Virginia Returns To Action Saturday Night at Home vs. UMBC

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CHARLOTTESVILLE – After an 11-day break from competition, the Virginia women’s basketball team returns to the hardwood on Saturday night (Dec. 18) against UMBC. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m., and live statistics will be available at VirginiaSports.com.

The game will be broadcast over the airwaves on WINA 1070 AM in the Charlottesville area with Jay James, Myron Ripley and Larry Johnson calling the action. That broadcast is available on the Internet through VirginiaSports.com with a subscription to V Pass.

Virginia (6-4) is coming off a 76-52 victory over Radford before the break from competition for final exams. In that match-up, sophomore guard Lexie Gerson (Fort Washington, Pa.) set a new career-high with 19 points and tied career-highs with three 3-pointers, five assists and four steals. For the year, Gerson is averaging 8.9 points per game.

The Cavaliers’ leading scorer through 10 games is junior guard Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.), who averages 11.5 points per game. Junior forward Chelsea Shine (Wayne, Pa.) ranks second on the team with 10.2 points per game and leads the squad by averaging 6.7 rebounds per game.

Through 10 games, Virginia is out-rebounding its opponents, 406-345. The Cavaliers are 6-0 when out-rebounding opponents this season.

UMBC (4-6) is coming off a road loss at Maryland on Dec. 10, 71-45. The Retrievers are led by Michelle Kurowski, who averages 14.1 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Virginia is 1-0 all-time vs. UMBC, having won last year’s meeting in the season-opening game for both teams. The Cavaliers prevailed, 68-57, on the road to give head coach Debbie Ryan her 700th-career victory. Now in her 34th year at Virginia, Ryan holds a 726-312 career record, which ranks her as the eighth-winningest active coach in terms of victories.

Following Saturday’s game, Virginia hits the road for a Monday night (Dec. 20) contest at James Madison. Tip-off in Harrisonburg, Va., is scheduled for 7 p.m.