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Virginia Cruises to 66-45 Win at Richmond
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Dec. 18, 2005
RICHMOND, Va. – In its first action following an 11-day break for final exams, the University of Virginia women’s basketball team cruised to a 66-45 win at Richmond on Sunday at the Robins Center.
With the win, Virginia improved to 6-1 overall, while the Spiders fell to 3-5 overall.
In the first half, Virginia jumped out a 16-2 lead to go ahead by 14 points with 14:50 to play. The Spiders responded with a 10-0 run to come within four points, 16-12, but would never take the lead throughout the contest. The Cavaliers led by 10 points at intermission, 31-21.
“I was really pleased with our energy to start the game,” said head coach Debbie Ryan. “Our upperclassmen did a good job teaching our younger players.”
In the second half, UVa maintained its double-digit lead, going ahead by as many as 23 points.
Sophomore Takisha Granberry (Charlotte, N.C.) and freshman Lyndra Littles (Washington, D.C.) paced UVa with 14 points each. Sophomore Sharnee Zoll (Marlboro, N.J.) chipped in 13 points, including two three-pointers, and a team-high six rebounds. Senior Tiffany Sardin (Chicago, Ill.), junior Siedah Williams (Cleveland, Ohio), and junior Brenna McGuire (Winchester, Mass.) added six points each.
“Takisha was hot, really hot to start the game,” Ryan said. “She made it difficult for Richmond to defend us.”
“I know it’s my job to get the offense going” Granberry added. “We were very anxious to get back on the court after exams.”
Virginia’s four freshmen and three sophomores saw significant playing time in the victory.
“We got some good minutes today for our freshman class,” Ryan said. “We gave them some good experience against a good team.”
“The freshmen take a lot of pressure off of us,” Granberry added.
Araceli Gil was the only Spider in double-figure scoring with 12 points.
Overall, UVa out-rebounded Richmond, 41-27. The Cavaliers shot 47 percent from the field and 89 percent from the line.
Virginia begins a four-game homestand at University Hall on Tuesday, Dec. 20 with a 7 p.m. game with Marshall.
“It’ll be fun to be in front of all of our fans,” Ryan said. “This will be a great stretch for us.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
1 2 - Final
Virginia (6-1) 31 35 - 66Richmond (3-6) 21 24 - 45