Jan. 7, 1998

Ninth-Ranked Cavs Host Terps

Maryland at #9 Virginia
Jan. 8, 1998 * WNVT-TV
University Hall (8,457) * Charlottesville, Va.

Mimi McKinney
Mimi McKinney

#9 Virginia (10-2, 1-2)
Virginia has won four of its last five games and it hopes to even its ACC record tonight when they face Maryland. The Cavaliers dropped their second consecutive conference road game on Monday at Clemson and UVa is off to its worst ACC start since the the 1982-83 season when it opened the conference slate 0-3. The Cavaliers went on to post a 4-9 record in the ACC that year.

Senior Mimi McKinney leads the team in scoring (15.1 ppg) followed by DeMya Walker (14.8 ppg) and Erin Stovall (10.2 ppg). Walker leads the team in rebounding with 7.9 rpg.

Head Coach Debbie Ryan, in her 21st season, brings a career record of 472-159 (.748) into tonight's game.

Virginia is 6-0 at home, 4-2 on the road, and 0-0 at neutral sites this season.

Maryland (9-4, 2-1)
The Terps have won two of their last three games including a 61-59 win over Wake Forest on Jan. 4. Maryland, which started the season with 10 players, now has only nine players after junior Rachel Cimmier underwent knee surgery and is out for the season.

Senior Kalisa Davis leads the team in scoring (16.1 ppg) followed by senior Sonia Chase (15.8 ppg) and senior Stephanie Cross (15.0 ppg). Cross is the team's leading rebounder with 7.2 boards per game.

Head Coach Chris Weller brings a career record of 441-212 into tonight's game. She is in her 23rd year at the helm of the Maryland program.

Series Record
Virginia holds a 27-20 advantage in the series with Maryland, one of the UVa's oldest and longest rivalries. The Cavaliers have won the last 12 meetings between the two teams. These two teams last met in University Hall on Jan. 9, 1997 with Virginia coming out on top 60-42. The Terps have not won in University Hall since Jan. 15, 1992 when Maryland defeated Virginia 67-65. 

Probable Virginia Starters
Pos.Player              Cl. Ht.     Stats
F   Lisa Hosac          Jr. 6-2     7.7 ppg, 7.0 rpg
F   DeMya Walker        Jr. 6-2    14.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg
G   Kate Mooney         Jr. 6-0     4.8 ppg, 2.4 rpg
G   Mimi McKinney       Sr. 5-9    15.1 ppg, 5.2 rpg
G   Renee Robinson      So. 5-6     4.5 ppg, 3.7 rpg

Off the Bench
G   Erin Stovall        Fr. 5-9    10.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
G   Katie Tracy         Fr. 5-5     0.5 ppg, 0.8 rpg
F   Lesley Brown        Jr. 6-0     5.5 ppg, 2.8 rpg
F   Chalois Lias        Fr. 6-0     3.4 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F   Dean'na Mitchelson  Fr. 6-2     1.7 ppg, 1.8 rpg
C   Elena Kravchenko    Fr. 6-10    1.5 ppg, 0.9 rpg


How the Teams Match Up
                Virginia    Maryland
Points          67.8        63.7
Points Allowed  59.6        58.4
Rebounds        39.8        37.3
Rebound Margin  +0.4        +0.7
FG %            .410        .440
FG% defense     .369        .407
3-pt FG %       .285        .177
FT %            .645        .570
Assists         13.3        15.4
Turnovers       21.7        19.4
Blocks          7.0         2.4
Steals          13.4        10.6

Points From the Pine
The Cavalier reserves are contributing a total of 22.3 points per game this season, which is 32.8 percent of the total offense. Erin Stovall is the top reserve, averaging 10.2 points from the bench.

Double Figures
DeMya Walker is one of three Cavaliers who have scored in double figures in eight or more games this season. Walker leads the team in double-figure games with 10, followed by Mimi McKinney with nine and Erin Stovall with eight.

'Hoos Hot
In Virginia's last four games, Mimi McKinney averaged 18.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, including a career-high 23 points vs. Clemson on Jan. 5. In the last two games, McKinney averaged 21.5 ppg and shot .470 percent from three-point range and .875 from the free throw line.

DeMya Walker averaged 18.0 points and 9.7 rebounds in the last three games. Against Florida State, Walker was two blocks away from recording a triple-double with 21-points, 13 rebounds and eight blocks. Her eight blocks established a new UVa single-game record for blocks. The previous mark was seven held by Walker (twice), Heidi Burge and Jackie LaBerge.

ACC Leaders (as of Jan. 6)
DeMya Walker leads the league in blocked shots (3.8 bpg). Walker also ranks fourth in field goal percentage (.568, 71-125).

