When Virginia and N.C. State meet at Reynolds Coliseum in Raleigh, N.C. tonight, the Wolfpack will be looking for their first conference win of the season. Meanwhile, the Cavaliers will carry with them the momentum of a 60-59 home win over Georgia Tech Monday night. Virginia (7-7, 1-2 ACC) picked up their first conference victory of the season against the Yellow Jackets (10-5, 1-2 ACC) by sinking crucial free throws down the stretch.
"It was huge for us as a team," coach Debbie Ryan said. "I thought we played with a lot of heart tonight."
The high-pressure ending to the Georgia Tech game kicked off with Virginia down by one with under a minute to go, when senior guard Safiya Grant-Fairley nailed two shots from the stripe to put the Cavaliers in the lead. Two possessions later, junior LaTonya Blue fouled Georgia Tech's Alex Stewart, who made both free throws to again leave the Cavaliers with a one-point deficit. With five ticks left on the clock, however, Blue made it to the line herself and calmly sank two shots to bring the score to 60-59. After a Virginia timeout, Stewart drove to the basket with time winding down and the Yellow Jackets' last chance in her right hand, but her lay-up bounced off the rim.
"I swung in and got a small piece of it, and she missed the lay-up," Cavalier forward Jocelyn Logan-Friend said.
Fans at University Hall Monday night saw an exciting second half of basketball, in contrast to a slower, low-scoring first half. Virginia led 24-22 at halftime after a steal by Tiffany Sardin led to a Siedah Williams lay-up. The Cavaliers boosted their enthusiasm and point totals in the second half, with Ryan jumping excitedly on the sidelines and the bench holding hands as the final seconds ticked away.
"I knew we were going to win just by the look on our face," Ryan said.
Virginia had their hands full containing Georgia Tech forward Fallon Stokes, who scored 26 points with eight rebounds and a block on the evening. Yet aggressive defense by Sardin and Blue forced Stokes to foul out just before the two-minute mark, leaving Stewart to take the final shot.
The same type of defensive pressure will be necessary to contain N.C. State star Kyla Chones tonight. The senior forward has led the Wolfpack in scoring for 15 games this season, and is averaging a team-high 14.9 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game.
"N.C. State is a very athletic team," Ryan said. "Kayla Chones is inside and they have a stable full of guards on the outside. We match up pretty well with them. We're going to have to play as well as we did [against Georgia Tech] to beat them, there's no question."
It is unclear whether Virginia's statistical leader, junior Brandi Teamer, will be with the team for tonight's game. Teamer, who did not play against Georgia Tech, is averaging 12 points per game this season and stands only five points away from 1000 career points. Ryan declined to comment on Teamer's status or when she will return, saying only that she is "suspended as of now."
Yet with freshman earning spots in the starting five and veterans like Anna Prillaman and Anna Crosswhite playing well, the Cavaliers have shown they can work together in Teamer's absence.
"We're not worried about who's going to step up," Ryan said. "We know everybody can play."
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