The Virginia women's basketball team looks to break its five-game losing streak and win its first conference game when Georgia Tech comes to town tonight for a 7:30 game at University Hall.
The Cavaliers, who enter tonight's game with a 5-9 overall record and a dismal 0-4 conference record, remain optimistic about the season.
"We lost all our ACC games," junior guard Anna Prillaman said. "But not really in vain. It's not that we didn't play that well. We just didn't play that well at the end of the games in the stretch when it really counted. If we can pull it together and start ending games the way we play the whole game, we're going to be something special."
The Yellow Jackets also come into tonight's game with a winless conference record, but at 11-4 should pose an obstacle to the Cavaliers.
"They have one very good shooter," junior forward Anna Crosswhite said. "They like to get up and down. They play hard. You have to be ready in the ACC, coming out, and we really need to get our first [conference] win."
Virginia has tried to utilize its young talent with mixed results this season. The Cavaliers have lost nine of their 14 games, but four of the losses came by less than 10 points, including a one-point loss to No. 1 Duke.
"We've had a tough run of games recently," Crosswhite said. "We've lost three of the four games we've lost by one point, and that's also a telling sign that we need to learn from what we've done wrong. There's still a positive outlook on the season. We want to improve by going back to the basics, training hard, and doing the little things like getting the rebounds, having some fun. We really have nothing to lose at the moment."
Virginia has done a good job defensively this season, holding its opponents to under 63 points per game, but will be tested by a trio of high-scoring Yellow Jackets, who average double digit points per game.
"They're a transition team," Prillaman said. "They always like to get out and run, but I don't think they like to be run on. We play well against Georgia Tech when we're at home, so hopefully that'll continue."
Georgia Tech senior Sonja Mallory, a 6-foot-5 center, dominates the paint averaging 17.7 points and 9.7 rebounds per game, while juniors Fallon Stokes and Megan Isom average 15.8 and 12.1 points, respectively. Both Stokes and Isom are potent outside threats, shooting 33.3 percent from three-point range.
Virginia will have to answer with a couple of three point specialists of its own. Prillaman and sophomore guard Cherisse Graham already combined for 29 three-pointers this season.
As both teams like to run and push the ball up the floor, and put up long range shots, look for an exciting shootout tonight in University Hall between two teams struggling to find themselves in conference play.