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CHARLOTTESVILLE No. 20/24 and No. 6 seed Virginia will face No. 11 seed Virginia Tech in the opening round of the 2009 ACC Tournament on Thursday. Tip-off from the Greensboro Coliseum is scheduled for 8 p.m., and the game will be streamed live over the internet free of charge by ACC Select. Live audio is available through V Pass and live statistics can be accessed at VirginiaSports.com.
Virginia (22-8, 8-6 ACC) earned the No. 6 seed after a 74-66 setback at Georgia Tech in its regular-season finale on Sunday, March 1.
Virginia has won three ACC Tournament titles (1990, 1992, 1993) and holds an overall record of 32-28 (.533) at the conference championship.
Virginia’s last appearance in the final was in 1994, when it fell to North Carolina, 77-60.
Last season, Virginia advanced to the semifinals, but was defeated by UNC, 80-65.
Virginia has a 3-1 all-time record in the tournament’s first round.
Head coach Debbie Ryan has reached the 20-win mark for the 22nd time in her career. The Hall of Fame coach’s career record is 697-296, just three wins shy of 700.
Virginia continues to be led offensively by national player of the year candidate and first team All-ACC selection Monica Wright, who averages 21.1 points per game, and senior Lyndra Littles, who averages 21.4 points per game and was also named to the All-ACC first team.
Aisha Mohammed, meanwhile, was named an honorable mention All-ACC selection and averages 12.8 points and 9.9 rebounds per game. She leads the Cavalier post players with 12 double-doubles on the season.
Virginia Tech enters the contest with an overall record of 12-17 and a league mark of 2-12. The Hokies dropped their regular-season finale, 73-68, at home against Georgia Tech on Feb. 26. Utahya Drye leads the team by averaging 14.1 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Head coach Beth Dunkenberger is in her fifth season in Blacksburg and has compiled a 84-69 record.
Virginia and Virginia Tech, in-state as well as conference rivals, have never met at the ACC Tournament. The Hokies first season in the ACC was 2004-05, after four years in the BIG EAST (2000-2004) and five in the Atlantic 10 (1995-2000).
Virginia leads the all-time series with Virginia Tech, 33-10, including two meetings this season (75-69 on Jan. 21 at Cassell Coliseum and 69-61 on Feb. 8 at JPJA).
Virginia has won four-straight in the series. The last Virginia Tech victory was on Jan. 22, 2007 – 60-58 on its home court.