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Virginia Cavaliers (11-2, 0-0 ACC) at Syracuse Orange (9-5, 0-1 ACC)
Date and Time Monday, January 2, 7 p.m.
Location Syracuse, N.Y. | Carrier Dome
Media ACC Network Extra Streaming Video | Listen Live | Live Stats
Additional Information Ticket Information | Game Notes (.pdf) | 2016-17 Season Stats | 2016-17 Fact Book (.pdf)
Social Media @UVAWBBHoops Twitter | Facebook | VirginiaWBB Instagram

Jan. 1, 2017

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (11-2, 0-0 ACC) opens up Atlantic Coast Conference action on Monday, January 2, playing at No. 25/21 Syracuse (9-5, 0-1 ACC) at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse, N.Y.

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 stream live online as an ACC Network Extra contest.

The Cavaliers have won six games in a row, the longest winning streak since the team won seven in a row during the 2011-12 season. Virginia’s 11-2 mark in non-conference games is its best since starting the 2011-12 season 12-2 in Joanne Boyle’s first season at Virginia.

Virginia leads the ACC in scoring defense, and after Thursday night’s game was ranked No. 6 in the nation, allowing just 50.2 points per game. The Cavaliers have held their opponents to less than 60 points in all 11 victories this season. Virginia has held a lead at halftime in all 13 games this season and has by led by at least 10 points in all but one game.

Virginia is coming off of a pair of wins in the Cavalier Classic tournament on Wednesday and Thursday in Charlottesville, downing UMBC 56-30 and Dayton 66-56. Freshman guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.), the MVP of the Cav Classic, averaged 13.5 points per game in the tournament helping to raise her season scoring average back to double-digits at 10.4 points per game. Willoughby went 12-of-14 from the free throw line against Dayton, the second-most free throws made in a game by an ACC player this season.

Willoughby leads the Cavaliers in rebounding, averaging 6.0 per game. She is vying to become the first true freshman to pace the Cavaliers in rebounding in a season since Brandi Teamer in 2002 and the first freshman guard to do so since Chrissy Reese in 1980. Willoughby ranks second among ACC freshmen in both scoring and rebounding.

Freshman guard Dominique Toussaint (Staten Island, N.Y.) was also named to the Cavalier Classic all-tournament team after scoring a team-high 17 points against Dayton, which was also her personal best this season. Toussaint leads all ACC freshmen in steals per game (1.75) and is fourth in scoring average (9.2 ppg).

Freshman forward Lisa Jablonowski (Ernster, Luxembourg) has averaged 6.0 rebounds per game in the last two games. She played a season-high 24 minutes in the win over Dayton.

Syracuse, a team that advanced to the NCAA Championship game last season, leads the all-time series against Virginia, 4-3, and has won the last four meetings. Last season, the Orange picked up a 91-57 win at John Paul Jones Arena. Syracuse went 12-of-22 (54.5 percent) from three-point range as well as shooting 52.5 percent overall, while the Cavaliers shot 37.3 percent overall and were 6-of-18 (33.3 percent) from long range. Virginia struggled with the Orange’s pressure defense as Syracuse scored 31 points off 23 Virginia turnovers.

The Orange opened ACC play last Thursday, falling 91-76 at Louisville. Syracuse led by 12 points in the first half and seven at halftime, but the Cardinals mounted a 21-2 run to start the second half to pick up the victory. Syracuse is trying to snap a two-game slide after also falling 105-84 to Texas A&M in the finale of the Florida Sunshine Classic tournament right before Christmas break.

Syracuse leads the ACC and is ranked 10th in the nation in steals per game (12.8). The Orange also lead the ACC and are ranked fifth in the nation in made three-pointers per game (9.9) but are 11th in the conference in three-point shooting percentage (.312). The Cavaliers are making 33.2 percent of their three-point attempts which ranks seventh. Alexis Peterson leads the ACC and is fifth in the nation by averaging 23.5 points per game. Peterson is also second in the ACC in assists per game (6.7) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.61).

Former Cavalier All-American Tammi Reiss is in her second season as an assistant coach at Syracuse. Reiss was a four-year starter for the Cavaliers, earning All-America honors in 1992, earned all-conference honors three times in her career and was selected to the All-ACC Tournament Team twice. She ended her collegiate career ranked first in school history in 3-point field goals made (139) and 3-point field goal percentage (.416) and was second in points (1,842) and free throws made (437). She also served as an assistant at UVA from 1993-96. She made three trips to the Final Four as a player and two trips to the Elite Eight as an assistant.

Virginia will be back at home on Thursday, Jan. 5, taking on No. 8 Louisville.

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).

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