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No. 25/No. 24 Virginia
(13-6, 4-2 ACC)
vs.
No. 5/No. 5 Duke
(17-1, 5-1 ACC)
Jan. 22, 2001 – 7:30 p.m.
University Hall – Charlottesville, Va.
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TONIGHT’S GAME
Virginia enters tonight’s game against Duke with a 13-6 overall record.The Cavaliers are currently ranked No. 25 in this week’s Associated Press polland No. 24 in the USA Today/ESPN poll. Virginia’s Atlantic Coast Conferencerecord dropped to 4-2 with an 87-71 loss to No. 20 Clemson on January 15. TheCavaliers played a non-conference game on January 18 and defeated Richmond,83-76, to register its seventh win in the last 10 games.
Duke enters the game with a 17-1 overall record and a 5-1 mark in theACC. The Blue Devils are currently ranked No. 5 in both the Associated Pressand USA Today/ESPN poll. Duke’s 17-1 record marks the best start in schoolhistory. The one loss of the season was at Clemson on December 9, when theTigers defeated Duke, 93-75. The Blue Devils defeated No. 22 N.C. State, 62-59, on January 18 in Durham, N.C., and enter tonight’s game with an eight-gamewinning streak.
SCOUTING DUKE
The Blue Devils enter tonight’s game with a 17-1 overall record and a5-1 mark in the ACC. Duke is currently ranked No. 5 in both the AssociatedPress and the USA Today/ESPN polls and has an eight-game winning streak.
Two players are averaging double figures in scoring for Duke. Freshman guardAlana Beard is Duke’s leading scorer with an average of 16.8 points per game,but will miss 3-4 weeks with a dislocated right thumb. Senior guard GeorgiaSchweitzer is averaging 12.8 points per game. Freshman forward Iciss Tillisand senior forward Rochelle Parent are both leading the Blue Devils inrebounding with an average of 5.4 per game. Gail Goestenkors, currently in herninth year as the head coach at Duke, has led the Blue Devils to a 193-75 record.She has been named ACC Coach of the Year three times and led the Blue Devilsto the NCAA Final Four in 1999.
HOME SWEET HOME
The Cavaliers have a record of 318-57 (.848) in games played atUniversity Hall, including an 8-1 mark this season. A year ago, Virginia regis-tereda 16-1 record at home and averaged 3,004 fans per game. During the1990’s, the Cavaliers posted a record of 137-15 in University Hall.
CAVALIERS vs. BLUE DEVILS
Virginia and Duke have played 44 games and the Cavaliers lead theseries, 32-12. The Blue Devils have won four of the last five games series. Ayear ago, the teams each won at home. Duke defeated Virginia, 83-62, onDecember 5, 1999, in Durham, N.C., but lost at Charlottesville, Va., 61-49, onJanuary 30, 2000. Virginia has a 17-3 record against the Blue Devils inUniversity Hall. Duke’s last victory at University Hall was on February 4,1999, when the Blue Devils defeated the Cavaliers, 66-56.
CAVALIERS vs. DUKE
Virginia leads series, 32-12 (Home 17-3, Away 14-8, Neutral 1-1)
LAST MEETING
No. 25 Virginia defeated No. 9 Duke, 61-49, at University Hall onJanuary 30, 2000, giving the Cavaliers sole possession of first place in theACC. The game marked Virginia’s eighth consecutive win and improved theCavaliers record to 16-5 and 8-1 in the ACC.
With the victory, Virginia had beaten every team in the conference,including Duke, North Carolina and North Carolina State when all three werein the top 10.
Against the Blue Devils, it started with defense. Virginia forced 15first-half turnovers, turned them into 17 points and held Duke without a pointfor 8:49 while building an 18-0 lead.
