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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – After Campbell cut the lead to 60-58 with 4:39 remaining following an eight-point burst, Wake Forest converted an 8-3 run to help secure a 73-65 victory on Wednesday night at Joel Coliseum. Senior guard Jessica Moore (Jacksboro, Tenn.) registered a career-best 19 points, going 4-for-8 from beyond the three-point arc.
Eighteen of Dearica Hamby's 28 points were in the second half to aid the Deamon Deacons (1-1) to their first win of the season. Chelsea Douglas chipped in 22 points, while Ataija Taylor contributed 10.
The Lady Camels (1-1) saw junior guard D Janelle Brown (Oklahoma City, Okla.) notch a season-best 18 points off the bench. Both sophomore guard Kiera Gaines (Mechanicsville, Va.), who totaled 15 points, and D Brown went 3-for-4 beyond the arc.
"Jess Moore and D [Brown] were sensational throughout the game," said head coach Wanda Watkins. "They were not intimidated at all and helped us so much on the perimeter.
Campbell made 10 three-point field goals including the first three jumpers of the game, while hitting them at a 50.0 pct. clip. Neither team shot particularly well as each squad made less than 40 pct. of their shots.
Wake Forest held the advantage on the glass, 50-to-40, including 17-rebound performance by Hamby. Despite being out-rebounded on the offensive glass, 22-to-17, the Lady Camels did hold their own in second-chance opportunities, 15-to-18.
After Wake Forest opened on a 7-0 run, Gaines drilled a trey from the top of the arc to put Campbell on the board. Brown and Moore added threes in the first nine minutes.
Following one of the four first-half blocks by freshman forward Amanda Coffer (Summerfield, N.C.), D Brown laid in a ball on transition to bring Campbell within 27-22 with 3:09 left till halftime. Wake Forest responded by 10-straight points and eventually took a 39-23 advantage into halftime.
"After sitting in the first half with two fouls, KG [Kiera Gaines] came out in the second half and was a real presence for us inside," said coach Watkins. "She did some nice things that helped the rest of our team relax."
The Lady Camels stepped up the defensive pressure along the perimeter to open the second half as Hamby scored the first seven points for Wake Forest as it clung to a 47-31 lead, which included four shots from the charity stripe.
Fouls started to open the game up for the Lady Camels as the Demon Deacons committed 16 in the second half. Campbell was in the bonus with 12 minutes left on the clock, but the team converted just 15-of-26 (50.7%) free throws during the game.
After Douglas made a layup with under 11 minutes remaining, the Lady Camels made their run as Moore trimmed the deficit to 54-45 with a three pointer.
A trey from Gaines, layup by senior guard Roslyn Presley (Petersburg, Va.), who scored nine points, and a three from Brown put the Lady Camels down just two, 56-54 with 7:09 left. Head coach Wanda Watkins utilized a full-court press to force Wake Forest into mistakes, creating opportunities for baskets in transition.
Campbell was unable to score the next bucket that would have knotted the contest, but was still hanging around with 4:39 left as Gaines drove to the basket for a layup, 60-58. A three by Douglass and jumper from Hamby stretched the Wake Forest lead to 69-61 with 2:50 remaining.
Campbell battles Western Carolina on Saturday with a 7 p.m. start inside Gore Arena/John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center. Wake Forest head to Delaware on Saturday for an 8 p.m. tip.
