Virginia Hosts Clemson on Sunday

January 6, 2018

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (10-6, 3-0 ACC) hosts Clemson (10-5, 0-2 ACC) on Sunday, Jan. 7 at 2 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.

All of the 2017-18 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on the radio on NewsRadio 1070 AM and 98.9 FM WINA. The game will also stream live online as an ACC Network Extra production.

Security Information
– Virginia Athletics has implemented a clear bag policy and enhanced security procedures for home football and men’s and women’s basketball games. The changes in policy and entrance procedures are a result of recommendations for large-scale events held on Grounds by the University of Virginia’s security consultant.
– All bags entering John Paul Jones Arena for home men’s and women’s basketball games must be clear plastic, vinyl or PVC and cannot exceed 12″ x 6″ x 12″. Clear, one-gallon plastic freezer bags (Ziploc bags or similar) are also permitted.
– Additionally, all fans entering the arena will be screened upon entry, typically with walk-through and hand-held metal detectors.
– Click here to read the full bag policy and description of game day entry.

The Cavaliers head into the game riding a six-game win streak and have started ACC play 3-0 for the first time since 2001. The team is looking for its first 4-0 start since the 2000 season when the team started ACC play with nine-straight wins. The Cavaliers are in a three-way tie for first place in the ACC with Notre Dame (3-0) and Louisville (3-0). Florida State is also undefeated, but a half-game back with a 2-0 record in league play.

Virginia is coming off a 73-63 road win at NC State on Thursday night. Redshirt senior guard J’Kyra Brown (Rocky Mount, N.C.) came off the bench to score a team-high 18 points against the Wolfpack. Brown made her first four three-point attempts of the game, finishing 4-of-6 from beyond the arc and 5-of-9 overall shooting. Brown now ranks third in the ACC in three-point shooting at 42.9 percent. She has hit at least one three-pointer in each of the last 10 games and has scored in double figures in eight of the last 10 games. Brown leads the team in scoring in ACC games, averaging 13.0 points per game. During the Cavaliers’ six-game win streak, Brown is averaging a team-high 14.2 points per game and shooting 54.5 percent (15-of-21) from three-point range.

The Cavaliers were -1.8 in rebounding margin through the first 10 games of the season. During their six-game win streak, the Cavaliers are +8.2 on the boards. Virginia scored an average of 61.2 points per game in their first 10 games of the season. During their six-game win streak, they are averaging 71.8 points per game.

Clemson finished non-conference play with a 10-3 record in 2017-18. In the past two seasons, the Tigers have a 21-5 (.808) record in non-conference play (11-2 in 2016-17 and 10-3 in 2017-18). It is the best two-year non-conference record for the program since the 1997-98 and 1998-99 seasons, when Clemson was 23-4 (.852) in two seasons.

The Tigers are seventh in the nation in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 53.3 points per game, and field goal percentage defense, with opponents shooting 33.5 percent against them. Opponents are limited to 25.8 percent from beyond the arc, which ranks 13th in the nation and second in the ACC. Danielle Edwards is the lone Tiger averaging double-figures, scoring 10.7 points per game. Kobi Thornton leads the team in rebounding, averaging 6.9 per game. Edwards is third in the ACC in steals per game (2.87) and has grabbed 43 total this season.

Clemson head coach Audra Smith is a former Cavalier player and assistant coach. She was also UVA’s 2015 ACC Women’s Basketball Legend. During Smith’s four-year playing career at Virginia (1989-92), the Cavaliers went 113-18, made three trips to the Final Four and won two ACC Championships. After graduating from Virginia with a degree in sociology in 1992, she worked in her hometown of Milledgeville, Georgia, before joining Debbie Ryan’s staff in 1994, serving as an assistant coach. Smith served as the recruiting coordinator beginning in 2000, before leaving in 2004 to become the head coach at Alabama Birmingham.

Virginia leads the all-time series against the Tigers, 42-30, and has won six of the last seven match-ups. Last season, the Cavaliers picked up a 69-37 victory in Clemson.

Virginia plays back-to-back road games next week, traveling to Boston College (6-9, 1-1 ACC) on Thursday, January 11 and No. 17 Duke (11-4, 0-2 ACC) on Sunday, January 14 for a 3 p.m. game against the Blue Devils that will be broadcast on ESPN2. The Cavaliers return home on Sunday, January 21 when they host Virginia Tech (12-3, 1-1 ACC) at 12:30 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.

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).