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Virginia Improves to 11-1 with a 64-56 Win at Marquette
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Jan. 4, 2006
MILWAUKEE, Wis.- – The University of Virginia women’s basketball team captured its eighth straight win with a 64-56 decision at Marquette on Wednesday at the Al McGuire Center.
With the win, Virginia improved to 11-1 overall and snapped the Golden Eagles’ (10-2) eight-game win streak.
In the first half, sophomore Takisha Granberry (Charlotte, N.C.) hit a three-point shot to open the game, and the Cavaliers never trailed. Marquette pulled to within two points on a Kieger layup at 14:06 in the first half, trailing 11-9.
A layup by senior Tiffany Sardin (Chicago, Ill.) with 1:37 left in the half gave UVa a 14-point lead, its largest of the half. Virginia held a 12-point advantage at intermission, 37-25.
“We had a really good start,” said head coach Debbie Ryan.
A long three pointer by junior Brenna McGuire (Winchester, Mass.) early in the second half gave Virginia its second 14-point lead, 49-34. McGuire, the granddaughter of former MU men’s basketball coach Al McGuire, scored seven points in the building named after her grandfather.
Marquette had several opportunities to lower its six-point deficit late, but could not make a final game-ending run. Down 59-53 with 2:20 to play, Marquette went 1-for-8 to end the game.
“I thought we played much better in the second half, but we missed bunnies, shots our players would normally make, late in the game,” Marquette head coach Terri Mitchell said. “These things happen. It’s not the end of the world. You just change your focus and get ready for the next game. Like with a win, you have to forget about it and move on to the next game. You have to do the same with a loss like this.”
“I thought they did a nice job defending us, but we weren’t hitting our shots. When you miss shots and they respond with baskets on the other end, the lead evaporates quickly,” Ryan said.
Sardin paced UVa with 14 points. Granberry added 13 points, while sophomore Sharnee Zoll (Marlboro, N.J.) finished with nine points and seven assists. McGuire and sophomore Denesha Kenion (Oxon, Md.) had seven points each. Freshman Lyndra Littles (Washington, D.C.) came off the bench for a game-high 14 rebounds.
“Everyone contributed,” Ryan added. “Brenna was very solid and played her game. They had a nice crowd. It was very, very loud.”
Christina Quaye was the only Eagle in double-figure scoring with a game-high 17 points.
Overall, UVa out-rebounded Marquette, 33-30. The Cavaliers shot 48 percent from the field.
Virginia opens ACC play at Florida State on Sunday, Jan. 8. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. at the Tucker Center.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
1 2 - FinalVirginia (11-1) 37 27 - 64Marquette (10-2) 25 31 - 56