Courtesy of Wake Forest Sports Information
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Four Wake Forest players scored in double figures, led by senior Kristen Shaffer’s (Woodbridge, Va.) 20 points, as the Demon Deacons defeated Georgia Tech 79-71 on Thursday night at the Lawrence Joel Coliseum Annex.
Wake Forest improves to 11-8 on the year with a 3-5 record in conference play while Georgia Tech slips to 10-8, 2-6 in the ACC. The Deacons are also on a five-game winning streak at home, dating back to Dec. 17.
The game was a see-saw battle for much of the way and the Yellow Jackets owned a 54-50 lead with 12 minutes left. But Deacon freshman Eafton Hill (Boone, N.C.) scored eight points over the next three minutes to spur a 12-2 run that gave Wake Forest a six-point cushion. The Demon Deacons never relinquished the lead.
Hill finished with 15 points, her third straight game in double figures. Seniors Brenda Mock Kirkpatrick (Waynesville, N.C.) and Olivia Dardy (Norwalk, Conn.) chipped in 15 and 13 points, respectively. Kirkpatrick also led the Deacons with eight rebounds.
Wake Forest led at halftime 34-32 despite shooting just 35.9 percent from the floor. But the Demon Deacons buried shots at a torrid 60.7 percent pace in the second stanza.
This was a great win, Wake Forest head coach Charlene Curtis said. Georgia Tech is a team that really fights hard and has played a lot of close games. After we had the lead at halftime, Goergia Tech came out and got a run early in the second half. But we stuck with it; we stayed with them and didn’t quit. I was proud of our effort tonight.
Georgia Tech sophomore Niesha Butler fell just short of a triple-double while leading the charge for the Yellow Jackets. She ended the game with 18 points, eight rebounds and eight steals. Junior Milli Martinez recorded a double-double with 12 points and a game-high 11 rebounds.
Wake Forest hits the road for an ACC battle against 25th-ranked Virginia on Sunday in Charlottesville, Va. Tipoff is set for 2:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets return to Atlanta to host Charleston Southern on January 30.
