Miami’s comeback attempt comes up short against Wake Forest

Sophomore guard Ja'Leah Williams dribbles the ball during Miami's game against Wake Forest at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum on Sunday, Jan. 29. Photo credit: Miami Athletics

Miami women’s basketball fought back from a 12-point deficit to defeat Boston College last Tuesday and found itself in a similar situation against Wake Forest on Saturday at the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum.

The Hurricanes were trailing by 10 with 4:22 remaining in the third quarter, but this time, their comeback attempt fell short, as they later lost to the Demon Deacons, 55-52.

Miami held a one-point lead with 31 seconds remaining, but free throws by guards Jewel Spear and Elise Williams gave Wake Forest a late lead and the eventual win.

“We had different people stepping up, which is something to be positive about, but we had very inconsistent play throughout the game,” Miami head coach Katie Meier said. “We had three or four chances there at the end that were perfectly executed plays, but just didn’t get the calls on the road.”

Lola Pendande led UM in scoring with 12 points. This was the second time in three games that the senior forward led the Hurricanes in scoring.

Guard Jasmyne Roberts and forward Destiny Harden contributed to Miami’s balanced offensive attack, scoring 10 and eight points, respectively.

The Hurricanes struggled to capitalize offensively on Wake Forest’s poor shooting display in the first.

The Demon Deacons only shot 18.2% from the field in the opening period, yet Miami only held a five-point advantage at the end of the quarter. This inability to stretch its lead in the first was consequential, as Wake Forest went on a 12-0 scoring run to begin the second, which proved to be a difference-maker in the closely contested game.

“We can’t have that first quarter where we look like we’re in a bit of a fog at Clemson,” Meier said. “This is the league. We were behind most of the second half, but we came back and put ourselves in a position to win and we have to close those out.”

Miami will wrap up its two-game road trip on Tuesday as it plays Clemson at the Littlejohn Coliseum. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m., and the game will air on Bally Sports.