The Virginia women's basketball team will hit the road tonight looking for revenge tonight as they take on the Virginia Tech Hokies in Blacksburg, Va. in their 1,000th game in school history.
Their first meeting this season is one Cavalier faithful would love to forget. The Hokies (16-11) never led the game until the final 1.4 seconds, when an offensive rebound and tip-in by Brittany Cook gave Virginia Tech the improbable 60-58 victory.
"The emotions are difficult when you lose a game like this," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "It's excruciating, because it's something that you just weren't planning to do. We were making bad decisions on offense, decisions I have not seen us make in a long time."
Obviously losing any game after holding a healthy double-digit lead can be demoralizing, but losing that game to Virginia's arch rival only added salt to the wound.
"Coming into Virginia, you know about the rivalry with [Virginia] Tech," sophomore forward Lyndra Littles said. "It was [stressful] coming into this game -- to do our part for the Commonwealth Challenge. To lose this game, I think everyone on this team takes it very, very personally, and it's an excuse to go down there and beat them in Blacksburg."
If Virginia (14-11) is to pull off the road victory and give the Cavaliers a 6.5 to 4.5 lead in the Commonwealth Challenge, they will look once again to freshman guard Monica Wright.
Wright was named the ACC Rookie of the Week for the seventh time this season, a phenomenal achievement considering the conference record is nine. Wright pulled down her second career double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds against the Hokies earlier this season.
"Monica has been like that all year long," Ryan said. "It's just like she is going to work with a lunch pail. I never have to worry about Monica."
Ryan might have some concerns about sophomore forward Lyndra Littles. Littles, who has been pacing the Cavaliers in terms of points and rebounds, was strangely absent from Virginia's solid play against the No. 6 Maryland Terrapins. She scored a career-high 28 points against the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils but against Maryland only managed to shoot three for 16 from the field.
"She wasn't comfortable," Ryan said. "They did a good job at playing her tendencies, and she was trying to force the puzzle piece where it didn't fit."
Littles, however, has been a perfect fit at Cassell Coliseum. Last year, she contributed 19 points and 12 rebounds in a convincing 78-59 victory when the Hokies were ranked No. 18 in the country.
The Virginia women have gone through some trials and tribulations this season, but a victory over the Hokies might just be the spark they need to make the end of their season something Cavalier fans will want to remember.
"It just feels like we have one more hump to get over to get to the point where we can knock down a couple of teams and get an upset," Wright said. "I just feel like we have it in our grasp and we're on our way-it's right around the corner."
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