Mimi McKinney ranks fourth in free throw percentage (.773), sixth in assists (3.8) and third in three-point field goals made (2.0).

As a team, Virginia leads the league in field goal percentage defense (.369), steals (13.4) and blocks (6.8). The team ranks second in scoring defense (59.6).

ACC Season-Highs
Erin Stovall's seven steals against California is the league high this season.

As a team, Virginia has achieved the league high in five categories: home attendance (2,801 vs. Virginia Tech), field goal percentage defense (.183 vs. Mt. St. Mary's), free throw percentage (.875 vs. Santa Clara), steals (25 vs. California), blocks (14, vs. Mt. St. Mary's).

Home Sweet Home
The Cavaliers are 278-49 during the last 24 years at home and are 116-8 in University Hall since 1990. Virginia has won nine straight games in U-Hall with the last loss occurring on Jan. 27, 1997 against North Carolina (75-71).

Double-Doubles
Lisa Hosac recorded the first double-double of the season with her 12 point-12 rebound performance against Kent on Nov. 21. Last season, she recorded two double-doubles.

DeMya Walker recorded her first double-double of the year with her 13 point-14 rebound performance vs. VCU on Nov. 29. She recorded her second one against Mt. St. Mary's on Dec. 8 with 19 points-17 rebounds. Her third came on Jan. 2 vs. Florida State with 21 points-13 rebounds.

Walker Sets Another Blocked Shot Record
DeMya Walker set a new UVa single game record for blocked shots with eight blocks in the Florida State game on Jan. 2. She broke the old record of seven which was held by Walker (twice), Heidi Burge and Jacki LaBerge.

Walker's first block of the season, which came in the 13:06 mark in the second half of the William & Mary game (Nov. 16), established her as the Virginia's all-time blocks leader, eclipsing the mark of 152 set by Heather Burge (1990-93). Walker ended the night with three blocks.

Climbing Up The Charts
Kate Mooney and Mimi McKinney are moving up the chart in career three-point field goals made. Mooney and McKinney each have 59 three-pointers in their careers which puts them in a tie for seventh place all-time in Virginia history.

Gardner Leaves Team
Senior Tammy Gardner ended her college career when she decided not to return to UVa for the Spring semester. Gardner, who graduated last May with a degree in psychology, saw action in three games this season. She was a graduate student in the Curry School of Education at UVa and has plans to enter physical therapy school.

Tracy Added To Roster
Katie Tracy, a 5-5 freshman point guard from Richmond, Va., was added to the Virginia roster on Dec. 12. Tracy, who started all 21 games for the Virginia women's soccer team this past Fall, will bolster the Cavalier roster that has been hit hard with injuries. UVa began the season without guards Tiffany Bower and Monick Foote who are out for the year with injuries.

Tracy was a three-time Dominion District Player of the Year and a two-time Central Region Player of the Year in basketball as well as the Virginia High School League State Player of the Year. Tracy led James River High School to the the state finals last season and averaged 14.0 points for her prep career. She was also the Richmond Times Dispatch Player of the Year as a junior and a senior and a three-time All-State selection in basketball.

As a midfielder for head coach April Heinrichs and the nationally ranked UVa soccer team, Tracy was the team's fourth leading scorer with four goals and four assists. The soccer team posted a 14-5-2 record and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. During her prep soccer career, she was a NSCAA and Parade All-American.

Out For The Season
The Cavaliers will be without the services senior guard/forward Monick Foote and junior guard Tiffany Bower. Foote made the decision to redshirt this season due to a chronic ankle problem (right) and a stress fracture in the same leg that developed during the summer. Foote wants to take the time to properly rehab the leg and comeback for a healthy senior year in 1998-99.

Bower suffered a torn left achilles tendon on the third day of practice and will not play this season. Bower worked extremely hard over the summer to come back from a torn right achilles tendon which she suffered on the eve of the NCAA Tournament last March and was cleared to play this season.

ACC Teleconference
The weekly ACC teleconference begins next week on Jan. 8. Please check the ACC press release for times for all the coaches. Head Coach Debbie Ryan is scheduled for 11:56 every week. The media phone number is (212) 547-0297.

Wendy Palmer's Number Retired
Number 31, worn by two-time All-American Wendy Palmer, was retired in a ceremony on Jan. 2, prior to the game with Florida State.

Palmer, who became the first women's player in UVa history to record over 1000 points and 1000 rebounds, was a two-time ACC Player of the Year and a three-time All-ACC First Team selection.

At Virginia, Palmer ranks first in career rebounds (1221), second in career field goals made (780), third in career scoring (1918), seventh in career steals (219), seventh in career free throws made (327) and ninth in games played (126).

After she graduated in 1996 with a degree in history, Palmer played professional basketball in Europe and was selected in the elite draft by the Utah Starzz of the WNBA.