Duke shot only 30.8 percent and was held to its lowest scoring outputsince a 71-45 loss to the U.S. national team in an exhibition Nov. 10. TheBlue Devils played without forward Peppi Browne, their second-leading scorerand rebounder. Browne hurt a knee in a victory against North Carolina anddid not make the trip to snowy Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers dominated early, leading 28-12 at halftime and 34-16early in the second half, but the Blue Devils again made a charge. Dukeoutscored Virginia 21-10 to get within seven on Michele Matyasovsky’s twofree throws with 8:11 left.
Virginia outscored Duke 7-2 over the next 2 1/2 minutes to build itslead back to 51-39 and the outcome was secured. Renee Robinson led Virginiawith 15 points and Schuye LaRue finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
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Coaches Teleconference
The nine ACC basketball coaches will be featured ona weekly teleconference each Tuesday from 11:00a.m., to 12:15 p.m., beginning January 9 and concludingFebruary 27 prior to the ACC Tournament. Theteleconference will resume on March 13 for teams inthe NCAA Tournament. UVa head coach DebbieRyan is scheduled on the teleconference at 11:46.
HEAD COACH DEBBIE RYAN
Head Coach Debbie Ryan is currently in her 24th season at the helm ofthe Virginia program, and has an overall record of 539-189. During her illustriouscareer, she has averaged 22.8 wins per season. Ryan has recorded 20 or morewins in a season 18 times and 30 or more twice.
Last year, she won ACC Coach of the Year honors for the seventh timeand was also named the IKON/WBCA District III Coach of the Year for guidingthe Cavaliers to a 25-9 record and a first place finish in the ACC regular season.Ryan has led Virginia to 17 consecutive NCAA Tournaments and directed theCavaliers to three straight Final Four appearances (1990, 1991, 1992). She hasled Virginia to 12 appearances in the NCAASweet 16, including 11 straight years(1987-97), three ACC tournament titles, and 11 ACC regular-season crowns.
Ryan’s Record
Virginia Record (24 years) 539-189 (.740)
Career Record (24 years) 539-189 (.740)
ACC Regular Season Record (24 years) 229-80 (.741)
ACC Tournament Record (23 years) 26-20 (.565)
NCAARecord (17 appearances) 29-17 (.630)
BALANCED SCORING
Three players are currently averaging double figures in scoring forVirginia, led by sophomore forward Schuye LaRue’s 17.9 points per game. Inaddition to LaRue, junior guard Telisha Quarles and senior forward SvetlanaVolnaya are both averaging 12.1 points per game.
SCHUYE’S THE LIMIT
Sophomore Schuye LaRue is currently leading the Cavaliers in scoringand rebounding and leads the ACC in double-doubles. The Naismith Player ofthe Year candidate is currently averaging 17.9 points and 11.2 rebounds and hasregistered double figures in scoring and rebounding in 10 of the last 12 games.
LaRue has registered 13 double-doubles this season and 22 during her career. Shehas led the team in scoring in 12 games this season, including the last seven.
LaRue has been the Cavaliers’ top rebounder in 16 games this season, includingthe last 12. She tied her career-high with 29 points, including the game-winninglayup with 1.8 seconds remaining, in the win at North Carolina on January 11.
CAVALIERS CLIMBING CAREER CHARTS
Telisha Quarles and Svetlana Volnaya continue to move up on theVirginia three-point field goal career chart. Quarles is currently sixth on thecareer list for most three-point field goals made with 113. Volnaya is seventh onthe list with 102.
DOUBLE FIGURE SCORING STREAK
Schuye LaRue has scored in double figures in 12 consecutive games.The sophomore forward has registered double figures in 17 of 19 games thisseason. Telisha Quarles has registered double figures in scoring in 12 gamesand eight of the last 10 contests.
PRILLAMAN’S CAREER PERFORMANCE
Anna Prillaman scored a career-high 15 points, connecting on five-of-six attempts from the field and five-of-seven from the line, in the win overRichmond on January 18. The freshman guard started her second consecutivegame in the Virginia backcourt and added three rebounds, two assists, and twosteals in 22 minutes. Prillaman is currently averaging 4.7 points and 1.9 assistsper game.
