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Lady Deacs Blown Out By Notre Dame
The Lady Deacs got absolutely steamrolled 78-54 Thursday night at the hands of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. This one was over just about as soon as it started. This has been a very difficult season for Coach Gebbia between the injuries and inconsistency on the court. Only one player for the Lady Deacs scored in double figures. None of the starters scored more than 9 points. There isn’t much to love about this one, but I will look for it all the same.

Fight
The Lady Deacs surrendered a very quick 10-0 lead to start the game, and didn’t score a point until 6:41 to go in the first quarter. Wake Forest was able to battle back and keep things within reason in the 1st, but it got out of hand quickly from there. I have said this all season long, you cannot be successful in the ACC if none of your starters score in double figures. You cannot win in the ACC if you cannot win rebounding battles. You cannot win in the ACC if you commit 20 or more turnovers. It just is not sustainable.
Emily Johns led the Lady Deacs in scoring with 13 points in just 19 minutes off the bench. Johns also had 2 rebounds, 2 assists, and a steal. The starting five combined for only 29 points on 10-32 shooting and 2-15 from three. Grace Oliver had 9 points on 4-8 shooting with 7 rebounds, an assist, and a steal.

As A Team
The Lady Deacs had a rough night at the office in the box score. As a team, Wake Forest shot 40% from the field, 24% from beyond the arc, and a paltry 61% from the free throw line. Although the 7 missed free throws may not have made a huge difference in the finish, it has been a point of concern this season. Wake Forest didn’t do any better defensively. The Lady Deacs allowed the Fighting Irish to shoot 52% from the field, 44% from three, and 89% from the free throw line.
Lady Deacs Moving Forward
After tonight’s loss, the Lady Deacs are in a very difficult position. There are only three games remaining in the regular season, the Lady Deacs are below the cut line for the ACC tournament, and have a losing record. The only chance left Wake Forest has of going dancing in March is winning the ACC tournament. That is not something the Lady Deacs can achieve unless they get above the cut line. To do that, every game left is a must win. Its now or never.
Up next, the Lady Deacs go on the road to take on the Boston College Golden Eagles. The game will tipoff at noon on Sunday on ACC Extra.

