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Feb. 3, 2000
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Virginia, atop the ACC standings for the first time in four seasons, looksto keep rolling Thursday night when it visits Georgia Tech.
The 24th-ranked Cavaliers (16-5, 8-1) have won 12 of 13 games to move to thetop of the conference for the first time since the 1995-96 season. They havewon eight straight league games since falling to Duke in their ACC opener.
Virginia avenged that loss and took sole possession of first place in theprocess with last Sunday’s 61-49 victory over the No. 12 Blue Devils.
The Cavaliers’ surge has been the product of a balanced offense. Virginiahas three players averaging double figures in points, and four differentCavaliers lead the ACC in major statistical categories.
“We just realized that we need each other,” forward Lisa Hosac said.”Teams can’t key on one player because it’s always someone else. … This teamhas a lot of weapons.”
The hottest of those weapons is Svetlana Volnaya, who was named ACC Playerof the Week on Monday for the second time in three weeks. The junior forward isshooting a league-best .447 percent from 3-point range and has raised heraverage to 14.4 points, second to Schuye LaRue’s 15.0.
If Virginia is going to slip, Atlanta might be the place for it to happen.The Cavaliers have dropped two of their last three games at Georgia Tech’sAlexander Memorial Coliseum.
The Yellow Jackets (11-8, 4-5) are coming off Monday night’s 72-43 loss toClemson. Georgia Tech shot just 32.1 percent and was held to its lowest pointtotal of the season.
The Yellow Jackets are returning home after dropping three of four games ontheir road trip.
Virginia leads the all-time series 41-4. Volnaya had a career-high 29 pointsin the Cavaliers’ 83-70 victory over Georgia Tech on Jan. 3.