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Women's Basketball Heads To Tucson, Arizona for First Round of NCAA Tournament
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March 10, 1998
1998 NCAA Tournament First and Second RoundsMcKale Center - Tucson, Ariz.Virginia vs. Southern MethodistArizona vs. Santa ClaraRecord: 18-9, 9-7
17th in AP & USA Today pollsTeam LeadersScoring: DeMya Walker, 15.7 ppgRebounding: DeMya Walker, 8.4 rpgAssists: Mimi McKinney, 3.8 apgSteals: Mimi McKinney, 2.1 spgBlocks: DeMya Walker, 3.4 bpg
Virginia makes its 15th straight appearance in the NCAA Tournament.The Cavaliers received a sixth seed in the East Region and will meet the11th seed, Southern Methodist, in the first round. The Cavaliers are 26-14in NCAA Tournament action (18-2 at home and 8-12 on the road). This is thefirst time since 1986 that the Cavaliers will not host a first or secondgame in the NCAA Tournament. The sixth seed is the lowest seed forVirginia since the 1985 season when UVa was the sixth seed in the MideastRegion and lost to Tennessee in the first round.
This subregional is very important for Virginia to keep its streakof 11 straight Sweet 16 appearances alive. This will not be an easy taskfor the Cavaliers who have won only one of its last five games.
The Cavaliers have played eight teams that received bids to thetournament and are 6-8 against those opponents. Virginia posted wins overfive teams that won their conference tournament and received an automaticNCAA Tournament bidKent (Mid-American champions), Virginia Tech(Atlantic-10 champions), North Carolina (ACC champions), St. Francis(Northeast) and Santa Clara (West Coast Conference champions). The otherwin was over Clemson. The eight losses include Old Dominion, NorthCarolina (twice), Duke (twice), N.C. State (twice) and Clemson.
Virginia has lost to the eventual national champion seven times intheir 14-year run in the tournament.
Series Records
This will be the first ever meeting between Southern Methodist andVirginia and only the fourth ever meeting with a Western AthleticConference team. The Cavaliers are 2-1 vs. WAC schools with wins over UNLVand Utah and a loss to Hawaii. Virginia defeated Utah 65-46 last year inthe second round of the NCAA Tournament in Charlottesville, Va.
The subregional in Tucson holds some familiarity for the Cavaliers.Virginia played Santa Clara earlier this season in San Jose, Calif. withthe Cavaliers edging out a 62-60 win over the Broncos in the first evermeeting between the two teams. Virginia has played only one other WestCoast Conference teamSan Diego and holds a 1-0 advantage in that series.
Host Arizona and Virginia have met twice before with the Cavaliersposting wins in both contests. Against Pac-10 teams, Virginia is 8-4(Arizona 2-0, California 1-0, Stanford 1-3, USC 2-1 and UCLA 2-0).
Probable Virginia StartersPos. No. Player Cl. Ht. StatsF 20 Lisa Hosac So. 6-2 7.3 ppg, 6.9 rpgF 40 Kate Mooney Jr. 6-0 6.5 ppg, 3.0 rpgC 22 DeMya Walker Jr. 6-2 15.7 ppg, 8.4 rpgG 21 Mimi McKinney Sr. 5-9 15.1 ppg, 5.8 rpgG 3 Erin Stovall Fr. 5-9 9.1 ppg, 2.7 rpgOff the BenchPos. No. Player Cl. Ht. StatsF 00 Deanna Mitchelson Fr. 6-2 1.8 ppg, 1.3 rpgF 30 Chalois Lias Fr. 6-0 3.4 ppg, 2.1 rpgF 4 Lesley Brown Jr. 6-0 6.6 ppg, 3.0 rpgG 5 Renee Robinson So. 5-6 3.6 ppg, 2.9 rpgG 12 Katie Tracy Fr. 5-5 1.7 ppg, 0.7 rpgC 14 Elena Kravchenko Fr. 6-10 1.6 ppg, 1.0 rpg
Virginia Quick Notes
Of the five ranked teams in the Atlantic Coast Conference,Virginia is ranked second in strength of schedule. Duke is first (12),followed by Virginia (16), N.C. State (27), North Carolina (47) and Clemson(81).
