would stand as the final.

For the game, the Demon Deacons shot 42.2 percent (27-of-64) from the floor. Wake made 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from beyond the arc, including 50.0 percent in the first half on 4-of-8 shooting.

Anderson shot 45.5 percent (20-of-44) for the game, but Wake Forest was able to take advantage of its opponents' 27 turnovers, adding 31 points off of them.

Wake Forest will wrap up its exhibition schedule on Wednesday, Nov. 7, when it hosts North Carolina Central at 7 p.m. at the Joel.