The Virginia women's basketball team, which has played in streaks of success during the season, will try to get back to its winning ways against Florida State tonight at 7:30 at University Hall. The Virginia women's basketball team (10-8, 3-4 ACC) is looking to bounce back from its 86-69 loss to No. 6 Duke on Sunday.
Florida State also is seeking to get back on track and improve its record (11-7, 2-5) after it fell to Georgia Tech on Sunday, 73-56.
For the Cavaliers, key factors in turning themselves around will be the play of starting forward Anna Crosswhite, who sprained her ankle against Maryland last Thursday. Despite the injury, she came back on Sunday to put 17 points on the board in the Cavaliers' losing effort.
Freshman guard LaTonya Blue suffered a broken finger in Virginia's 65-51 win over Wake Forest at home on Jan. 13. Since her injury, she has been playing with her hand covered in heavy padding. Although she has not been able to shoot as well as usual, she still has been a large contributor to the team's efforts.
Virginia also has seen the recent return of freshman guard Bethany LeSueur, who had been unable to play due to illness. With these players returning to both health and the court, the Cavaliers will be able to concentrate on playing together, something they have not been able to do because of the young age of the team, according to senior guard Telisha Quarles.
"This year we haven't played together that long, and I think that's the difference," she said.
Although the Cavaliers seem to perform in streaks, they have been playing better overall as the season has progressed.
Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said she thinks the team's "mental game has gotten a whole lot better."
The announcement of Virginia freshman forward Brandi Teamer as ACC rookie of the week also will help to propel the Cavaliers tonight. Virginia's mental edge could also be a factor, as the Cavaliers have a 21-2 all-time record against Florida State.
"We've come to fight," Ryan said. "We've learned that we have to be very physical in this league. It's taken us a while to learn how to get better at those little things."
Defense is one of those little things. Virginia will have to watch out for Florida State's top three scorers - April Traylor, Tasheika Morris, and Shinikki Whiting - who have accounted for 58 percent of the Seminoles' points this season.
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