Virginia Hosts the Clemson Tigers

Storyline on Virginia
The Cavaliers are on a two-game winning streak and they have relied on the sharp shooting of three-point specialist Kate Mooney to notch those wins. Mooney recorded a career-high 20 points in the 93-57 win over Georgia Tech on Jan. 30 and then hit a new career-high of 22 points in the 83-76 overtime win at Florida State on Feb. 1. Mooney tied the school record for three-point field goals in a game with seven treys in the Florida State game. In the last two games, Mooney is shooting 57.9% from beyond the arc (11-19) in the last two games.

Mimi McKinney leads the team in scoring (15.7 ppg), followed by DeMya Walker (14.6 ppg) and Erin Stovall (10.0 ppg). Walker leads the team in rebounding (7.9 rpg) and blocks (3.5 bpg).

In all games, the Cavaliers are 9-1 at home, 6-3 on the road and 0-1 at a neutral site. In ACC games, Virginia is 4-1 at home, 2-3 on the road.

Series With Clemson

This Thursday, the Cavaliers entertain Clemson who has notched two consecutive wins on the Cavaliers' home court. The Tigers are the only conference team to win two straight games in University Hall since N.C. State defeated Virginia in consecutive games in University Hall in 1981-82 and 1982-83.

The Cavaliers hold a slim 23-21 edge in the series, but Clemson has closed the gap in the last three years. Clemson has won six out of the last seven games between the two teams. Clemson is 7-11 at University Hall.

On the Injured List

Point guard Renee Robinson missed the last two games due to a concussion that she suffered in the Old Dominion game (Jan. 27) when she collided with Mery Andrade at midcourt. She was knocked unconscious, but returned to play in that game. She leads the team in assists with (3.7) and steals (2.3). She will be re-evaluated later this week to determine her status for Thursday's game with Clemson.

She is the third guard to fall to injury this season. Robinson follows Monick Foote and Tiffany Bower on the injured list. Foote made the decision to redshirt this season due to a chronic ankle problem and a stress fracture in the right leg. Bower suffered a torn left achilles tendon on the third day of practice this season. Head Coach Debbie Ryan

Head Coach Debbie Ryan, in her 21st season, brings a career record of 477-162 (.747) into tonight's game. Ryan is the ACC leader in conference wins (196) and winning percentage (.748).

Points From the Pine

The bench crew contributed 50 points in the Cavaliers 86-60 win over Maryland on Jan. 8 led by Erin Stovall with 15 points and Dean'na Mitchelson with 11.

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).

Out-Rebounded

The Cavaliers have been out-rebounded in 11 of 19 games this season and are 6-5 in those games. The Cavaliers have been out-rebounded in eight of their last 10 games, most recently by Wake Forest (43-30), Duke (43-29) and Old Dominion (49-29).

Hitting The Three's

Mimi McKinney has 44 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.

ACC Season-Highs

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).

Home Sweet Home

The Cavaliers are 281-50 (.849) during the last 24 years at home and are 119-9 (.930) in University Hall since 1990.

Walker Is UVa's All-Time Blocks Leader

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.

    DeMya Walker
        Blocked shots   3.5 first
        field goal %    .55.9%  fourth
        scoring         14.7    sixth
    Mimi McKinney
        scoring         15.7    third
        3-pt FG         2.3 second
        free throw %    78.6%   fourth
        steals          2.4 third
        3-pt FG%        36.4%   fifth
        assists         3.8 seventh
        field goal %    .38.9%  tenth
    Erin Stovall
        steals          2.3 fourth
        free throw %    71.4%   fourth
    Lisa Hosac
        rebounds        7.3 seventh
    Renee Robinson
        steals          2.3 fourth
        assists         3.7 eighth

As a team, Virginia leads the league in steals (12.5) and blocks (6.0). The team ranks second in field goal percentage defense (.392).

DeMya Walker is getting closer to 1000 points. She currently has 969 points for her career and if she continues to average 15.8 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 the 1000-point plateau.

Breaking Into The Top 10

DeMya Walker has 599 rebounds in her career and needs only two 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 rebounds.

Walker Second in Nation in Blocks

DeMya Walker ranks second in the nation in blocked shots. Samantha Tomlinson of Troy State is top shot blocker in the country with 4.1 blocks per game. Here are the top five in that category:

    Player (school)                     G   B   Avg.
1.  Samantha Tomlinson (Troy St.)       18  74  4.1
2.  DeMya Walker (Virginia)             20  69  3.5
3.  Lasendia Baker (Mississippi Va.)    18  53  2.9
4.  Teresa Jenkins (Florida A & M)      17  50  2.9
5.  Mani Ortega (Idaho State)           18  52  2.9
    Myndee Larsen (Southern Utah)       18  52  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)    84 221 2.6
    

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    94  82     241
    7.  Kate Mooney      71  75     231
    8.  Kathy McConnell  62  64     210
    9.  Donna Holt       32  49     128
    10. Wendy Palmer    126  31      96

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