Seven of the team’s nine losses this year were to teams in theTop 25, and two of those games went into overtime. Virginia upsetseventh-ranked North Carolina 105-100 in triple overtime on Jan. 15 inChapel Hill, but lost to the fifth-ranked Tar Heels 84-85 in doubleovertime on Feb. 15 in Charlottesville. Virginia took 11th-ranked Duke toover- time before falling 78-85 on Feb. 22.
The Cavaliers entered the season with senior guards andpotential starters Monick Foote and Tiffany Bower sidelined for the entirecampaign. The pair accounted for 21.1 points per game last season.
Head Coach Debbie Ryan recorded her 200th ACC win with thevictory over Wake Forest on Feb. 18. She became the first conference coachto reach that milestone.
DeMya Walker was named to the All-ACC Team first team while MimiMcKinney was named to the second team. Erin Stovall was named to theAll-Freshman team.
DeMya Walker was named an honorable mention AP All-American.
In all games this season, the Cavaliers are 10-3 at home, 8-4 onthe road and 0-2 at a neutral sites. In ACC games, Virginia was 5-3 athome, 4-4 on the road.
Virginia is 2-7 vs. ranked opponents this season. Against rankedopponents, Mimi McKinney is averaging 17.3 ppg and DeMya Walker isaveraging 15.4 ppg.
DeMya Walker needs just two blocks to move into third place inthe all-time ACC standings in blocked shots. She already holds all of UVa’srecords for blocked shots.
SMU Athletic Director, Jim Copeland was previously at Virginia.
The Cavaliers have played four overtime games this season, themost ever in their history.
Virginia leads the ACC in blocks, field goal percentage defenseand ranked second in steals.
Virginia Tournament HistoryVirginia has made 15 consecutive appearances in the NCAA Tournamentand 11 straight trips to the Sweet SixteenOverall: 26-14Home: 18-2Away: 0-3Neutral: 8-9First round: 4-3Second Round: 11-0Regional Semifinals: 7-4 (Sweet Sixteen)Regional Finals: 3-4 (Elite Eight)Final Four Semifinals: 1-2Final Four Championship: 0-1
Head Coach Debbie Ryan
Head Coach Debbie Ryan, in her 21st season, brings a career recordof 480-164 (.745) into the tournament. Ryan is the ACC leader in conferencewins (200) and winning percentage. She became the first ACC coach to win200 games in conference action.
You Can Call Us Cavaliers
The University of Virginia womens basketball team would like to becall Cavaliers , not Lady Cavaliers. Virginias athletic teams have beenaccompanied by a somewhat confusing array of nicknames. The most prominentand widely accepted of these monikers are Cavaliers, Wahoos, and Hoos.
Although the terms Cavaliers, Wahoos, and Hoos are usedinterchangeably to refer to University of Virginia teams and player,Cavaliers is more often used by the media, while Wahoos and Hoos arefrequently used by Virginia students and fans.
‘Hoos Hot
DeMya Walker is averaging 20.4 points, 9.8 rebounds and 4.2 blocksin the last five games. In that span, she had three consecutive games with20 or more points to become only the second player on the current roster toaccomplish that feat. The other player to score 20 or more points is KateMooney who had three-20+ games earlier this season.
Walker is shooting .573 from the field (43-75) and .666 from thecharity stripe (16-24) over the last five games. She had a double-double(20p-14r) vs. N. C. State on Feb. 12 and followed that with a 24-pointperformance vs. North Carolina on Feb. 15, 23 points vs. Wake Forest onFeb. 18 and 18 points vs. Duke on Feb. 22. She added her eighthdouble-double of the season on Feb. 27 with a 17 point, 11 reboundperformance vs. North Carolina in the ACC Tournament.
Bench Pressed Into Action
The Virginia bench has contributed 21.9 points per game this seasonand the players coming in off the pine have been major factors in theteam’s success this season. Erin Stovall, who ranks third on the team inscoring, gained a starting position when Renee Robinson suffered aconcussion in the Old Dominion game on Jan. 27. Even when Robinson wascleared to play, Stovall did not relinquish her starting role and Robinsonthen became the sixth man.
The reserves scored an amazing 50 points in the Cavalier’s win overMaryland on Jan. 8. Lesley Brown scored a career-high 21 points on Dec. 28in place of foul-plagued DeMya Walker. She scored 20 vs. Duke on Jan. 23when Walker again was in foul trouble. Lisa Hosac scored 19 points in areserve role vs. North Carolina on Feb. 15.
