Virginia Heads to Miami to Face Hurricanes

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Date and Time Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, 1:00 p.m. Location Miami, Fla. | BankUnited Center
Media Live Stats | Listen Live | ESPN3 (Blacked out in the ACC footprint) TV ACC Regional Networks (Click Here for Channel Finder Help) Additional Information Game Notes(.pdf) | Ticket Information | 2012-13 Season Stats | ExperienceUVaWomensBasketball | 2012-13 Record Book (.pdf)
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Jan. 5, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (9-4, 1-1 ACC) heads to Florida to face Miami (11-2, 2-0 ACC) on Sunday, Jan. 6 at 1 p.m. The game will be televised on the ACC Regional Sports Networks and will be streamed online on ESPN3 in regions that are outside the ACC footprint. Click Here for Channel Finder Help.

The Cavaliers hold a 7-3 advantage in the all-time series and are 5-2 in ACC games against the Hurricanes. Miami was ranked No. 11 last season when the two teams met and the Hurricanes won 56-53 in Charlottesville. Miami was ranked in the top-25 during the first two weeks of the season and is currently receiving votes in the latest Associated Press and USA Today Coaches polls.

Virginia has never lost to the Hurricanes in Coral Gables, going 4-0 against them when playing in Florida. The Hurricanes, however, have won 50 of their last 51 home games, a streak that began two games after the Cavaliers won there, 69-63 in overtime, during the 2009-10 season.

Miami is coming off a 78-56 victory over Clemson in which senior guard Stefanie Yderstrom scored the 1,000th point of her Hurricane career. Yderstrom is pacing the team, averaging 13.2 points per game. Morgan Stroman is averaging a near double-double at 12.3 ppg and 8.2 rpg.

On Thursday, Virginia defeated Virginia Tech, 52-48. The Cavaliers held a 24-14 lead at the half, the second time in the last three games the defense held an opponent to under 15 points before the break. In the last four games, no Cavalier opponent has made double-digit field goals in the first half (averaging 6.75 made baskets in the first half). Virginia is averaging 11.25 first-half field goals in that same span.

The Virginia-Virginia Tech game was one of four close ACC games on Thursday. The Miami-Clemson game was the only Thursday ACC contest in which the winning team had a clear lead throughout the game. In the North Carolina-Maryland game, both teams held double-digit leads during the game, with North Carolina coming away with the 60-57 upset. Florida State trailed Georgia Tech by nine points in the second half before rallying for an 85-78 victory. In the Duke-NC State game, the two teams were tied early in the second half and the Wolfpack trailing by a single point with eight minutes left. NC State was within four points of Duke in the final minute before the Blue Devils hit late free throws to make it a 67-57 final.

China Crosby (Sr., New York, N.Y.), who earned All-Tournament honors at the Cavalier Classic last week after dishing out 11 assists to three turnovers, showed off a different aspect of court leadership against Virginia Tech. Crosby scored five points in the final minute of the game, including converting a crucial and-one that put the Cavaliers back in the lead, to help UVa secure the victory. Crosby ended the game with a team-high 16 points, the first time this season Crosby led the team in scoring.

Crosby was also 5-for-5 from the free throw line in the game, the sixth time this season a Cavalier player was perfect from the free-throw line after attempting five or more free throws. Crosby’s perfect night at the stripe was in stark contrast to the rest of the team who combined to go 7-for-13. Crosby has only missed one free throw in her last nine games (14-of-15).

Crosby, who began the second half of the Virginia Tech game by banking in a three-pointer, has made at least one trey in each of her last five games.

Ataira Franklin (Jr., Bowie, Md.) had 13 points in the Virginia Tech game. She has scored in double digits in six of her last seven games. With her 15 points against Maryland, Franklin is averaging 14.0 ppg in her two ACC games this season and has combined for seven steals in the conference contests.

Telia McCall (Sr., Marietta, Ga.) had a team high nine rebounds against Virginia Tech. McCall has led the Cavaliers in rebounding in four of the last five games. She has raised her season rebounding average to 7.9 per game, ranking eighth in the ACC. She is averaging 11.0 rebounds per game in her last five games.

Sarah Imovbioh (So., Abuja, Nigeria) fell to second in the ACC in shooting percentage, making 64.9 percent of her field goal attempts. Imovbioh only has two games this season in which she has made less than 50 percent of her shot attempts. Simone Egwu (Sr., Odenton, Md.) is shooting 60.5 percent, which would rank fourth in the ACC, but she does not have enough attempts to qualify for the rankings.

After returning from Miami, Virginia will head back on the road, taking on Georgia Tech in Atlanta on Thursday, Jan. 10 at 7 p.m. The Cavaliers will be back at home on Sunday, Jan. 13, hosting NC State.