Virginia Travels To In-State Foe Richmond For a Sunday Contest
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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s basketball team heads to in-state foe Richmond for a Sunday (Dec. 4) contest. Tip-off at the Robins Center is scheduled for 2 p.m., and the game will be broadcast over the airwaves by the Virginia Sports Radio Network. That broadcast, along with live statistics, can be accessed at VirginiaSports.com.
Virginia (6-2) is coming off of a 65-49 win in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge over Indiana on Thursday (Dec. 1). Sophomore guard Ataira Franklin (Bowie, Md.) led four scorers in double figures with 16 points and matched a career-high with four steals.
Franklin averages 10.1 points per game, which ranks second on the team. Senior guard Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) leads the squad by averaging 11.8 points per game. Fellow senior Chelsea Shine (Wayne, Pa.) averages 9.4 points per game and leads the team by averaging 7.1 rebounds per game.
Richmond (6-1) is coming off of a 78-77 victory over VCU on Thursday night. The Spiders were picked to finish eighth in the Atlantic 10.
Abby Oliver leads the Spiders in scoring, averaging 14.4 points per game, followed by Rachael Bilney (12.7 ppg) and Genevieve Okoro (12.3 points per game).
Richmond head coach Michael Shafer is in his seventh season and has a 108-87 record.
Virginia leads the series with Richmond, 12-3, but the Spiders won the last meeting that was played on their homecourt (73-70, Jan. 3, 2007). The last time the two programs met was on Jan. 3, 2011 – Virginia came away with a 75-62 victory at John Paul Jones Arena.
Virginia head coach Joanne Boyle spent three seasons as head coach of Richmond (2002-05) and compiled a 67-29 record. She won at least 21 games all three seasons and led the Spiders to a 23-8 record and NCAA Tournament appearance in 2005.
Virginia assistant coach Kim McNeill, formerly Hairston, was a three-year letterwinner and co-captain at Richmond. Following her playing career, McNeill was a member of Joanne Boyle’s staff at Richmond, including the 2005 NCAA berth.
After Sunday’s contest, Boyle will have faced both programs she led prior to becoming the head coach at Virginia. UVa and California, where Boyle coached from 2005-11, met earlier this season at the Waikiki Beach Marriott Rainbow Wahine Showdown.
It is Operation Home Front Military Appreciation Day at Richmond on Sunday. Fans attending the game are encouraged to bring a donated item to contribute to the assistance of families and military personnel (general hygiene and toiletry items). Operation Home Front is an organization providing emergency financial and other assistance to the families of our service members and wounded warriors.
Up next for the Cavaliers is a Wednesday, Dec. 7, contest vs. another in-state opponent, Liberty. The Wahoos and Flames will face off at John Paul Jones Arena at 7 p.m.