Forty-seven points, 25 rebounds and nine assists. They sound like great numbers for any team's frontcourt, but when a backcourt puts up those statistics it should raise eyebrows. Sophomore guards Cherrise Graham and LaTonya Blue and junior guard Anna Prillaman combined for those numbers Saturday to carry the Cavaliers to their second straight ACC victory.
Virginia has had some major contributions from post players like sophomore forward Brandi Teamer and freshman center Diedra Chatman these past two wins, but Saturday was the opportunity for the guards to shine.
The absence of the team's leading shot blocker, sophomore center Lynette O'Reggio -- who had only just arrived back in town after spending nearly a week with her family -- and junior forward Anna Crosswhite's early foul trouble allowed Virginia's guards to step up. Debbie Ryan deserves credit for her superb job of utilizing their talent. Blue, Graham and Prillaman were the scorers who kept Virginia in the game and were most responsible for the win
well, the most responsible players, because it was Debbie Ryan's decisions and coaching of the guards that allowed them to succeed.
Early on, it was Prillaman who hit two threes early in the first half to keep Virginia close. Prillaman moved to point guard in the second half, a move that allowed Graham to focus on scoring. Prillaman had played point guard all through high school, and putting the ball in her hands not only freed Graham up to score, but also took pressure off Prillaman to score.
Prillaman went three and a half games without scoring before lighting up Georgia Tech in the second half, hitting three three-point shots and hitting her first two three-point attempts Saturday.
"I wasn't thinking about it," Prillaman said of the shot that ended her scoring drought. "Playing point guard has helped me relax and not think too much about trying to score."
Ryan's decision to move Graham to shooting guard is one Graham said she is still getting used to, but on the floor it looked as though it were second nature as she poured in 25 points and made all 11 attempts from the free-throw line.
Ryan also has been pushing Blue to score more with great results. Blue has scored 25 points in the two wins along with 19 rebounds, recording her first double-double of the season.
Credit Ryan in her coaching as Graham, Prillaman and Blue each talked after the game about letting the game come to them rather than trying to force themselves on the game.
Virginia showed Saturday that even without a dominant presence inside, their guards can scrap and finesse to keep their team in any ACC game.
Although guard play has kept the Cavaliers afloat, it has been far from flawless. To accompany their 27 assists over the last two games, the Cavaliers have turned the ball over 34 times and Blue was pulled in the first half after turning the ball over too much. Blue finished the game with five of Virginia's 16 turnovers.
The Cavaliers will need to get production from more than their backcourt if they want a chance to make the postseason, but it is nice to know that you have a young talented backcourt to keep them in and occasionally win games. And with O'Reggio rejoining the team and with the flashes of excellence shown by Deidra Chatman and Jocelyn Logan-Friend, the ability to dominate that Brandi Teamer occasionally shows, and Ryan, the glue that holds it all together, the season is far from over for the Cavaliers.
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