The Virginia women's basketball team did what it had to do.
Facing a weak, non-conference opponent in the middle of the ACC schedule, the Cavaliers could have easily overlooked Dartmouth yesterday. The women's team could have frustrated us in the way the men's team does all too often. Instead, the Cavaliers did something that rarely happens on the hard-court of University Hall: They took care of business.
Despite a first half that was closer than it should have been, the Cavaliers were able to cruise to an easy 18-point victory. It all changed once Virginia decided to take control of the game.
The Cavaliers began the second half with a look of intensity, as they expanded their lead to double digits early. A big part of that new intensity came from Jocelyn Logan-Friend, who had eight of her career-high 24 points in the first five minutes of the second half. Logan-Friend also contributed on the defensive end of the court with a game-high three blocks.
Logan-Friend stepped up offensively at just the right moment because second-leading scorer LaTonya Blue netted only two points in the game on 1-3 shooting. It was the perfect day for a career game.
But Logan-Friend wasn't the only Virginia player to up her game. Siedah Williams and Takisha Granberry led a Cavalier bench that dropped in 30 points.
"They understood what we didn't have and stepped up and gave us what we needed," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "It's tough to beat bench production like we got today."
The bench players made a big difference in a game where both teams shot over 45 percent from the field and over 90 percent from the free throw line. Whether it was the scoring needed to fill the void left by Blue, or the defense that center Kate Kreager played against Elise Morrison late in the first half, the bench did it all. Kreager came off the bench to slow Morrison down after she quickly scored 10 points in the game's first seven minutes.
When compared to the eight points the Big Green got from its bench, the difference is even clearer, especially since Dartmouth couldn't get consistent scoring from anyone other than Morrison and Jeannie Cullen. Virginia's depth was much needed and made Logan-Friend's night seem so much better.
By her own admission, Logan-Friend wasn't making "superman moves." Instead, she was finishing the opportunities provided by her teammates. Logan-Friend could play so well in the post because the Cavaliers made eight three-pointers. Logan-Friend used the extra space to pull down four offensive boards and three of those rebounds led either directly or indirectly to second-chance points.
Logan-Friend also took care of the simple things, goings a perfect 5-5 from the free throw line. She set the tone for a good day of free throw shooting, as she scored her first two points from the line. The Cavaliers would only miss one free throw the entire game -- the second of two shots taken by Sharnee Zoll with 1:40 left in the game.
By playing such a workmanlike game, Logan-Friend created a special moment for herself when she stepped outside and drained a three-pointer that had the crowd going wild. Logan-Friend and the bench led the way for a Virginia team that only had one thing to do -- take care of business.
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