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Jan. 5, 2007
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THIS WEEK
Virginia opens ACC play at No. 2/2 North Carolina on Monday, Jan. 8. Tip-off at Carmichael Auditorium is set for 7 p.m. The Regional Sports Network (Fox Sports Net South, Comcast Sports Net, SunSports, and New England Sports Network) will televise the game live.
The Cavaliers return home to John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday, Jan. 11 with Wake Forest at 7 p.m.
SCOUTING NORTH CAROLINA
The No. 2/2 Tar Heels, under the guidance of 21st-year head coach Sylvia Hatchell, stand a perfect 17-0 overall and 2-0 in ACC play after a 102-68 win over Virginia Tech on Jan. 4. Senior guard Ivory Latta paces UNC with 15.0 ppg. Senior forward Camille Little follows with 13.7 ppg, while junior forward Erlana Larkins is third with 12.3 ppg and a team-best 8.8 rpg.
SERIES VS. TAR HEELS
North Carolina leads Virginia 40-31 in series action. Last season the Tar Heels added two wins, claiming a 72-60 win in University Hall and an 82-56 win in the quarterfinal round of the 2006 ACC Tournament.
VIRGINIA IN ACC OPENERS
Virginia’s game at North Carolina is its Conference opener. Since ACC regular-season play began in 1978, the Cavaliers stand 20-9 in ACC season openers.
AGAINST RANKED OPPONENTS
Virginia plays its second nationally ranked opponent of the season. In Atlantic Coast Conference play, the Cavaliers will face defending national champion and No. 1 Maryland twice, No. 2 North Carolina, and No. 3 Duke. Last season, the ACC ranked No. 1 in RPI (rating percentage index) of the 32 conferences. The RPI is derived from winning percentage (25%), schedule strength (50%), and opponent’s schedule strength (25%). The first RPI for the 2006-07 season will be released in January 2007.
Under head coach Debbie Ryan, the Virginia Cavaliers have upset 41 opponents ranked ahead of them (complete list is on page 11). UVa hosted No. 6/6 Connecticut at JPJA on Dec. 18.
SCOUTING WAKE FOREST
The Demon Deacons, under the helm of third-year head coach Mike Peterson, stand 8-5 overall and 0-1 in ACC play after a 74-54 loss at Virginia Tech on Jan. 2. Sophmore guard Yolanda Lavender paces Wake with 17.2 ppg. Sophomore forward Corrine Groves follows with 12.0 ppg and a team-best 10.8 rpg. Wake Forest hosts Clemson (Jan. 5) and UNC-Asheville (Jan. 8) before travelling to Charlottesville.
SERIES VS. DEMON DEACONS
Virginia owns a 57-2 series edge over Wake Forest since the teams first met in 1976. Riding a six-game series win streak, Virginia claimed an 81-70 win in Winston-Salem, N.C., last season.
LAST OUTING
Despite having four players in double figures, the Virginia Cavaliers opened the new year with a 73-70 loss at Richmond on Wednesday evening.
Down by one with just 19 seconds on the clock, UVa had two chances to win the game but came up short.
Freshman Monica Wright (Woodbridge, Va.) led Virginia with her first collegiate double-double of 21 points and a career-high 11 rebounds. Sophomore Lyndra Littles (Washington, D.C.) followed with 17 points and 11 boards for her eighth double-double of the year (13th of career). Freshman Paulisha Kellum (Upper Marlboro, Md.) came off the bench for a career-high 13 points, while junior Sharneé Zoll (Marlboro, N.J.) finished with 11 points.
Overall, UR out-rebounded UVa, 40-36. The Cavaliers out-shot the Spiders, 46 percent (30-65) to 43 percent (28-65).
IN THE STATISTICS
After 14 contests, sophomore Lyndra Littles leads the Cavaliers with 16.2 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Freshman Monica Wright follows with 13.8 ppg, while junior Sharneé Zoll adds 12.0 ppg and 77 assists. UVa out-scores its opponents by +10.1 points and out-rebounds its foes by +3.7 boards.