STORRS, CT - After being picked to finish eighth in the ACC, the Virginia women's basketball team earned the eighth seed in the Mideast region of the NCAA tournament. But the Cavaliers never made it too far because the three-headed offense attack of ninth-seeded Iowa was more than Virginia could handle and the Hawkeyes pulled away in the final minutes to win, 69-62, at Gampel Pavilion Saturday.
Iowa seniors Lindsey Meder, Jerica Watson and sophomore Jennie Lillis contributed 56 of the team's 69 points and 27 of 36 rebounds en route to the victory. Individually, Watson had 18 points, 16 rebounds, six steals and five blocks in an all-around strong effort for the Hawkeyes.
"Watson was truly the difference-maker in this game," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "She disrupted our zone and terrorized our guards. She did everything right."
Watson's heightened level of play certainly gave Iowa an energetic boost as she turned in one of her career's best performances.
Even so, Watson made it clear that she saw bigger and better things ahead.
"I look forward to trying to have the game of my life against Connecticut," she said.
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Her comments are indicative of what this year's tournament has become - Connecticut against the world. In fact, the largest ovation during Virginia's game came when the UConn women walked alongside the court toward their locker room.
Though most of the national media attention surrounding this tournament has been on the Huskies, their arena played host to Virginia's tough game Saturday afternoon.
The Cavaliers played from behind for nearly the duration of the second half until Virginia senior Telisha Quarles, playing in her final collegiate game, hit a clutch three-pointer to tie the game at 60 with two minutes and 46 seconds remaining in the game.
The Cavalier surge, however, was not built to last. Meder quickly retaliated with a jumper of her own, and Iowa did not look back.
As became habit this season, Virginia trailed by four at halftime but was undeterred by the disadvantage.
"Down four at halftime is nothing for us," Ryan said. "We are down all the time at halftime. Actually, if we're not down at halftime, something is probably wrong."
Quarles again paced the Cavaliers with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting. Sophomore Anna Crosswhite stepped up her game, contributing 12 points and four assists, proving again that she was the only Virginia player capable of effectively feeding the post. This weakness helped limit Brandi Teamer to eight points on 4-for-15 shooting Saturday.
Despite the early exit, Virginia can take pride in a season that exceeded all expectations. It will be hard to replace the team's leader, Quarles. But a young team that now has a year of experience under its belt paired with some talented new additions, the Cavaliers will hope to take a large bite out of a tournament they tasted this year.
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