When the clutch shots go in from beyond the arc, Cavalier senior Anna Prillaman brings out her patented grin. Always having fun on court, Prillaman brings to her team on-the-floor leadership from four years of starting for the Cavaliers. The women's basketball team will likely need her help as the Cavaliers look to finish strong heading into a possible NCAA postseason berth.
When Prillaman, the resilient point guard from Midlothian, Va., was sick with food poisoning for a game earlier this month at Georgetown, her teammates took up the slack in her place as she was limited in action. The remarkable thing is that Prillaman herself, hampered by a groggy stomach, still managed to play over half of the game, as she was on the floor for 23 minutes. She even buried two clutch threes to help direct the team to a win on the road.
Her steadiness and timeliness has drawn praise from her coaches. Prillaman has averaged 9.2 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game, placing her fourth on the team in rebounding, third in points and second in assists.
Her points have been known to come in bunches of three. Her frequent outburst of three-pointers has made her a fan favorite among the crowds of U-Hall, and a dependable shooter with the game on the line.
Coach Debbie Ryan has lauded Prillaman's ability to come back, not phased by cold stretches, to contribute from behind the arc and down low.
The "ability to rebound is a sign of a good player," Ryan said.
Ryan added that once Prillaman establishes a rhythm, the senior wants to take shots, and makes them. At the home win against Maryland earlier this month, she nailed three shots to bring the Cavaliers back from a deficit to take a lead they would never relinquish.
"After the first shot went in I started to feel like I want the ball and I wanted to shoot," Prillaman said after the Maryland game. "That's why those first two went down. And with the third one, the second I got the ball in my hand I knew the shot was going to go in."
Prillaman also jokingly laughs at her own streakiness.
"It seems to be my routine to miss a bunch of shots and look like I'm not going to score any points and all of a sudden come out and start making threes," Prillaman said.
Not only has Prillaman been a clutch player with her shooting, she has also been a steady factor for her team. During her first two seasons, she shot a whopping 45.4 percent from beyond the three point line. This year also, at 39.5 percent and with 47 threes, she leads the team in outside shooting. The four-year starter has now climbed up to third all time among Virginia women in three pointers made.
Prillaman also leads the Cavaliers with 33.4 minutes per game. Over the last nine games, ignoring the game at Georgetown where she was ill, the guard has missed fewer than 15 minutes of action total. For the year, except for one game she did not start, she has been the only Cavalier to start at the same position all year.
In her first year at Virginia, Anna Prillaman told the Cavalier Daily that she wanted to lead by example. As her senior season comes to its home stretch, she hopes to help the Cavalier women continue their streak of NCAA tournament berths. Prillaman may perform a crossover or get fans at U-Hall on their feet with an opportune three, but she still leads her team on the floor with her smile and leadership.
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