Fresh off an unexpectedly hard-earned victory Monday night, the Virginia women's basketball team faces a stern test tonight against No. 7 Duke in Durham, N.C.
The Cavaliers (17-11, 7-7 ACC) withstood several late surges against Hampton on Monday en route to a 75-72 win. In addition to a much-needed victory, the team gained some valuable experience against the style of play it expects to see at Duke (23-3,11-3).
"I thought Hampton did a great job pushing the ball, getting quick baskets," forward Schuye LaRue said. "They kind of put the pressure on us to score every time down. That's how Duke plays. They push the ball a lot, and I think with our guards running up and down, trying to keep up, it just might make them watch out for that kind of thing."
LaRue scored a career-high 33 points against a feisty Lady Pirate team that was not put away until a desperation three fell short as time expired. Hampton benefited from the shooting problems of LaRue's teammates, who combined for a woeful 2-for-19 from beyond the arc.
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"I've got used to this team," coach Debbie Ryan said. "I figure if we weren't hitting [against Hampton], we'll probably hit everything at Duke."
LaRue also scored her 1,000th career point against the Lady Pirates. Senior Svetlana Volnaya will be shooting for this mark against the Blue Devils. Her nine points against Hampton left Volnaya on the doorstep with 999 career points.
Since the Cavaliers are not yet a lock for the NCAA tournament, a win tonight will greatly enhance their chances for a bid in the big dance.
"I think [the players] all know that they can beat Duke," Ryan said. "I know they're well aware of the fact that they had them here and they gave the game up on a couple transition baskets. They're very confident and feel very strongly about the game down there, so we'll just go play it."
Although Duke has enjoyed great success this season, the team has shown signs of vulnerability. When the Blue Devils came to Charlottesville on Jan. 22, Virginia led by six points with seven minutes left before losing as a result of a 11-0 Duke run. More recently, the Blue Devils lost to N.C. State on Sunday because of their poor shooting.
"We played very well offensively [in the last game], and defensively we played very well also," Ryan said. "We just gave up a couple transition baskets at the end of the game, which made the difference in the game. That was it. It was a very good game by us ... but we've got to learn to get stops when we need them. We've got to play more intelligently down the stretch sometimes."
The Cavaliers need to contain freshman Alana Beard, the Devils' leading scorer. Beard averages 17.1 points and is a leading candidate for national freshman of the year. She did not play in the first meeting between the two teams. Guard Sheana Mosch will draw some extra attention after leading the Devils with 25 points during the game in Charlottesville.
"They have a lot of players, and I think they're just trying to get that chemistry back, plus they rely a lot on transition," Ryan said. "If you can take that away a little bit and make them play a halfcourt game with you, it's a little different. They're a good halfcourt team too, but I just don't want to give them layups, that's the thing"
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