Virginia-Minnesota AP Preview

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GAME: No. 6 Virginia (21-10) vs. No. 3 Minnesota (25-7).

REGIONAL: Tempe, second round.

TIME: Monday, 9:30 p.m. EST.

SITE: Williams Arena; Minneapolis.

Janel McCarville has left the fans at Williams Arena with plenty ofmemories.

The senior center plays her final home game Monday night when Minnesotafaces Virginia in the second round of the Tempe Regional.

McCarville, one of the best players in school history, rebounded from arough outing in the final of the Big Ten tournament as Minnesota coasted to a64-33 victory over St. Francis in front of 11,312 fans on Saturday.

After shooting 1-for-17 and scoring just two points in a 55-49 loss toMichigan State on March 7, McCarville had 12 points and 15 rebounds Saturdayfor her 47th career double-double – one behind Molly Tadich’s school record.

The Gophers have made the NCAA tournament in each of McCarville’s fourseasons after making only one prior appearance.

“We had a great defensive effort,” said McCarville, who led Minnesota toits first Final Four last year. “We were all on the same page for the mostpart.”

McCarville had a season-high five blocked shots and moved into first placeon Minnesota’s career list with 195, three more than Tadich had from 1984-87.The 6-foot-4 McCarville held Beth Swink, who was third in the nation thisseason in scoring at nearly 23 points per game, to just seven points on3-for-17 shooting.

“I would call it frustrating,” Swink said. “McCarville is a very strongplayer. I shouldn’t let it get to me like it did. I was just having a roughgame like everybody has.”

Sophomore forward Jamie Broback led Minnesota with 17 points, reachingdouble figures for the sixth straight game. While McCarville and Broback domost of their damage in the paint, Shannon Schronrock gives Minnesota an optionfrom the perimeter. The junior guard needs five 3-pointers to match thesingle-season record of 73 by Lindsay Lieser in 2001-02.

Virginia had made 20 straight appearances in the NCAA tournament beforemissing out last season with a 13-16 record. The Cavaliers celebrated theirreturn to the postseason with a 79-57 victory over intrastate foe Old Dominionon Saturday night.

Brandi Teamer scored 17 of her 23 points in the second half and TiffanySardin added 16 points for Virginia, which shot 65 percent (15-of-23) in thesecond half to pull away. Teamer, a 6-2 senior forward, had 10 rebounds to helpthe Cavaliers to a 44-36 advantage on the boards.

PROBABLE STARTERS: Virginia – F LaTonya Blue (12.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 4.3 apg), FJocelyn Logan-Friend (9.2 ppg, 6.7 rpg), C Teamer (13.1 ppg, 6.2 rpg), GSharnee Zoll (5.5 ppg, 4.9 apg), G Brenna McGuire (6.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg). Minnesota– F Shannon Bolden (5.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg), F Broback (14.4 ppg, 5.5 rpg), CMcCarville (16.2 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.8 apg), G April Calhoun (6.5 ppg, 3.5 apg,3.4 rpg), G Schronrock (9.3 ppg, 2.6 apg).

HOW THEY GOT HERE: Virginia – At-large berth, ACC; beat No. 11 Old Dominion79-57, first round. Minnesota – At-large berth, Big Ten; beat No. 14 St.Francis 64-33, first round.

ALL-TIME TOURNAMENT RECORD: Virginia – 31-20, 21 years. Minnesota – 9-4, 5years.