Virginia Heads to NCAA Tournament
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March 17, 2005
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The No. 6 seed Virginia Cavaliers open play at the 2005 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament against No. 11 seed Old Dominion in first round action on Saturday, March 19 at 6 p.m. Central time (7 p.m. Eastern) on espn2.
In the other first round game, host and No. 3 seed Minnesota takes on No. 14 seed St. Francis (Pa.) at approximately 8:30 p.m. on espn2. The winners advance to the second round contest on Monday, March 21 at either 6 p.m. or 8:30 p.m. Central time on ESPN/espn2. All games will be played at Williams Arena in Minneapolis, Minn. The second round winner advances to the Tempe Regional, held March 26 & 28 in Tempe, Ariz.
Charlottesville’s WINA Radio (1070 AM) will broadcast each UVa game live with Jed Williams calling the action and Anna Prillaman on color commentary.
Making their 21st NCAA Tournament appearance, Virginia (20-10) is coached by Debbie Ryan. Senior Brandi Teamer leads the Cavaliers with 12.7 points per game each, while senior LaTonya Blue follows with 12.5 ppg. Senior Jocelyn Logan-Friend adds 9.4 ppg and a team-best 6.8 rpg. Sophomore Brenna McGuire contributes 6.5 ppg and a team-best 57 treys. UVa out-scores its opponents by +6.0 points and out-rebounds foes by +4.9 boards.
The No. 11 seed Lady Monarchs, under the guidance of 18th-year head coach Wendy Larry, stand 22-8 overall after a 78-74 overtime win over Delaware in the CAA Tournament championship game. Senior Shareese Grant leads the ODU scoring attack with 15.0 ppg, while junior Lawona Davis follows with 11.4 ppg. Freshman Tiffany Green adds 10.1 ppg and a team-best 8.3 rpg.
Old Dominion holds a 16-12 series advantage over longtime intrastate rival Virginia. However, the Cavaliers have won the last three outings. The teams met earlier this season with UVa claiming a 72-64 win on Dec. 10, 2004, at University Hall. Four UVa seniors scored in double figures, led by Jocelyn Logan-Friend’s career-high 17 points. Brandi Teamer and LaTonya Blue added 13 points each, while Kate Kreager came off the bench for 12. Overall, Old Dominion out-rebounded Virginia, 35-27. UVa forced 30 turnovers while committing 13. UVa scored 26 points in the paint and 35 points off turnovers.
The No. 3 seed and No. 12 nationally ranked Golden Gophers, under the guidance of third-year head coach Pam Borton, stand 24-7 overall after a 55-49 loss to Michigan State in Big Ten Tournament championship game. Senior Janel McCarville leads the team with 16.3 ppg and 10.3 rpg, while sophomore Jamie Broback follows with 14.3 ppg.
Minnesota and Virginia have only met once. In the championship game of the 2003 Cavalier Classic (last season), the No. 7/6 Golden Gophers captured the tourney title with a 73-53 decision over host UVa. Guard LaTonya Blue paced the Cavaliers with 13 points, while forward Brandi Teamer added 11 points. Former All-American Lindsay Whalen paced Minnesota with 31 points en route to MVP honors. Center Janel McCarville added 22 points. Blue, Teamer, and McCarville also earned all-tournament team honors.
The No. 14 seed Red Flash, under the guidance of first-year head coach Jill Poe, stand 21-9 overall after a 65-50 win over Robert Morris in the Northeast Conference Tournament championship game. Senior Beth Swink leads the team with 22.7 ppg and 6.8 rpg, while senior Christin Black follows with 12.4 ppg.
Virginia owns a spotless 5-0 record against St. Francis. The teams met in December in Charlottesville with UVa posting an 84-50 win. Senior Brandi Teamer led UVa with 18 points. Sophomore Brenna McGuire finished with a career-high 16 points, including tying her career high with five treys. Senior Jocelyn Logan-Friend added 11 points, while sophomore Siedah Williams came off the bench for 11 points. Freshman Takisha Granberry added 10 points.
