University Hall will host one more Virginia basketball game and open its doors once more as the Cavaliers host conference rival Miami in the second round of the WNIT tonight. The game, which starts at 7 p.m., also marks the return of Hot Dog Night as fans will receive a free hot dog and soda with the purchase of a ticket just as they did when Virginia hosted North Carolina in 1986.
Virginia is coming off a 48-42 win over St. Joseph's in the opening round and currently stands at 19-11 overall. The Hurricanes are 17-12 and defeated Florida International in their opening round matchup.
Miami will be a very different opponent than St. Joseph's as the game will be played at a much faster pace. Virginia will have to be prepared to prevent Miami from running and going on the fast break.
"There's definitely more speed involved," junior center Siedah Williams said. "It's gonna be up-tempo."
Earlier this year, Virginia defeated Miami 77-65 in Coral Gables. In that game, Virginia came back to win after trailing in the second half. The Cavaliers beat Miami in most statistical aspects. The team shot 51 percent from the field in the second half and 71 percent from the free throw line for the game. Virginia also forced 20 Miami turnovers and out-rebounded the Hurricanes 38-32. Junior guard Brenna McGuire scored a career-high 22 points. But Virginia cannot just rest on their laurels.
"They're going to want revenge," sophomore guard Sharnée Zoll said. "We didn't play all that well against them last time, but Brenna got hot."
Rebounding and post play will be key part of the game. In terms of height, the teams match up pretty evenly according to Zoll.
"They're not that big -- they have small posts just like we do," Zoll said.
The outcome of the game may be determined by which team performs better on the boards and in the paint.
The Cavaliers will look to Williams to provide most of the offensive firepower. She leads the team with 17.7 points per game. Senior Tiffany Sardin is second with 11.3 points per game. Sardin also leads the team in rebounding with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Virginia's scoring will need to improve from last game if they want to run with the Hurricanes. The 35.7 field goal percentage the team posted against St. Joseph's will not be enough to outscore a talented Miami offense.
For the Hurricanes, senior forward Tamara James is the top scorer. She averages 21.2 points per game and team-best 7.7 rebounds per game, while junior guard Renee Taylor follows with 15.6 points per game. Junior forward Melissa Knight also averages in double-digits with 11.6 points per game.
"We need to focus on Tamara and Rene," Zoll said.
Virginia's defense will need to find a way to control Miami's tempo and stop these scoring threats. If the Cavaliers can achieve this, Hot Dog Night will be a success and the team will continue postseason play.
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