Both Virginia's and South Florida's women's basketball teams knew last night's third-round WNIT game would depend on the play of Bull senior forward Jessica Dickson, a Kodak all-American. The Cavaliers knew they had to play solid defense, and they did just enough to survive 73-71, advancing to the quarterfinals.
"We knew we had to stop her and that meant we had to play team defense," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "Every player was responsible for her at one time or another and as a result, she never got into a rhythm."
Dickson pulled together 12 points but only shot 5-17 on the floor. Even South Florida coach Jose Fernandez admitted Dickson did not get into a rhythm. As a result, the Bulls will be ending their season earlier than they had intended.
That outcome, however, was far from certain with four seconds to play.
Virginia's seven point lead with just over a minute to go had evaporated to two, and the Bulls had the ball underneath their basket. The Cavaliers put up tremendous pressure, denying Dickson the ball. The result was a turnover that freshman Monica Wright was able to corral, allowing the Cavaliers to notch their 19th victory of the season.
"We're starting to play a little defense at times," Ryan said. "Our goal is to win just as many games as we can win."
Several players significantly contributed to this win, but one unexpected hero was freshman guard Paulisha Kellum. With 4:54 left, Bulls senior guard Rachael Sheats was at the line with a chance to erase a 63-62 deficit. She missed both free throws, and Kellum made her pay, nailing a jumper on the other end of the floor during the ensuing possession that brought the John Paul Jones Arena crowd to its feet.
"We were getting a little out of control on offense," Kellum said. "Coach called a play for me on offense to go one-on-one with my defender and I just pulled up and shot the jumper."
Kellum is proving that while the WNIT may not be Virginia's desired tournament, these games provide underclassmen ample opportunity to improve their game and to transition into the off-season with some momentum. For a team that dealt with numerous injuries, suspensions and a rough schedule, the Cavaliers are still just one win away from their third consecutive 20-win season.
"Obviously 20 wins is an important benchmark for a program," Ryan said. "It would be an incredible accomplishment considering all the adversity. I think we have grown tremendously."
Virginia also had another great performance from sophomore Lyndra Littles, who played against her former high school teammate, Bulls senior Nalini Miller. Miller had the advantage in the first half scoring 14 points. Foul trouble and a better defensive effort limited Miller to zero points in the second half, however, while Littles used her size mismatch to finish the game with 23 points.
Virginia now hits the road and will travel to Wisconsin for the WNIT quarterfinals. The Cavaliers lost their only other road WNIT game against Pittsburgh last year.
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