Virginia Plays at Auburn on Thursday

Story Links

Nov. 18, 2015

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (2-0, 0-0 ACC) heads back on the road, playing at Auburn (2-0, 0-0 SEC) on Thursday, Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. ET.

All of the 2015-16 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on NewsRadio 1070 WINA and streaming online at wina.com and VirginiaSports.com with Channing Poole calling the action.

The game will be televised on the SEC Network as well as streaming online on ESPN3 and the WatchESPN app.

Virginia has had a very balanced approach to both scoring and rebounding in its first two games. Six Cavaliers are averaging 10 or more points a game through the first two contests. In Monday’s 86-50 victory over Norfolk State, seven Cavaliers finished the game in double-digits, the first time in program history that seven players reached that benchmark in a single game. In the opener at Middle Tennessee, five Cavaliers finished in double figures, a feat that the team accomplished just three times last season. The Virginia bench is averaging 32.5 points per game. Last year, the non-starters contributed 11.1 points per game.

Senior guard Faith Randolph (Derwood, Md.) rebounded from an eight-point performance in the opener by scoring 17 points in just 17 minutes against Norfolk State. Randolph made 6-of-9 field goal attempts against the Spartans. Randolph also grabbed seven rebounds and had four assists.

Junior guard Breyana Mason (Woodbridge, Va.) has opened up the season with back-to-back double-digit performances. Mason has made 10-of-15 field goal attempts this season (66.7 percent).

Sophomore guard Mikayla Venson (Arlington, Va.) scored 10 points against Norfolk State, her ninth-consecutive double-digit scoring effort going back to last season.

Sophomore forward Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) is averaging more than double her offensive output from last season. Moses contributed 6.1 points per game in 2014-15 and is averaging 12.5 this year.

This will be the second-straight year that Virginia and Auburn will be meeting with both teams undefeated. Last year, the 3-0 Cavaliers and Tigers battled at JPJ with UVA mounting a 19-3 run early in the second half to break open a close game and earn a 66-51 victory. Randolph scored 18 points and Venson had 10. Mason scored eight points, going 4-of-8 from the field while also adding four assists.

The Tigers return all five starters and nine letter-winners from its 2014-15 team that finished 13-18 overall, 3-13 in SEC play. Six of those nine players appeared in all 31 games last season. Among its nine returning players, Auburn returns 80.1 percent of its minutes, 83.5 percent of its scoring and 87.7 percent of its starts from a year ago.

Auburn downed UAB 85-71 in the season-opener and logged an 80-68 road win at Southeastern Louisiana on Monday night.

Junior Brandy Montgomery returns as Auburn’s leading scorer after averaging 12.3 points per game last season. Montgomery had back-to-back 20-point games to start this season, scoring 24 against UAB and 22 at SE Louisiana

Virginia is 4-1 all-time against the Tigers, including last season’s 66-51 victory in Charlottesville. Following the trip, Virginia returns home to host Longwood on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 2 p.m.

Single-game ticket prices for all home games are $10 for Reserved seating, $8 for adult General Admission and $6 for youth (18 & under), senior (60 & over) and UVA faculty/staff General Admission. Fans may purchase home game tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office online at VirginiaSports.com, by phone and in person. The Virginia Athletics Ticket Office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821) or locally at 434-924-UVA1 (8821).