Cavaliers Open February With A Trip To No. 23 North Carolina

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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s basketball team travels to No. 23 North Carolina on Friday (Feb. 3) for an 8:30 p.m. contest in Carmichael Auditorium. The game will be televised by the ACC’s Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet in the Charlottesville area), with Tom Werme and Debbie Antonelli on the call. That broadcast is also available on ESPN3. WINA 1070 AM will carry the game in the Charlottesville area with John Freeman, Myron Ripley and Larry Johnson calling the action. That audio broadcast, along with live statistics, can be accessed at VirginiaSports.com.

Virginia (16-7, 4-5 ACC) is coming off a 62-52 home victory over Florida State on Sunday (Jan. 29). The Cavaliers forced 23 FSU turnovers and scored 28 points off of those turnovers while out-rebounding the Seminoles, 36-34.

Ariana Moorer (Woodbridge, Va.) was the team’s leading scorer for the seventh time this season, netting 15 points while adding four rebounds and two assists. Moorer leads the team by averaging 12.7 points per game.

Ataira Franklin (Bowie, Md.) is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.2 points per game. In ACC games only, Franklin leads the squad with 13.7 points per game.

North Carolina (16-5, 6-2 ACC) is ranked No. 23 by the Associated Press and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. The Tar Heels have won four-consecutive contests – at Virginia Tech (56-37), at NC State (60-50), vs. Boston College (77-46) and at Wake Forest (75-71). They are 11-2 at home in Carmichael Auditorium this season.

Chay Shegog leads the team by averaging 16.6 points and 8.0 rebounds per game. The Tar Heels were picked to finish sixth in the ACC preseason poll.

North Carolina has won 15 of the last 16 games against UVa, including a 78-73 double-overtime triumph on Jan. 5, 2012, in Charlottesville. UVa trails the all-time series, 32-46, and holds a 12-19 all-time mark in Chapel Hill. The Cavaliers’ last victory at North Carolina was Jan. 11, 2001 – 78-76. Since that game they have lost seven-straight on the Tar Heels’ home court.

Virginia is 11-0 when out-rebounding its opponent this season, but will face a tough test in North Carolina. The Tar Heels have the league’s leading rebounder (Laura Broomfield, 10.2 per game) and UNC ranks second in rebounding offense (45.2) and third in rebounding margin (+6.3). In the teams’ last meeting, the rebound count was 48-37 in favor of UNC.

It will be a quick turnaround for UVa, as the team will stay in the state of North Carolina for a Sunday (Feb. 5) contest at NC State. Tip-off at Reynolds Coliseum is scheduled for 2 p.m.