Cavaliers Return Home, Host Loyola

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Dec. 6, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia returns home after a five-game road trip and looks to get back on the winning track after dropping a 83-62 game at Duke on Sunday. The Cavaliers are 0-1 in ACC action and resume the conference schedule at home on Jan. 3 when they host Georgia Tech. The Cavaliers face six non-conference opponents in the next four weeks, beginning with Loyola.

This game is only the second time Loyola and Virginia have met. Virginia won the first meeting 72-47 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament on March 16, 1994 in University Hall. This will be the first regular season game between the two teams.

The Greyhounds are coached by second-year head coach Cindy Anderson. Last year, she led Loyola to a 21-7 season after stepping in midseason for Pat Coyle who left to coach in the WNBA. Erica Rath leads the Greyhounds in scoring with 12.7 points per game and Katie Netherton leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 rebounds per game.

Head Coach Debbie Ryan is in her 23rd season at the helm of the Cavaliers and she brings a career record of 504-177 into tonight’s game.

Dec. 7, 1999 – University Hall – Charlottesville, Va.
Radio: Wina 1070 AM
TV: none

Team Leaders

Scoring: Schuye LaRue 16.7 ppg
Rebounding: Schuye LaRue 7.7 rpg
Assists: Renee Robinson 4.8 apg
Steals: Renee Robinson 2.5 spg

Time Change
Please note the game time of the Virginia-Old Dominion game on Dec. 10 is 7:35 p.m. and not 7:00 p.m. as previously announced. The game will be played at Old Dominion Fieldhouse in Norfolk.

Cavaliers On TV

all times are Eastern

How the Teams Match Up: Virginia vs. Loyola

Quarles Hits Career-High Against Blue Devils
One of the bright spots in Sunday’s loss at Duke was the emergence of sophomore Telisha Quarles. The native of Louisa, Va. led Virginia with 17 points against Duke with 14 of those points coming in the second half. She was 7-10 from the field in the second half. Her previous career-high was eight points which she set three times this year in the St. Joseph’s, Grambling, and Washington games.

Mitchelson Out Indefinitely With Shoulder Injury
Junior Dean’na Mitchelson has been sidelined since Nov. 21 with a a dislocated right shoulder suffered in the the St. Joseph’s game. She had earned a starting position in the season opener after impressing the coaching staff during the two preseason games. Mitchelson is scheduled to be re-evaluated this week and may suit up for the Dec. 10 game at Old Dominion.

LaRue Named ACC Rookie of the Week
Schuye LaRue was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 30 after her performance in the Rainbow Wahine Classic. In the three-game tournament, LaRue averaged 19.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and was 24-39 from the floor for a shooting percentage of 61.5 percent. In the Washington game, LaRue was a perfect 9-9 from the floor, 1-1 from three-point range and 2-2 from the free throw line. She tied the school record for field goal percentage, a mark that was set in 1995 by Wendy Palmer and matched last season by DeMya Walker. LaRue was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the Wahine Classic along with teammate Erin Stovall.

Tough Start For the Cavaliers
With a 3-3 start this season, this is the Cavaliers’ worst start since the 1977-78 season when they opened 2-4. That was also Head Coach Debbie Ryan’s first season as head coach at Virginia. The team finished 8-17 that year.

In the ACCFreshman Schuye LaRue has made an impact on the Virginia squad as well as in the ACC statistics. As of Dec. 3, LaRue leads the conference in field goal percentage (.652, 45-69), is the league’s fifth leading scorer (16.7 ppg) and ranks fifth in rebounds (7.7 rpg) and fourth in blocks (1.2 bpg).

Junior Erin Stovall ranks sixth in the conference in scoring (14.8 ppg) and eighth in free throw percentage (.741, 20-27).

Senior Renee Robinson ranks second in assists (4.8 apg) and 10th in steals (2.5 spg).

Stovall Ties Career High In Win Over William & Mary
Erin Stovall scored 27 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 71-42 win at William & Mary on Thursday. The 27 points matches her career-high and is the team’s best individual offensive output this season. Against the Tribe, Stovall was 9-15 from the field (.600) and 3-6 from three-point range. She has scored in double figures in all but one game this year.

In the Polls
With Virginia grabbing the final spot in the preseason USA Today poll, the Cavaliers extended their streak in the polls. However, by not securing a spot in the pre-season AP poll, the Cavaliers’ streak of 182 consecutive weeks in that poll is history. Up until the polls of Nov. 22, the Cavaliers had been ranked every week in either the AP or USA Today poll since Jan. 8, 1984 – a total of 281 consecutive weeks.

Virginia holds the longest streak of any ACC team in the AP poll – 182 weeks. The streak in the AP poll started on Nov. 20, 1989 and ended this season. The Cavaliers had appeared in every USA Today poll for a total of 261 consecutive weeks.

Homecoming For Stovall
The trip to Hawaii was a homecoming of sorts for Erin Stovall who graduated from Honolulu’s Iolani High school in 1997. She is originally from Irvine, Calif., but spent her senior year at Iolani High School. She was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in Hawaii and named to the Nissan Hawaii High School Hall of Honor for the sport of basketball. In addition, she was a stand-out track athlete and earned Hawaii’s Track Athlete of the Year in 1997 and was named the Top Female Performer at the Panahou Relays that same year. She was the state champion in the 100 meters, 200 meters and long jump and held and still holds the the state records in the 100 hurdles and the 200 meters.

In the Hawaii tournament, Stovall scored 21 points to lead Virginia to the 100-79 win. Against Texas, she scored 14 points and grabbed four rebounds and against Washington, she scored 13 points and had three rebounds and four assists. She was named to the All-Tournament team.

Ryan Holds Advantage vs. Current ACC Coaches
Debbie Ryan holds a 138-72 record against the current coaches in the ACC and holds a winning record versus every coach in the conference.

Ryan vs.

1999-2000 Team Honors

Erin Stovall
Preseason All-ACC First Team
Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament Team

Schuye LaRue
Rainbow Wahine Classic All-Tournament Team
ACC Rookie of the Week (Nov. 30)

The Cavalier’s record when they:

Starting Line-ups:

Virginia’s record on:

Double-doubles:

Games with double figures in scoring:

Games with double figures in rebounds:

Superlatives