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Cavaliers Upset #25 Michigan 78-64
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Dec. 28, 2002
Gainesville, Fla. – The University of Virginia women’s basketball team had four starters score in double digits and used 21 assists to upset the #25 Michigan Wolverines 78-64 in the first round of the State Farm Classic held at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Brandi Teamer (Joliet, Ill.) led the Cavaliers (5-4) in scoring with 20 points, while LaTonya Blue (Baltimore, Md.) added 12 points and had six assists and three steals. Lynette O’Reggio (Laurel, Md.) led all players with nine boards and three blocked shots; she also had six points.
Michigan jumped out to an early 6- lead 1:19 into the game before the Cavaliers went on a 14-5 run to take a three-point lead. Anna Crosswhite (Castlecrag, Australia) started the run with a 15-foot jumper from Cherrise Graham (Conshohocken, Pa.). Teamer added six points and Blue had a steal and a three-point bucket from the top of the arc to give the Cavaliers their first lead of the contest at 14-11 5:43 into the game. After an 11-7 Michigan run over the next 7:30 put the Wolverines back on top, Virginia answered with an 11-2 run of their own led by Teamer’s six points and Blue’s three assists and a steal. Again, a Virginia three-pointer put the Cavaliers back on top, this time for a lead they would not relinquish again. Anna Prillaman’s bucket in the corner from Blue gave Virginia a 24-22 lead with 6:24 to play in the first half. Teamer added six more points as the Hoos opened up an eight-point lead, their largest of the half, with 3:34 to go. Marcie Dickson (Maplewood, N.J.) added four points in the final minute, with the last bucket coming at the buzzer off an assist from Blue, to give the Cavaliers a 36-30 lead at the break.
Virginia started the second half with a 20-10 run, led by Safiya Grant-Fairley (Bronx, N.Y.) who had eight points and an assist as the Cavaliers opened up a 16-point lead 7:40 into the stanza. Michigan used a 10-0 run to move back within six points halfway through the half, but the Cavaliers answered right back with a 20-8 run of their own to take their largest lead of the game with 1:28 to play.
Graham started the run with an old-fashioned three-point play. She added a driving layup a minute later, and then Blue added five consecutive points. After a Michigan layup, Teamer hit six of the game’s next ten points and Blue and Graham scored the other four as Virginia led by 18 to put the game out of reach.
With the win, the Cavaliers broke a two-game losing streak and notched a second win over a top-25 team this season. They return to action against the winner of the Florida/UMass game which took place right after the Michigan game.
1 2 F
Virginia 36 42 78
Michigan 30 34 64
High scorers:
UVA: Teamer 20, Blue 12
UM: Pool 18, Reams 14
High boards:
UVA: O'Reggio 9
UM: Goodlow 7
Blue, Graham 6 assists
O'Reggio 3 blocks
Blue 3 steals