Cavalier Women Defeat Butler, 88-54

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Dec. 29, 1999

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Virginia freshman Schuye La Rue (Washington,D. C./Archbishop Carroll) scored a career-high 29 points, including 12 in a31-5 run in the first six minutes of the second half, to help the Cavaliersdefeat Butler in the second game of the Nationwide Classic tonight inCharlottesville. La Rue was 14 of 16 from the field and added four blocksin her 21 minutes of play.

Virginia started with a 10-2 run to open the game, with La Ruecontributing five points in the opening four minutes. Butler worked backinto the game as Julie Schrader’s nine points keyed the Bulldogs to a 16-9run of their own to pull within one at 19-18 at the 10:29 mark of the firstperiod. The teams played even the remainder of the half with the Cavaliersholding a 33-30 lead at the intermission.

The opening six minutes of the second half, though, was allVirginia. The Cavaliers ascored 21 points in the first four minutes whileforcing nine turnovers and converting those turnovers into 13 points.Virginia allowed the Bulldogs just two shots and one bucket in that span.

Virginia’s Elena Kravchenko’s (Minsk, Belarus/Plymouth Whitemarsh(Pa.)) layup with 25.7 seconds to play gave the Cavaliers their largestmargin of the game at 34. La Rue’s four blocks led the Cavaliers, whilefour Hoos had two or more steals in the game. Telisha Quarles (Louisa,Va./Louisa) and Renee Robinson (East Palo Alto, Calif./Sacred Heart Prep)both chipped in five assists for the Cavaliers. The Bulldogs committed 30turnovers to 13 for Virginia.

La Rue’s 29 is the most scored by a Cavalier freshman since ToraSuber hit for 29 against North Carolina in 1994. Only Dawn Staley (37 vsWake Forest in 1989) and Heather Burge (30 vs Virginia Tech in 1990) havescored more as a freshman for Virginia.

With the win, the Cavaliers improve to 7-4 while Butler falls to3-7. Virginia will take on Syracuse tomorrow at 5:30, a time change fromthe original schedule. The Orangewomen defeated Radford earlier tonight88-60.