FORCE ON THE PERIMETER
Telisha Quarles is currently leading the ACC in three-point fieldgoals made per game with an average of 2.1. The junior guard is third in three-pointfield goal percentage (38.1), after connecting on 40-of-105 attempts.Svetlana Volnaya has connected on 27-of-63 attempts (42.9) in 19 games andis averaging 1.4 per game.
Virginia is second in the ACC in three-point field goal percentage(.372) and first in three-point field goals made (5.8), but struggled from theperimeter in the victory over Richmond on January 18. The Cavaliers connectedon only one-of-eight attempts (12.5 percent) in the win over theSpiders.
CAVALIERS IN THE NCAA STATS
Sophomore Schuye LaRue was listed among the nation’s statisticalleaders through games of January 15th. LaRue was 11th in the nation inrebounding with an average of 10.6.
MAKE IT A DOUBLE
Two Virginia players have combined to register double figures in bothscoring and rebounding in a single game 14 times this season. Schuye LaRuehas recorded 13 double-doubles, and has a career total of 22. Chalois Liasrecorded the first Virginia double-double of the season with 11 points and 14rebounds against George Washington (Nov. 12).
ON THE ROAD
Virginia is 5-5 in games played away from University Hall this season.The Cavaliers played three of their first five games on the road, includingtwo Preseason WNIT games played at West Lafayette, Indiana. Virginialost to No. 8 Louisiana Tech (72-59) in the semifinals of the tournament andwere defeated by Texas (56-55 2OT) in the consolation game. The Cavaliersdefeated Loyola (MD), 67-46, to record the first road victory. Virginia closedout the month of November with a 57-56 loss at Virginia Tech.
The Cavaliers evened their road record to 3-3 with wins over St.Joseph’s (62-58) on December 6 and Wake Forest (77-61) on December 9.Virginia split its two road games in California, losing at UC-Santa Barbara (78-66) on December 28, but winning at Cal State-Northridge (75-69) onDecember 29.
The Cavaliers lost at Georgia Tech (70-65) on January 7, but registereda win at North Carolina (78-76) on January 11.
VIRGINIA BACK IN THE POLLS
Virginia is ranked No. 25 in the Jan. 15th AssociatedPress poll, marking the first appearance in the Top 25 since droppingout of the poll on December 18, 2000. The Cavaliers are alsoback in the USA Today/ESPN poll at No. 24 for the first timesince dropping out on January 8. The Cavaliers opened the seasonranked No. 15 in both the Preseason Associated Press andUSA Today/ESPN polls and were ranked for five weeks beforefalling out of the AP Top 25.
RECORD AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Virginia is 1-2 against ranked opponents this season.The Cavaliers lost to No. 8 Louisiana Tech (72-59) in the semifinalsof the Preseason WNIT on November 19 in West Lafayette,Indiana, but defeated No. 16 N.C. State (77-64) on January 2 inCharlottesville. Virginia lost to No. 20 Clemson (87-71) onJanuary 15 in Charlottesville.
HOT SHOOTING
The Cavaliers turned in one of their top performances inthe 82-41 victory over Maryland on January 5. Virginia shot 73.1percent in the first half, connecting on 19-of-26 from the field, and55.6 percent (5-9) from three-point range. The Cavaliers shot48.4 percent in the second half from the field and 77.8 from theline. In the first half, Virginia’s starters combined to shoot 70.6percent from the field. Schuye LaRue hit eight-of-12 attemptsfor 16 points and Svetlana Volnaya connected on five-of-seven,including three three-pointers for 13 points in the first half.
REBOUND RECORD
Sophomore Schuye LaRue tied the Virginia record forrebounds in a game, registering 20 in the 78-66 loss to UC-SantaBarbara on December 28. Her performance tied the school recordset by Leslie Berens in 1975 and Chrissy Reese in 1980. WendyPalmer holds the Virginia record for most rebounds in a seasonwith 358 in 1996. LaRue has recorded 212 in 19 games this season.
