Sports > November 8, 2007

By Matt Six | Staff writer

The Wake Forest women’s basketball team is getting ready for the regular season opener against USC-Upstate Nov. 13.

Between now and Nov. 13, the team will play two exhibition games.

The first of two exhibition games took place Nov. 3 at the Joel Coliseum. The Deacons were victorious over Anderson 67-50.

Sophomore Mekia Valentine led all scorers with 19 points. Valentine also had four rebounds and four blocks.

The exhibition game got off to a slow start. It took the Deacons over four minutes to score the first field goal of the game.

Once they broke the ice, Wake was off and running as they put together an impressive 13-2 run to begin the game.

The team retained its high level of play and ended the half with an 18-point lead at 34-16. The Demon Deacons shot 42.2 percent (27 out of 64) from the floor. Wake converted on 38.9 percent (seven out of 18) of its three pointers, including 50 percent in the first half (four out of eight).

Anderson outshot Wake percentage-wise, shooting 45.5 percent (20 out of 44) for the game.

However, the Lady Deacs had a suffocating pressure defense and took advantage of its opponent’s 27 turnovers.

Wake Forest turned these 27 turnovers into 31 points.

In addition to Valentine, two other Deacs scored double figures in the game. Senior Christen Brown scored on four of seven three-point attempts and finished the game with 14 points.

Junior forward Corinne Groves added 10 points.

Groves, Brown and junior Alex Tchangoue each came down with a total of five rebounds.

Sophomore Tiffany Roulhac contributed five assists in the Wake victory.

Fellow sophomore Courteney Morris chipped in four assists of her own.

“We’re a strong passing team, which leads to simple plays and baskets,” Valentine said.

“Another one of our strengths as a team is our inside scoring abilities and effective doubling on post defense.”

Valentine said that one of the team’s weaknesses is its team defense.

“Trading baskets with teams is what we did last year and that caused us to lose by significant amounts,” she said.

“So we need to make more stops on the defensive end.”

Wake Forest is a relatively young basketball team, with Brown being the lone senior on the team.

The team has three freshmen: Kern Wilson, Brittany Waters and Camille Collier.

Wilson and Collier are guards, while Waters plays the forward position.

Valentine said that the team’s goal is to win more games.

“All the smaller goals will lead to wins and we’re just ready to be the team we know we are.”

After the Deacs’ season-opener against 7 p.m. USC Upstate Nov. 13, Wake will play three regular season games then head to the Virgin Islands to play in the Paradise Jam Nov. 22.

The Lady Deacs start ACC play Jan. 3 against Maryland.