Guarded Condition
Head Coach Debbie Ryan is a strong candidate for ACC Coach of theYear after beginning the season with two starting guards falling toseason-ending injuries and all but two of the remaining guards sufferinginjuries that have kept them out of the line-up at one time or another thisseason.
Senior Monick Foote made the decision to redshirt this season dueto a chronic ankle problem (right) and a stress fracture in the same legthat developed during the summer. Foote wanted to take the time to properlyrehab the leg and comeback for a healthy senior year in 1998-99.
Junior Tiffany Bower suffered a torn left achilles tendon on thethird day of practice and did not play this season. Bower worked extremelyhard over the summer to come back from a torn right achilles tendon whichshe suffered on the eve of the NCAA Tournament last March.
Sophomore Renee Robinson suffered a concussion in the Old Dominion(1-27-98) game that kept her sidelined for two games and junior Kate Mooneysuffered a one-inch gash on her head during the N.C. State (2-12-98) gamethat kept her out of most of the first half.
In addition, senior Mimi McKinney has played the entire season on avery sore left knee which was recently diagnosed as a tear in the ligament.She did not play in the Dec. 8 game vs. Mt. St. Marys because of a bonebruise on her left knee.
Freshman guards Erin Stovall and Katie Tracy have remained healthythis season.
Right On the Money
Prior to the Jan. 30 game vs. Georgia Tech, Kate Mooney had onlyconnected on 18 three-pointers this season. She was 0-10 from the field inthe Duke game (Jan. 23) and then went 0-2 in the Old Dominion game (Jan.27). But in the next three games, Mooney shot .513 (20-39) from the fieldand led the team in scoring in each of those games. In addition, she was16-29 (.552) from beyond the arc during that stretch.
She recorded a career-high 20 points in the 93-57 win over GeorgiaTech (Jan. 30) and then hit a new career-high of 22 points in the 83-76overtime win at Florida State (Feb. 1). She continued the barrage with 21points in the 72-55 win over Clemson (Feb. 5). She is the only player onthe current roster to have scored 20 or more points in three consecutivegames.
She tied the school record for three-point field goals in a gamewith seven treys in the Florida State game and tied the school record forthree-point field goals in a half with five in the first half against theSeminoles.
Walker Becomes 15th Player To Reach 1000
DeMya Walker became the 15th player in school history to score 1000career points when she connected on a short jumper in the first half of theN.C. State game on Jan. 12. Walkers short jumper in the lane at the12:51mark of the first half of the N.C. State game sent her over the 1000-pointmark. She had an opportunity to score her 1000th point on a free throwearlier in the game, but missed.
Breaking Into The Top 10
DeMya Walker has 669 rebounds in her career and moved up to eighthin school history with her 11 rebounds in the last game. She isaveraging 7.4 rebounds per game for her career.
Player Years G Rebounds1. Wendy Palmer 1993-96 126 12212. Heather Burge 1989-93 135 9553. Cathy Grimes 1982-85 114 9324. Heidi Burge 1989-93 134 8535. Dawn Bryant 1985-89 123 8276. Dawn Staley 1988-92 131 7727. Chrissy Reese 1980-83 105 7368. DeMya Walker 1996-present 91 6699. Tonya Cardoza 1986-91 121 66710. Valerie Ackerman 1978-81 116 641
Right On the Money
Prior to the Jan. 30 game vs. Georgia Tech, Kate Mooney had onlyconnected on 18 three-pointers this season. She was 0-10 from the field inthe Duke game (Jan. 23) and then went 0-2 in the Old Dominion game (Jan.27). But in the next three games, Mooney shot .513 (20-39) from the fieldand led the team in scoring in each of those games. In addition, she was16-29 (.552) from beyond the arc during that stretch.
She recorded a career-high 20 points in the 93-57 win over GeorgiaTech (Jan. 30) and then hit a new career-high of 22 points in the 83-76overtime win at Florida State (Feb. 1). She continued the barrage with 21points in the 72-55 win over Clemson (Feb. 5). She is the only player onthe current roster to have scored 20 or more points in three consecutivegames.
