Virginia Travels to NC State on Wednesday

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Jan. 26, 2016

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (13-8, 3-4 ACC) plays at NC State (14-6, 5-2 ACC) on Wednesday, Jan. 27 at 7:30 p.m. at Broughton High School in Raleigh, N.C.

All of the 2015-16 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on NewsRadio WINA 1070 AM and 98.9 FM and streaming online at wina.com and VirginiaSports.com with Channing Poole calling the action.

Due to the ongoing $35 million Reynolds Coliseum renovation, the Wolfpack play their home games this season at Broughton High School’s Holliday Gymnasium.

Virginia has lost three of its last four games including a 58-55 setback on Sunday (Jan. 24) against Pitt. The Cavaliers shot 27.3 percent against the Panthers, the fourth time this season their shooting percentage was below 30 percent. Last season, the Cavaliers did not have a game in which they shot less than 30 percent. The 27.3 percent was the Cavaliers worst-shooting game since going 15-of-56 (26.8 percent) against Kansas State in the 2013 Junkanoo Jam tournament in the Bahamas.

Despite the cold shooting, Virginia managed to rally and nearly erase double-digit deficits twice in the Pitt game. UVA trailed by 14 points, 30-16, with 2:08 remaining in the first half, but trailed by one, 39-38, at the end of the third quarter. After Pitt built back up a 12-point lead, 52-40, with 3:46 remaining in the game, Virginia again got to within one point, 54-53, with 30 seconds remaining, but could not complete the comeback. Despite shooting 29.8 percent at Wake Forest, the Cavaliers erased a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter to comeback to win 52-50. Earlier this season in the Paradise Jam Tournament, Virginia overcame a 14-point first-half deficit against Green Bay to win 68-59.

Sophomore Mikayla Venson (Arlington, Va.) scored 12 points in the final 5:14 of the Pitt game. Venson went 2-of-2 from three-point range and 6-of-6 from the free throw line to fuel the comeback attempt.

The Cavaliers were 21-of-26 (80.8 percent) from the free throw line against Pitt, the third time this season the team has made more than 20 free throws in a game and the fifth time they have shot better than 80 percent from the line. The Cavaliers are back to leading the conference in free throw shooting percentage, making 74.0 percent of their attempts, which ranks 32nd in the nation. Venson and Dominique Wilson of NC State are the top two players in the conference in free throw shooting, both making 84.5 percent of their attempts.

Virginia leads the all-time series, 39-33, against the Wolfpack and has won four of the last six meetings, including a 71-63 victory last season at JPJ, but has lost the last two meetings in Raleigh. The Wolfpack are 8-2 on their “home” court at Broughton High School this season. NC State has won five of its last six games, including a triple overtime thriller in Pittsburgh (Jan. 10) and a 72-61 victory over Virginia Tech last Thursday (Jan. 21). The Wolfpack’s only loss in that span was a 92-90 game against No. 23 Louisville. Dominique Wilson leads the team, averaging 16.0 points per game.

Virginia has this coming weekend off before traveling back to North Carolina to take on Duke on Thursday, Feb. 4 at 7 p.m. in Durham. The Cavaliers will be back at home at John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday, Feb. 7, hosting Virginia Tech 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).