BOMBS AWAY
Virginia shot 64.7 percent from three-point range in the116-63 win over Saint Francis on November 27. The Cavaliersconnected on 11-of-17 as Svetlana Volnaya and Telisha Quarleseach scored three from behind the arc. Virginia shot 63.6 percent(7-11) in the first half and 66.7 (4-6) in the second half in the victoryover the Red Flash. Senior Katie Tracy and freshmanChelsea Whitaker each added two three-point field goals.
BLOCK PARTY
Virginia registered a season-high eight blocked shots inthe loss to Texas on Nov. 20 and are currently averaging 3.9 pergame. Seniors Elena Kravchenko and Chalois Lias each recordedthree blocks and sophomore Schuye LaRue added two againstthe Longhorns. The Cavaliers’frontcourt had seven blocked shotsin the win over George Washington on Nov. 12, led by Lias’three.
Virginia recorded six blocked shots in the win over Mount St.Mary’s on Nov. 10.
WEEKLY HONORS
All three of Virginia’s Honors candidates have earnedAtlantic Coast Conference Player of the Week honors this season.Telisha Quarles won the award on November 20 afteraveraging 16.7 points in the Cavaliers first three preseason WNITgames. The junior guard also recorded 11 assists and seven steals.
Quarles shot 38 percent from the field, connecting on 17-of-45attempts, and 37 percent from behind the arc, hitting 10-of-17attempts. She led Virginia in the 72-66 win over GeorgeWashington with 17 points and five assists.
Schuye LaRue won the award on November 27, afteraveraging 20.5 points and 11.5 rebounds in the Cavaliers twogames and registering two double-doubles. In the victory atLoyola, the sophomore forward scored 10 of Virginia’s first 12points and led the Cavaliers with 20 points in the first half. LaRuefinished with 26 points, shot 70.6 percent (12-17) from the field,and added five steals, two assists, and one blocked shot.
Svetlana Volnaya was named ACC Player of the Weekon December 4, marking the third consecutive week that aCavalier had won the award. The senior forward averaged 17points in three games and shot 57.6 percent from the field (19-33).Volnaya led the Cavaliers in scoring in all three games of the weekand registered 21 points and seven rebounds in the 116-63 victoryover St. Francis.
CENTURY MARK
Virginia has scored over 100 points in two games thisseason. The Cavaliers opened the 2000-01 season with a powerfuloffensive performance, scoring 100 points in the victory overMount St. Mary’s on November 10. Virginia scored 116 points inthe win over Saint Francis on November 17. The Cavaliers’scoringperformance was the third highest total ever in a single gamefor a Virginia team. The most points ever scored by a Virginiawomen’s team was 123 in a triple overtime victory at N.C. Stateon January 12, 1991. Virginia scored 120 points against ClevelandState on November 29, 1995.
OVERTIME
The Cavaliers are 0-1 in overtime games this season.Virginia’s loss to Texas on November 20 marked the first overtimegame since February 7, 2000 when the Cavaliers lost at NorthCarolina, 66-63. The game was tied at 52-52 at the end of the firstovertime and sent the contest into a second period, marking thefirst double overtime game for the Cavaliers since January 20,2000 when Virginia won at Clemson, 77-74. Virginia has a 10-8overall record in overtime games, and is 1-2 in double overtimecontests, and 2-0 in triple overtime.
BENCH PRESS
Virginia’s bench contributed 41 of the 78 total pointsscored in the victory over Old Dominion on December 3. Thebench registered 53 percent of the Cavaliers’points and outscoredthe starting five that accounted for 37 points.
TEAM CAPTAINS
Seniors Dean’na Mitchelson, Svetlana Volnaya, andKatie Tracy will serve as team captains for the 2000-01 season.Mitchelson averaged 3.2 points and 3.3 rebounds a year ago, andmatched or recorded career-highs in every stat category. Volnayascored 20 or more points in seven games last season and earnedKodak Honorable Mention All-America honors. Tracy, who alsoplayed on the UVa women’s soccer team, averaged 1.3 points and8.7 minutes in 31 games last season.
