# 11 Virginia to Battle In-State Rival

#11 Virginia vs. #3 Old Dominion
Jan. 27, 1998 -- 7:00 p.m.
WINA Radio 1070 AM -- HTS-TV tape delay
Richmond Coliseum -- Richmond, Va.

This is will be the 24th meeting between Virginia and Old Dominion. The Lady Monarchs hold a 14-9 advantage in the series, but Virginia has captured the last three games and six out of the last seven. This is the first time that ODU and Virginia will play on a neutral court.

The last time these two teams met was on March 23, 1996 in the semifinals of the NCAA East Regional in Charlottesville. Virginia pulled out a 72-60 behind 26 points from Tora Suber and 14 points and 12 rebounds from DeMya Walker. Mery Andrade led the Lady Monarchs with 17 points and seven rebounds in that game. That NCAA tournament game was the first meeting since the two teams ended their 18-year rivalry in 1991.

The Cavaliers hope to rebound after a 93-66 defeat at Duke last Friday night. The Cavaliers trailed by 20 at half-time and the relentless barrage of shots by the Blue Devils buried the Cavaliers who struggled on offense, shooting only .362 percent from the field and .273 percent from beyond the arc. The Cavalier defense gave up the most points (93) in regulation by a Virginia team since 1991 when the Cavaliers defeated Georgia Tech 98-94 (Feb. 2, 1991). It was the Cavalier's most lopsided ACC loss since the 1984 season when Virginia lost to Maryland 82-51 (Feb. 15, 1984).

Lesley Brown led Virginia with 20 points against Duke. Mimi McKinney was the only other Cavalier in double figures with 10. The Virginia bench accounted for 37 points in the game.

Head Coach Debbie Ryan, in her 21st season, brings a career record of 475-161 (.748) into tonight's game. Ryan is the ACC leader in conference wins (194) and winning percentage (.748).

Probable Virginia Starters
Pos.    No. Player          Cl. Ht. Stats
F       20  Lisa Hosac      Jr. 6-2 7.8 ppg, 7.1 rpg
F       40  Kate Mooney     Jr. 6-0 4.5 ppg, 2.2 rpg
C       22  DeMya Walker    Jr. 6-2 14.9 ppg, 7.8 rpg
G       21  Mimi McKinney   Sr. 5-9 15.7 ppg, 5.3 rpg
G       5   Renee Robinson  So. 5-6 3.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg
Off the Bench
Pos.    No. Player              Cl. Ht.     Stats
G       3   Erin Stovall        Fr. 5-9     10.2 ppg, 2.4 rpg
G       12  Katie Tracy         Fr. 5-5     1.6 ppg, 0.7 rpg
F       4   Lesley Brown        Jr. 6-0     6.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg
F       30  Chalois Lias        Fr. 6-0     3.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg
F       00  Dean'na Mitchelson  Fr. 6-2     2.0 ppg, 1.7 rpg
C       14  Elena Kravchenko    Fr. 6-10    1.6 ppg, 0.9 rpg

How the Team Match Up
                    Virginia    ODU
    Points          70.3        79.8
    Points Allowed  64.1        58.4
    Rebounds        38.9        43.2
    Rebound Margin  -0.9        +7.5
    FG %            .424        .448
    FG% defense     .388        .385
    3-pt FG %       .298        .338
    FT %            .632        .648
    Assists         14.1        17.5
    Turnovers       20.2        18.9
    Blocks          6.2          4.1
    Steals          12.7        16.1

Lisa Hosac has made quite an impression on the boards recently. She led the Cavaliers in rebounding with a game-high 15 rebounds vs. North Carolina and seven boards against Wake Forest. She scored 16 points and recorded career-high in steals (5) and assists (4) in the Wake Forest game.

On the offensive side, Lesley Brown came off the bench to score 20 points in the Duke loss on Friday night. She came into the game in relief of DeMya Walker who got into early foul trouble. She was 8-9 from the field and 4-5 from the charity stripe. Brown had a similar game last month when she scored a career-high 21 points vs. California (Dec. 28) after replacing a foul-plagued Walker.

Mimi McKinney was scorching the nets on Jan. 15 in Chapel Hill, N.C. and she became the first woman in Virginia history to record a 40+ game. She was 16-27 from the field, 7-12 from three-point range and 9-13 from the charity stripe in her 48-point performance against fifth-ranked North Carolina in triple overtime (Jan. 15). She had 35 points at the end of regulation. The 48 points is the most ever by a men's or women's Virginia player against a Division I opponent. McKinney's 48 points ranks second all-time in Virginia basketball history behind Barry Parkhill's 51 points vs. Baldwin-Wallace (Dec. 11, 1971) and ties Buzzy Wilkerson's 48-point game vs. Hampden-Sydney (Dec. 1, 1954).

She eclipsed the women's single game scoring record of 39 established by Wendy Palmer vs. Maryland (Jan. 25, 1995).

For the first time this season, a Virginia player was touted as the ACC Player of the Week. Mimi McKinney earned the honor for the week of Jan. 19 after leading Virginia to a 105-100 upset of North Carolina.

The Cavalier reserves are contributing a total of 24.3 points per game this season, which is 34.6 percent of the total offense. Erin Stovall is the top reserve, averaging 10.2 points from the bench.

The bench crew contributed 50 points in the Cavaliers 86-60 win over Maryland on Jan. 8. Lesley Brown recorded a career-high 21 points off the bench vs. California (Dec. 28) and nearly matched that with 20 points vs. Duke (Jan. 23).

The Cavaliers have been out-rebounded in 10 of 17 games this season and are 6-4 in those games. The Cavaliers have been out-rebounded in seven of their last nine games, most recently by Wake Forest (43-30) and Duke (43-29).

