Virginia Plays Two Games at Florida Sunshine Classic

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (4-6, 0-0 ACC) will play two games at the World Class Basketball Florida Sunshine Classic Tournament, which is being held at Rollins College in Winter Park, Fla. Virginia will take on Alabama (7-4, 0-0 SEC) on Thursday, Dec. 20 and South Florida (9-2, 0-0 AAC) on Friday, Dec. 21. Both games tip at 4 p.m.
 
Broadcast Information

• Fans can watch a stream of both games with a paid subscription to FloHoops
• All of the 2018-19 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on the radio on NewsRadio 1070 AM and 98.9 FM WINA
• Fans can also keep up with the action through live stats with a link posted on VirginiaSports.com

Noting the Cavaliers

• The Cavaliers lead the ACC in blocked shots with 50 this season, an average of 5.0 per game
• Junior guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) ranks 12th in the ACC in rebounding, averaging 8.0 per game
• Willoughby leads the ACC in three-point shooting, making 51.4 percent of her attempts (18-of-35)
• Willoughby has scored in double figures in seven of the last eight games
• Senior forward Mone Jones (Durham, N.C.) is among the conference leaders in free throw shooting. She ranks 14th with a 82.1 percent efficiency
• Junior forward Lisa Jablonowski (Ernster, Luxembourg) is averaging 3.0 offensive rebounds per game, putting her in the top-10 in the conference in that stat (ninth)
• In the last two games before the break, Jablonowski was a combined 8-of-15 (53.3 percent) from the field, averaging 10.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game
• Jablonowski had her first career double-double against Radford with 11 points and 11 rebounds. It was also only the second time this year that the same player led the team in both scoring and rebounding (Dominique Toussaint led the team in points (18) and rebounds (9) against NC A&T)
• Either Willoughby or Jablonowski have led the team in rebounding in each of the last five games
• Virginia strength coach Morgan Foster is an alum of Rollins College, the host institution for the tournament. She was a four-year letterwinner in soccer for Rollins

 
Last Time Out

• The Cavaliers fell 57-44 to Radford on Saturday, Dec. 8, before heading into an 11-day exam break
• Lisa Jablonowski led the team in scoring (11 points) and rebounding (11 rebounds). Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) also posted a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds
• Radford dominated in the second period, outscoring the Cavaliers 21-4 in the frame to take a 35-16 lead into the halftime break. The Highlanders built up a 22-point advantage, leading 42-20 with 5:18 remaining in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers mounted a rally, scoring the final 11 points of the period, including six straight from guard Khyasia Caldwell to cut the deficit to 10, 45-35, heading into the final quarter. A three-pointer by Brianna Tinsley made it a single-digit game, 52-43, with 3:35 remaining, but Jen Falconer answered with a three for the Highlanders. Virginia missed a three-point attempt on its next possession, with Radford converting a layup in the paint to build up a 14-point advantage in the final 2:26 and held on for the victory
• The Cavaliers blocked nine shots, with Willoughby batting away a career-best four
• The Cavaliers were 15-of-18 (83.3 percent) from the free throw line
• Virginia committed a season-low 12 turnovers

 
Scouting Alabama

• This is the Cavaliers’ third game this season against an SEC team. UVA opened the year with back-to-back games against Mississippi State (L, 72-44) and Kentucky (L, 63-51)
• Alabama will have back-to-back games against ACC opponents as they close out the Florida Sunshine Classic by facing Miami
• The Crimson Tide returned from a week break by defeating Northwestern State, 87-73, on Sunday, giving head coach Kristy Curry her 400th career victory
• The Tide offense boasted five players scoring in double-figures against Northwestern State, headlined by a career day from sophomore Ariyah Copeland who scored a career-high 26 points with 12 rebounds. Freshman De’Sha Benjamin also reached a career-high in scoring, totaling 16 points. Junior guards Jordan Lewis and Cierra Johnson each pitched in 12 points, and senior Shaquera Wade added 10
• Johnson was the 2018 NJCAA Player of the Year, playing at Shelton State College for her first two years. She was ranked as the No. 110 overall prospect by Prospect Nation in the Class of 2016 and the No. 21 point guard by Prospect Nation and No. 30 point guard by HoopGurlz ESPNW coming out of high school

 
Scouting South Florida

• South Florida has a three-game week this week after hosting Vermont on Monday, winning 102-55. Five Bulls scored in double figures, including three scorers over 20. Senior Laura Ferreira led all scorers with 22 points, but Alyssa Rader and Sydni Harvey each had a career high in scoring, earning 21 and 20 points respectively, to push three Bulls over 20 points. USF shot 60.0 percent from beyond the arc, burying 12-of-20 treys. Combined with a 38-of-67 clip from the field, USF had a 56.7 shooting efficiency from the field as a team – a season high for USF and its third time shooting 50 percent or better
• South Florida is receiving votes in both polls this week
• The Bulls are on a five-game winning streak, dating back to Nov. 24, when USF defeated UCLA 60-56 at the Paradise Jam
• Freshman forward Beatriz Jordao owns a conference-leading 68.9 percent field goal efficiency, ranking fifth nationally
• South Florida is +15.4 in rebounding this season, the fifth-best rebounding margin in the nation and are averaging 46.5 rebounds per game
• The Bulls have four players averaging in double figures this season with Kitija Laksa leading the squad at 16.3 points per game
• Virginia won the only meeting between the two teams, 73-71, a WNIT second-round matchup on March 22, 2007

 
On the Horizon

• After the tournament, Virginia will break for the holidays, returning to action on Sunday, Dec. 30, hosting Charlotte in the final non-conference game of the year.
• ACC action begins on Thursday, Jan. 3 when UVA hostsFlorida State
• New this year for all regular-season home games, available reserved single-game tickets can be purchased for $8 in advance, online and via mobile devices, or for $10 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 in advance, online and via mobile devices or $8 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. Courtside seats are $15