Virginia Plays Friday and Saturday at the Duel in the Desert Tournament in Las Vegas

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (4-5) is one of four teams competing this week at the Duel in the Desert tournament, being held December 19-21 at Cox Pavilion in Las Vegas, Nevada.
 
TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

• Thursday, Dec. 19: No. 15 Mississippi State (9-2) vs South Florida (7-4), 7pm ET
• Friday, Dec. 20: Virginia (4-5) vs UNLV (3-7), 5 pm ET
• Saturday, Dec. 21: Third Place Game, 3 pm ET; Championship game, 5:30 pm ET

 
BROADCAST INFORMATION

• The game will be streamed live online through FloHoops (subscription required)
• All of the 2019-20 Virginia women’s basketball games – home and away – are available locally on the radio on NewsRadio 1070 AM and 98.9 FM WINA
• Live stats will also be available

 
NOTING THE CAVALIERS

• The Cavaliers are coming off a 14-day break for finals. UVA’s last game was Thursday, December 5, a 73-63 loss at Rutgers
• Saturday’s game will conclude Virginia’s non-conference slate. The Cavaliers will have a seven-day break for the holidays before diving into conference play on Sunday, Dec. 29 at Georgia Tech
• The Cavaliers have played the toughest schedule in the nation during non-conference play. UVA is currently ranked No. 1 on the NCAA’s toughest scheduled rankings. Virginia is also No. 28 on the latest RPI report, after rising as high as No. 20 in last week’s rankings
• Senior guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) enters the week leading the ACC in scoring at 19.4 points per game, which ranks 24th in the nation
• Willoughby has three-straight 20-point games, averaging 25.7 points per game since Thanksgiving
• Willoughby also ranks seventh in the ACC in rebounding, averaging 8.9 per game. She is second in free throw shooting percentage at 88.9, which ranks 24th in the nation
• Freshman guard Shemera Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) made her delayed collegiate debut at Rutgers. Williams missed the first eight games of the season with a leg injury. She came off the bench in the first quarter at Rutgers, and went on to score 14 points in her debut. She was the second UVA freshman to post a double-digit scoring effort in her collegiate debut. Redshirt freshman Amandine Toi, who missed each of the last two years with injuries, scored 11 points with six assists in the season-opener against Bucknell
• The Cavaliers hit eight three-pointers at Rutgers, their second-highest tally of the season. It was also their most-efficient three-point shooting game, making 57.1 percent of their attempts (8-of-14). In the previous three games, the team made a combined eight threes, going 8-of-37 (21.6 percent)

 
SCOUTING UNLV

• The Lady Rebels are coming off a 53-51 loss at Grand Canyon on Monday
•  UNLV has lost three of its last four games with its win being a 69-44 victory at Pepperdine on Sunday, Dec. 8
• This is the second game against an ACC team this year for the Lady Rebels as they hosted Duke on Nov. 14, falling 57-45
• Senior center Rodjanae Wade leads the team in scoring (13.2 ppg) and rebounding (9.8 rpg). She was the 2018-19 Mountain West Sixth Player of the Year
• UNLV is picked to finish seventh in the Mountain West Conference this year. The Lady Rebels, who finished tied for fifth a year ago, return just 32 percent of their scoring from a year ago after graduating four senior starters and one key backup
• This is the second-ever meeting between the two teams. Virginia won the first match-up 74-73 on December 2, 1989, in Charlottesville

 
SCOUTING MISSISSIPPI STATE

• No. 15 Mississippi State started the season 9-0 before being edged 67-62 by Stanford at the Greater Victoria Invitational and then falling 71-65 to West Virginia in the Big 12/SEC Challenge
• Jessica Carter leads the team in scoring (14.0 points per game) and rebounding (10.7 points per game). Jordan Danberry (13.3 ppg) and Rickea Jackson (11.3 ppg) are also averaging double figures
• Mississippi State is averaging 84.7 points per game while holding opponents to 57.5. The team topped 120 points in back-to-back wins over Murray State and Troy
• This would be the third-straight year that UVA and Mississippi State have faced one another. The Bulldogs are 2-0 all-time against the Cavaliers

 
SCOUTING SOUTH FLORIDA

• Three of the Bulls’ four losses this season came at the Cancun Challenge, falling to South Dakota State, Florida Gulf Coast and Notre Dame. USF toppled then No. 15 Texas, 64-57, in the second game of the season
• Elena Tsineke leads the team in scoring at 12.5 points per game. Bethy Mununga is averaging 10.4 points per game with a team-best 9.5 rebounds per game
• Virginia is 2-0 all-time against USF, with the last win being a 74-67 victory last year at the Florida Sunshine Classic

 
ON THE HORIZON

• The Cavaliers will take a short break for Christmas before returning to the court and diving in to conference play at Georgia Tech on Sunday, Dec. 29, when the Cavaliers face the Yellow Jackets at 2 p.m.
• Virginia returns home to host North Carolina on Thursday, Jan. 2 at 7 p.m. on Star Wars Night. Fans attending the game will receive a free orange glow stick (while supplies last) and are encouraged to wear Star Wars costumes. Star Wars trivia and other contests will happen throughout the game

 
TICKET INFORMATION

• Reserved single-game tickets are $8 if purchased in advance or online and $10 if purchased at the JPJ Box Office. General admission tickets are $5 if purchased in advance or online and $8 if purchased at the JPJ Box Office. Single-game courtside tickets may be purchased for $15
• For more information or to purchase tickets, fans should contact the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821). Fans can also purchase tickets online at VirginiaSports.com or in-person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium