Wake Forest Game Notes

FARMVILLE, Va. – A new season brings along a new opportunity and a fresh start.
Under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Bill Reinson, the 2014-15 Longwood women's basketball team will open its 99th season by playing eight of its first 10 games on the road.
 
The Lancers will open their journey on Saturday, Nov. 15 at 2 p.m., against Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C., before traveling to Gainesville, Fla., for an afternoon contest against Florida on Monday, Nov. 17 at 4:30 p.m.
 
"Our team was very young last season and learned a lot about adversity," Reinson said. "This summer, we challenged them to be better prepared for the upcoming season and they've responded. I've noticed significant improvement up and down the roster and think we have a chance to be very good this year. We created a schedule that would challenge us early, in an effort to better prepare us for conference play. I'm very excited to get started."
 
The Lancers return a core that contributed 87-percent of the team's scoring output last season. Daeisha Brown returns for her junior season after averaging 15.3 points per game a season ago, as she was selected to the second-team All-Big South preseason team prior to this season. Raven Williams will also return for her junior season, as she was the squad's second leading scorer a season ago averaging 11.4 points per contest and leading the team in assists with 3.3 per game.
 
"Daeisha Brown is completely healthy after struggling through injuries most of last year," Reinson said. "We have some excellent shooters who can beat teams from long range like Kyndal Skersick, Jaclyn Reagan and Raven Williams.  Brenna Robbins and Khalilah Ali are in terrific shape and will handle a lot of the dirty work inside.  Deborah Headen may be the most improved player on the team, and we have a few others who will be valuable members of the rotation. Expectations, and the excitement level, are sky high as we begin 2014-2015."
 
The Lancers will face the Demon Deacons for the second time in school history when the programs square off on Saturday. Longwood and Wake Forest have met just once previously on the hardwood, as the Demon Deacons earned the victory in Longwood's first season competing in Division I athletics in Winston-Salem, N.C., 57-26, during the 2007 season. Last season, Wake Forest finished 11th in the ACC with a 15-16 overall record.
 
"Wake Forest has one of the best players in college basketball in Dearica Hamby," Reinson said. "She had an incredible junior season and is poised to be even better this year. To beat Wake Forest, I believe that you must make every one of her possessions as difficult as possible. She is going to get her points and rebounds because she is the best player on the floor, but we must make it hard for her to do that.  If we play our game and rebound the basketball, we could be a difficult match-up."
 
Longwood's contest against Florida will be the first all-time meeting between the two programs. The Gators posted a 20-13 ledger a season ago and advanced to the second round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament.
 
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