PRESEASON WNIT
The Cavaliers finished fourth in the 16-team single-eliminationPreseason National Invitation Tournament after defeatingMount St. Mary’s (100-61) and George Washington (72-66) in thefirst two rounds, but losing in the semifinals to No. 8 LouisianaTech (72-59). Virginia lost in double overtime to Texas (56-55) inthe consolation game. Seven 2000 NCAA Tournament partici-pants,and three teams that played in the 2000 Postseason WNIT,were featured in the Preseason WNIT. Three of the four teamsthat advanced to the final four of the WNIT were ranked and twowere in the Top 10. Louisiana Tech defeated No. 4 Purdue (68-63) to win the tournament. The Preseason WNIT marked the earlieststart in school history for the Virginia women’s program andthe Cavaliers first appearance ever in the tournament.
ALL-TOURNAMENT HONORS
Schuye LaRue was named to the Preseason WNIT All-TournamentTeam after averaging 12.5 points and 9.0 rebounds inVirginia’s four games. The sophomore forward registered twodouble-doubles during the tournament and recorded six blocks,seven assists, and 12 steals. In the 56-55 double overtime loss toTexas, she finished with 15 points, 12 rebounds, five steals, twoblocks, and two assists in 40 minutes. Her basket with three secondsremaining tied the score at 44-44 and sent the game into thefirst overtime. LaRue led the Cavaliers against Louisiana Techwith 16 points, 13 rebounds, four steals and three assists.
LARUE NAMED NAISMITH PRESEASON CANDIDATE
Sophomore forward Schuye LaRue was named as oneof the preseason candidates for the 2000-01 Naismith CollegeWomen’s Basketball Player of the Year Award. The NaismithAwards program, founded by the Atlanta Tipoff Club, annuallyhonors the top male and female college basketball players in thenation. Preseason candidates were selected by a vote of the Boardof Selectors comprised of leading basketball coaches, journalists,and basketball analysts. The women’s Naismith Award was firstpresented in 1983 and former Cavalier Dawn Staley was a two-timehonoree winning in 1991 and 1992.
PRESEASON STREET & SMITH ALL-AMERICAN
Schuye LaRue was named to the Street & SmithPreseason All-American Team. The sophomore forward was theonly representative from the Atlantic Coast Conference on theAll-American Team. Joining LaRue on the All-American teamwere Svetlana Abrosimova and Sue Bird of Connecticut, TamikaCatchings of Tennessee, Katie Douglas of Purdue, MarieFerdinand of LSU, ShaRae Mansfield of Western Kentucky,Kelly Miller of Georgia, Jackie Stiles of Southwest Missouri, andLaToya Thomas of Mississippi State.
CAVALIERS PICKED SECOND IN ACC POLL
Virginia was selected to finish second in the 2000-01Atlantic Coast Conference preseason poll that was announced atthe annual ACC Media Day on October 22, 2000. Duke received34 of the 36 votes by the media and 322 total points to finish firstin the preseason poll. The Cavaliers received two first placevotes and a total of 278 points to finish second. N.C. State wasselected third, followed by North Carolina, Clemson, GeorgiaTech, Maryland, Florida State, and Wake Forest.
VIRGINIA ON RADIO
Every Virginia women’s basketball game is broadcaston AM 1070 WINA, Charlottesville, the Home of the Hoos. JedWilliams will call the play-by-play and Myron Ripley providescolor commentary for all broadcasts. In addition to WINA’sbroadcast of all the games locally, 10 contests will be broadcaststate-wide on the Virginia Sports Radio Network Women’sBasketball Affiliates.
VIRGINIA ON TV
The Cavaliers will make at least five television appearances thisseason, including a national broadcast on Feb. 11 at home againstNorth Carolina. Both semifinal games and the championship ofthe ACC Tournament will be broadcast live on the RegionalSports Network (RSN). The Regional Sports Network includesHome Team Sports, Fox Sports South, and the Sunshine Network.