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Virginia Picks up 81-70 Win at Wake Forest
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Feb. 18, 2006
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – The Virginia women’s basketball team claimed an 81-70 win at Wake Forest on Saturday afternoon.
Virginia improved 15-10 overall and 3-9 in the ACC, while the Demon Deacons fell to 11-13 overall and 3-9 in the league.
In the first half, the Cavaliers scored first and quickly went ahead by seven, 11-4. UVa built its lead to as many as 11 points, 32-21 with 6:49 to go, after back-to-back three-pointers by junior Brenna McGuire (Winchester, Mass.) and senior Tiffany Sardin (Chicago, Ill.). UVa held a three-point edge at halftime, 36-33.
“We talked about getting back on track,” Sardin said. “And nobody’s giving up.”
In the second half, the Demon Deacons nailed a three to tie the game at 36-36. The Cavaliers responded with an 18-7 run to lead by 15 points, 62-47. The `Hoos maintained a double-digit lead for the rest of the game.
“When they tied it up, it was good to see how we responded,” head coach Debbie Ryan said. “That was a good sign for our team. We went through that six-game stretch and didn’t win one, but we knew we were getting better. We’ve taken huge steps forward, and now we’re proving it.”
Sophomore point guard Sharnee Zoll (Marlboro, N.J.) paced UVa with a career-high 24 points, including a career-high three treys. She also shot a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. Sardin followed with 15 points and a team-high nine rebounds. Junior Siedah Williams (Cleveland, Ohio) added 11 points.
“We didn’t show any fear today,” Ryan said. “All the players believed we could win.”
Liz Strunk, who scored the Deacons’ first 11 points, paced WF with 26 points. Deirdre Naughton followed with 20 points, while Corinne Groves added 11.
Overall, both teams grabbed 35 rebounds.
Virginia closes out the ACC regular-season with two home games this week. UVa hosts Georgia Tech on Thursday, Feb. 23 at 7 p.m. in University Hall.
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
1 2 - FinalVirginia (15-10, 3-9) 3645 40 - 81Wake Forest (11-13, 3-9) 33 37 - 70