She tied the school record for three-point field goals in a gamewith seven treys in the Florida State game and tied the school record forthree-point field goals in a half with five in the first half against theSeminoles.
McKinney Named Player of the Week
For the first time this season, a Virginia player was touted as theACC Player of the Week. Mimi McKinney earned the honor for the week ofJan. 19 after leading Virginia to a 105-100 upset of seventh-ranked NorthCarolina.
McKinney Makes Mark
Mimi McKinney was scorching the nets on Jan. 15 in Chapel Hill,N.C. and she became the first woman in Virginia history to score over 40points in a game. She was 16-27 from the field, 7-12 from three-pointrange and 9-13 from the charity stripe in her 48-point performance againstfifth-ranked North Carolina in triple overtime (Jan. 15). She had 35points at the end of regulation. The 48 points is the most ever by a mensor womens Virginia player against a Division I opponent. McKinneys 48points ranks second all-time in Virginia basketball history behind BarryParkhills 51 points vs. Baldwin-Wallace (Dec. 11, 1971) and ties BuzzyWilkersons 48-point game vs. Hampden-Sydney (Dec. 1, 1954).
She eclipsed the womens single game scoring record of 39established by Wendy Palmer in the Maryland game on Jan. 25, 1995.
The 48 points is also the NCAA season high.
Climbing Up The Charts
Mimi McKinney and Kate Mooney are moving up the chart inthree-point shooting. McKinneys seven treys against UNC moved her ahead ofMooney.
Tora Suber is Virginias all-time leader in three-point field goalsmade with 220.
Player G Made Att.1. Tora Suber 127 220 6662. Tammi Reiss 127 139 3343. Dena Evans 134 129 3704. Dawn Staley 131 124 3715. Monick Foote 84 121 3266. Mimi McKinney 101 89 2777. Kate Mooney 78 87 2718. Kathy McConnell 62 64 2109. Donna Holt 32 49 12810. Wendy Palmer 126 31 96
Walker Is UVas All-Time Blocks Leader
DeMya Walker set a new UVa single game record for blocked shotswith eight blocks in the Florida State game on Jan. 2. She broke the oldrecord of seven which was held by Walker (twice), Heidi Burge and JackiLaBerge. she ranks fifth in ACC history in blocked shots.
Walkers first block of the season, which came in the 13:06 markin the second half of the William & Mary game (Nov. 16), established her asthe Virginias all-time blocks leader, eclipsing the mark of 152 set byHeather Burge (1990-93). Walker ended the night with three blocks.
Walker Second in Nation in BlocksDeMya Walker ranks second in the nation in blocked shots. SamanthaTomlinson of Troy State is top shot blocker in the country with 4.1 blocksper game. Here are the top five in that category:Player (school) G B Avg.1. Samantha Tomlinson (Troy St.) 25 104 4.22. DeMya Walker (Virginia) 27 92 3.43. Teresa Jenkins (Florida A & M) 26 86 3.34. Myndee Larsen (Southern Utah) 28 89 3.25. Brooke Wyckoff (Florida State) 27 80 3.0 stats as of March 1, 1998Walker Fourth in ACC BlocksWalker is closing in on the ACC numbers as well. Currently, sheranks fourth in the conference in blocked shots with 244 career blockedshots and needs only two more blocks to move ahead of Dolores Bootz ofGeorgia Tech. She is 85 blocks away from tying the conference record.Walker has 92 blocks this season.Player, school (years) G B Avg.1. Dawn Royster, UNC (1984-87) 110 329 3.02. Peggy Caple, Clem (1982-1985) 119 298 2.53. Dolores Bootz, GaT (1985-88) 91 245 2.74. DeMya Walker, Va. (1996- present) 91 244 2.7
Robinson Recovers From Concussion
Point guard Renee Robinson, who missed two games due to aconcussion, was cleared to play in the Feb. 5 game with Clemson. Robinsonsuffered the injury in the Old Dominion game (Jan. 27) when she collidedwith Mery Andrade at midcourt. She was knocked unconscious, but returned toplay in that game. However, on the teams return to Charlottesville,Robinson was diagnosed with a concussion and was sidelined for the GeorgiaTech game (Jan. 30) and the Florida State game (Feb.1).
Since her return in the Clemson game, Robinson has averaged 15.5minutes of action, but has not regained her starting role from freshmanErin Stovall.