Virginia Takes on Northwestern in ACC/Big Ten Challenge

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Nov. 30, 2016

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (5-1, 0-0 ACC) will face Northwestern (5-1, 0-0 Big Ten) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge with the two teams set to tip off on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 9 p.m. ET at Welsh-Ryan Arena in Evanston, Ill.

All of the 2016-17 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on NewsRadio 1070 AM and 98.9 FM WINA with Channing Poole calling the action. The game will also be broadcast on the Big Ten Network with Mike Wolf and Shelley Till calling the action.

Virginia is among the teams receiving votes in this week’s USA Today Coaches’ Poll while Northwestern is receiving votes in the AP Poll.

The Cavaliers are looking to start the season 5-1 for the second-straight year and the second time in head coach Joanne Boyle’s six seasons at Virginia. Boyle is also approaching a career milestone as she tries for her 300th career victory on Thursday evening.

Northwestern is the third Big Ten team that Virginia has faced in a three-week span after defeating Rutgers, 62-54, on November 20 and picking up a 73-51 victory over Nebraska at the South Point Shootout Thanksgiving tournament in Las Vegas last Saturday (Nov. 26). Virginia went 51-of-114 (44.7 percent) from the field in the two games against Big Ten opponents and averaged +9.0 in rebounding.

Junior forward Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) was named to the South Point Shootout All-Tournament Team after scoring 19 points (in 22 minutes) in the win over Nebraska on Saturday. Moses is currently third in the ACC in field goal percentage (55.7 percent) and sixth in free throw percentage (84.2 percent).

Junior guard Aliyah Huland El (Randolph, N.J.) is averaging 15.3 points per game in her last three games, including scoring 16 points against Rutgers and St. John’s.

The Cavaliers are 5-4 in the Challenge, but have lost their games in each of the last three years, falling to Michigan in 2013, Illinois in 2014 and last year to Iowa, 85-73. Virginia’s last win was a 90-68 victory at Minnesota in 2011. This will be the first time Virginia and Northwestern have met in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and just the third meeting overall. Virginia won the first-ever meeting between the two at the Princeton Christmas Classic in 1978 and Northwestern won the last meeting at the Mildred & Roger L. White Invitational in Evanston in 2004.

Northwestern’s only loss this season was an 89-66 setback against No. 20 DePaul. Senior Nia Coffey has been named the Big Ten Player of the week after averaging 28 points, 11 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 2.5 steals in wins over No. 16 Florida and Evansville. She shot a combined 66.7 percent from the field last week. NU finished the 2015-16 season with their fifth postseason appearance under head coach Joe McKeown, falling in the first round of the WNIT and finishing the season with an 18-16 overall record.

After Northwestern, UVA will head to Bowling Green for a contest on Sunday, Dec. 4 for a 2 p.m. tipoff, the team’s last game before breaking for finals. The Cavaliers return to John Paul Jones on Friday, December 16 when they host UIC at 7 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).