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No. 21 UVa Opens 2010 NCAA Tournament Play Sunday in Ames, Iowa
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – No. 21-ranked and No. 5 seed Virginia faces 12th-seeded Wisconsin-Green Bay in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament on Sunday (March 21). Tip-off from the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, is scheduled for 6:21 p.m. local time and 7:21 p.m. (Eastern Time), and the game will be televised by ESPN2. Live audio (V Pass) and live statistics can be accessed at VirginiaSports.com.
Additionally, the game will be broadcast over the airwaves on WINA 1070 AM in the Charlottesville area, with Jay James (play-by-play) and Larry Johnson (analyst) calling the action.
Virginia (21-9) is making its 24th appearance in the NCAA Tournament (third-consecutive). The Cavaliers earned an at-large berth after finishing third in the ACC (9-5). The ‘Hoos have compiled a 33-23 (.589) all-time mark and have appeared in three Final Fours (1990, 1991, 1992).
Last season, Virginia advanced to the second round, but lost to California in Los Angeles, Calif. The last time UVa advanced to the Sweet Sixteen was in 2000 as a No. 4 seed.
This is the third time in its history that Virginia has been a No. 5 seed (1984, 2009).
Virginia continues to be led offensively by national player of the year candidate and ACC Player of the Year Monica Wright, who averages 23.3 points per game. That scoring average leads the ACC and ranks seventh in the nation.
Wright was the first Cavalier to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and led the league in steals per game (3.6). That average ranks second in the nation. This week, she was named a finalist for the Wooden Award and for the State Farm Coaches’ All-America Team.
Wisconsin-Green Bay (27-4) earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Tournament out of the Horizon League.
The Phoenix is making its 10th appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and is the first team in Horizon League history to receive an at-large bid.
Three Green Bay players are averaging in double figures in scoring – Kayla Tetschlag (14.8 ppg), Julie Wojta (14.2 ppg) and Celeste Hoewisch (13.8 ppg).
Phoenix head coach Matt Bollant is in his third season at Green Bay and has compiled an 82-13 overall record. His career coaching tally over seven seasons stands at 216-48.
This is the first-ever women’s basketball meeting between Green Bay and UVa.
UVa men’s basketball head coach Tony Bennett spent his playing days at Wisconsin-Green Bay. He earned his bachelor’s degree in humanities in 1992.
Bennett played for his father, Dick Bennett, and finished his career at Green Bay with 2,285 points and 601 assists.
Current Green Bay head coach Matt Bollant was an assistant under Tony Bennett’s sister, Kathi Bennett, at both Indiana University and the University of Evansville. Kathi Bennett also played at Green Bay.
In 2003, Debbie Ryan was head coach of the U.S. women’s team that won the silver medal at the Pan American Games. One of her assistant coaches was Kathi Bennett.
The winner of Sunday’s game will advance to the 9:30 p.m. (Eastern Time) second round game on Tuesday, March 23. The opponent will be the winner of No. 4 seed Iowa State vs. No. 13 seed Lehigh game (being played following the UVa-Green Bay game on Sunday).