Mimi McKinney has 36 three-pointers this season which is a new season total for her in three-point shooting. She had 25 treys last year for her best year from behind the arc.

DeMya Walker is one of three Cavaliers who have scored in double figures in 11 or more games this season. Walker leads the team in double-figure games with 14, followed by Mimi McKinney with 12 and Erin Stovall .

Mimi McKinney's 48 points vs. North Carolina is the ACC's season high in points. She also holds the season-high in field goals made (16) and three-point field goals made (7). DeMya Walker's eight blocks is a season-high for the conference, tied with Florida State's Brooke Wyckoff.

As a team, Virginia has achieved the league high in four categories: 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).

    DeMya Walker
        Blocked shots   3.8     first
        field goal %.57.0%      fourth
        scoring 14.9            sixth
    Mimi McKinney
        scoring 15.7            third
        3-pt FG 2.3             third
        free throw %77.0%       third
        3-pt FG%    37.9%       fourth
        steals  2.3             fourth
        assists 3.9             seventh
        field goal 5    .410    tenth
    Erin Stovall
        steals  2.3             fourth
        free throw %    71.4%   fifth
    Lisa Hosac
        rebounds    7.1         ninth
    Renee Robinson
        steals  2.4             third
        assists 3.8             eighth

As a team, Virginia leads the league in steals (12.5) and blocks (6.2). The team ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.388).

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.

The initials TJR that are embroidered on the shorts of the UVa players are to honor Debbie Ryan's father, Thomas, who passed away in June. Out For The Season

The Cavaliers will be without the services senior guard/forward Monick Foote and junior guard Tiffany Bower this season. 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.

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 has four double-doubles for the season. She 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. She recorded 16 points-13 rebounds on Jan. 8 vs. Maryland for her fourth double-double.

The Cavaliers are 280-50 (.848) during the last 24 years at home and are 118-9 (.929) in University Hall since 1990.

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. she ranks fifth in ACC history in blocked shots.

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.

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.

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 hails from Timberlake, N.C. and graduated from Person Senior High School.

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. Climbing Up The Charts

Mimi McKinney and Kate Mooney are moving up the chart in three-point shooting. McKinney's seven treys against UNC moved her ahead of Mooney.

Tora Suber is Virginia's all-time leader in three-point field goals made with 220.

        Player          G   Made    Att.
    1.  Tora Suber      127 220     666
    2.  Tammi Reiss     127 139     334
    3.  Dena Evans      134 129     370
    4.  Dawn Staley     131 124     371
    5.  Monick Foote    84  121     326
    6.  Mimi McKinney   91  74      215
    7.  Kate Mooney     68  64      210
    8.  Kathy McConnell 62  64      210
    9.  Donna Holt      32  49      128
    10. Wendy Palmer    126 31      96

DeMya Walker is getting closer to 1000 points. She currently has 930 points for her career and if she continues to average 15.7 points per game, she could reach the 1000-point mark in the Maryland game on Feb. 9. She will become the 15th player in school history to reach 1000-points for her career.

DeMya Walker has 573 rebounds in her career and needs only 28 more rebounds to break into the Top 10 in career rebounding in Virginia history. Nancy Mayer (1983-87) holds onto the 10th spot in the career rankings with 601.

DeMya Walker ranks second in the nation in blocked shots. Samantha Tomlinson of Troy State is top shot blocker in the country with 4.0 blocks per game. Here are the top five in that category:

    player (school)                     G   B   Avg.
1.  Samantha Tomlinson (Troy St.)       15  60  4.0
2.  DeMya Walker (Virginia)             17  65  3.8
3.  Myndee Larson (So. Utah)            16  50  3.1
4.  Lasendia Baker (Mississippi Va.)    16  47  2.9
5.  Delores Jones (Northeastern Ill.)   15  44  2.9

Walker is closing in on the ACC numbers as well. Currently she ranks fourth in the conference in blocked shots with 215 career blocked shots.

    player, school (Years)              G   B   Avg.
1.  Dawn Royster, UNC (1984-87)         110 329 3.0
2.  Peggy Caple, Clem (1982-1985)       119 298 2.5
3.  Dolores Bootz, GaT (1985-88)        91  245 2.7
4.  DeMya Walker, Va. (1996- present)   81  217 2.7

All of the University of Virginia women's basketball games are broadcast on WINA Radio 1070 AM. Rob Shaffer calls the play-by-play with color commentary provided by Robbie Robinson. In addition to WINA's broadcast of all the games locally, seven of the remaining 12 regular season games will be broadcast state-wide on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. The network games will also be picked up by AudioNet on the internet (www.audionet.com).

    The network broadcasts are:
        Jan. 30 vs. Georgia Tech 7:30 p.m.
        Feb. 5 vs. Clemson 7:30 p.m.
        Feb. 9 at Maryland 7 p.m.
        Feb. 12 at N.C. State 7 p.m.
        Feb. 15 vs. North Carolina 4 p.m.
        Feb. 19 at Wake Forest 7 p.m.
        Feb. 22 vs. Duke 2 p.m.

Fans of UVa women's basketball can now watch the Cavaliers on public television. Central Virginia's Public TV, WHTJ-TV 41 will broadcast the Jan. 30 game vs. Georgia Tech on tape delay at 11:30 p.m. and the Feb. 5 game vs. Clemson on tape delay at 11:00 p.m. Both games will be broadcast live in northern Virginia on public television station WNVT Falls Church.

Production funding for the public television broadcast of these UVa women's basketball games is made possible, in part, by grants from Nike and by the University of Virginia Continuing Education Centers in Northern Virginia and Richmond.

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