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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. The 15th-ranked Virginia women’s basketball team begins the 2008-09 campaign with a Friday contest against High Point. Tip-off from John Paul Jones Arena is 7 p.m. and live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.
Additionally, the game will be broadcast over the airwaves on WINA 1070 in the Charlottesville area with Jay James, Myron Ripley and Larry Johnson calling the action. Live audio can be accessed on the internet with V Pass.
Virginia defeated DT3, a group of former collegiate players, in an exhibition contest last Friday, 91-77. In that contest, Monica Wright and Aisha Mohammed each had a 27-point performance, while each of the four Cavalier freshman saw playing time.
Wright, recently named a Wooden Award candidate and to the preseason All-ACC team, led the team in scoring last year with 17.6 points per game. The 2006-07 ACC Rookie of the Year, Wright followed up her freshman season by garnering Associated Press honorable mention All-America, WBCA Region 2 All-America, All-ACC second team, ACC all-defensive team and ACC all-tournament team honors at the end of last season.
Head coach Debbie Ryan returns for her 32nd year on the sidelines. The Class of 2008 Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame inductee has posted a 675-288 career record with the Cavaliers.
This year, the Cavaliers have been picked to finish fourth in the ACC and are ranked No. 15 in both preseason polls (Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today).
Friday is the season-opener for the Panthers as well. High Point played two preseason exhibition games, defeating Montreat College, 74-49, and falling to UNC Pembroke, 69-66.
Up next for Virginia is a Monday night showdown at No. 6 Tennessee. Tip-off from Thompson-Boling Arena is 7 p.m. and the game will be televised on SportSouth.