A sea of well-wishers engulfed Dearica Hamby, wanting pictures with and autographs from the Wake Forest forward.

The new all-time Demon Deacon scoring leader was happy to oblige, basking in her seemingly new-found super-stardom.

Entering Wake's final home game - and Hamby's final game at Joel Coliseum - she needed 31 points to tie the record. She scored 32 and broke the mark formerly held by Jen Hoover - who also just happens to be Hamby's coach.

So as Hamby cheerfully sifted through the bodies on the floor of the Joel, Hoover presented the commemorative basketball to Hamby's mother, Carla Hamby.

Statistically speaking, it became a record that seemed sure to fall in the waning games of the season, until Hamby had a trio of consecutive single-digit games - games in which opponents simply refused to let Hamby beat them single-handedly, utilizing physical double and triple-teaming tactics that largely kept the ball out of her hands.

"I was hoping to have it done by senior night," Hamby told Deacons Illustrated after a nine-point, eight-rebound effort in a win over Miami in the Deacs' next-to-last regular-season contest.

Reminded that Wake would still have games in the ACC Tournament she said, "It's not the same. My whole family is going to be there (on senior night)."

Saturday became the magical night for Hamby, as the Georgia Tech defense gave her room to operate down low and she converted. She scored nine field goals and hit 14-of-16 shots from the free throw line, included charity tosses that tied and broke the all-time scoring record.

"It's exciting. I didn't think I was going to get it this game. I thought it would take two games," Hamby said. "My teammates did a great job of getting me the ball and I was able to finish tonight. I have like 100 people here today. They're all pretty excited and I'm glad they were able to see it."

Likely also in attendance were WNBA scouts, who have been a fixture at recent Wake games. Hamby is considered a likely first-round pick and earned First Team All-ACC honors Tuesday.

That's high praise for a player that didn't necessarily even believe in herself until the last couple of years and didn't play the game of basketball regularly until her high school junior season.

"People saw potential in me, but I didn't really see it until last year," Hamby said. "Last year I was able to do it and it gave me motivation."

Coach Hoover saw the potential from the minute she took over the program, at the start of Hamby's sophomore season. Hamby averaged just 3.8 points and 4.1 rebounds in her freshman campaign with the Deacs.

"One of our first workout with her we said, 'she's a pro.' Her ability to outrun most people up and down the floor, her ability to score in a variety of ways," Hoover said. "She's so versatile. In our sets, we give her space to work with and she's so good in space. As we've played the last two years, people have started taking that space away.

"They have two and three people on her. It's been a lot of fun. She's worked hard on it."

Hamby played in less than a handful of minutes her high school sophomore season - in the state championship game because nearly everyone else had fouled out, she says. Early on, she was much more committed to softball, which was the game she truly loved at the time.

"She liked softball. Softball was her thing," said her mother, Carla Hamby.

Dearica played both infield and outfield, willing to play wherever the coaches put her, but began to realize her basketball potential during the summer AAU season between her high school sophomore and junior years.

"I think she saw the opportunity after playing with her AAU team the summer after her 10th grade season," Carla Hamby said. "She played both at the same time. Have to rush her to softball game after AAU contest."

She eventually quit softball to focus exclusively on basketball and that decision has worked out extremely well for Hamby.

"Consistency is the biggest thing. She battles night-in and night-out. She's been so consistent in what she accomplishes in this league - to average 20 (points) and 10 (rebounds)," Hoover said. "Her growth and desire to continue to add another piece to her game is what has made her special to coach. It's been a lot of fun.

"It's been a tough year for us. Losing Jill (Brunori) really affected us all. When you face adversity, what's been great about this group is they've come together even as we've faced more adversity."

Hamby's individual accolades may not even be complete. She's a mere 20 rebounds away from becoming the program's all-time leader - a record also currently held by Hoover.

Although the individual success has been great, it has come during a year in which the Deacs have struggled (11-19, 2-14 ACC), yet are on the cusp of great things. Hoover has just put the finishing touches on her third-consecutive top-25 recruiting class, and the Deacs don't figure to be cellar-dwellers for much longer.

"She's so involved in the recruiting and she really lays her heart into what this place has meant for her," Hoover said about Hamby. "She know the kids coming in next year really well. It's neat to see all the camaraderie with all the players."

In the meantime, Hamby uses the spotlight to get her teammates involved and provide encouragement for better days ahead.

"I've learned a lot from her. She's very supportive and a team leader. On the court, she pushes us. She's been really aggressive this entire season," freshman guard Amber Campbell said. "It feel great to play with a player like Dearica. There's great chemistry. She a role model and someone to look up to."

Hamby struggled two weeks ago at home against Pitt, going 3-for-15 from the field while tallying just eight points.

Driving the baseline, the Panther defense collapsed and Hamby was surrounded. She found teammate Kandice Ball, who scored the layup and drew a foul.

Hamby responded with a scream, a fist pump and even a brief smile.

"At times she gets more excited about an assist than scoring a bucket now, and that's a complete player. Is this the best version of Dearica today?" Hoover asked after the Pitt game. "Not really, because she missed some shots but she found teammates and did other things on the floor to help us win. That's the sign of a great player, when you can impact the game in other ways when you're not scoring."

The Deacs begin play in the ACC Tournament at 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Greensboro Coliseum against Boston College.

"We've worked really hard all season, and when the games didn't go our way it started to take a toll," Hamby said. "I think we have momentum heading into the tournament."

Hamby said Hoover was happy that it was her to break the scoring record.

"Coach Hoover has put me in a great place to be successful," Hamby said. "I'm grateful for what she's done. She saw the potential in me."