Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 21, 1991 TAG: 9103210072
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Cavaliers have played one basketball game in the Special Events Center already this season, having defeated the University of Texas 80-74 before a crowd of 8,844 on Jan. 1.
"This team, for some reason, might be a little better team away from home," UVa coach Debbie Ryan said. "They really play well on the road. They don't feel that pressure of having to win for somebody else. They're just out there for themselves."
At one point, it looked as if the Cavaliers might play Texas again in the regional final, but visiting Lamar defeated the Lady Longhorns 77-63 in the first round. Tenth-seeded Lamar bombed second-seeded Louisiana State 93-73 in the second round and will meet Arkansas in tonight's second region semifinal.
Virginia, seeded No. 1 in the Midwest, struggled Sunday before defeating Stephen F. Austin 74-72 in Charlottesville. Stephen F. Austin was seeded eighth despite winning 20 of 21 games.
"I think Stephen F. Austin is one of the best teams we've played all year, and we've played one of the best schedules in the country," Ryan said. "I don't know that much about the region, but they're definitely not an eighth seed. That's crazy. But you have to see them to know."
Virginia (28-2) has never played Oklahoma State, although Ryan said the Cavaliers had gained access to "about 50 tapes" of the Cowgirls (27-5). Fifth-seeded Oklahoma State, the Big Eight champion, has won 12 of its past 13 games.
The Cowgirls defeated DePaul 81-80 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament before winning 96-94 at Michigan State in triple overtime.
Lisa McGill, a 5-foot-11 sophomore, had 32 points and 11 rebounds and leads the team in scoring with 14.7 points per game and rebounding with 8.3 per game. Point guard Liz Brown, a 5-5 senior, was second on the team in scoring with 11.8 and had 195 assists. Brown played the entire 55 minutes against Michigan State.
Ryan said she was hopeful Virginia's experience would be an advantage, but four of Oklahoma State's top five scorers are seniors playing in their third straight NCAA Tournament.
Although she has a pair of 6-5 sophomores Heather and Heidi Burge, Ryan said she fears a matchup problem. Stephen F. Austin played four guards at times Sunday and forced 20 turnovers, many on passes inside to the twins.
Ryan argued that an emphasis on passing the ball inside helped Virginia build a six-point halftime lead to 55-40, but Stephen F. Austin was able to cut the deficit and take the lead at 69-68 with 2:05 left.
"I'm not so sure that we didn't take advantage of our size," Ryan said, "but we didn't make our foul shots. At first, I couldn't understand why they had so many more shots than we did [70-47], but then I realized they were fouling us every time down the floor and we weren't making our foul shots."
The Cavaliers were 23-for-34 on free throws for the game but only 9-for-16 in the second half. The twins were 4-for-11 overall, 1-for-5 in the second half.
"We need to get them mentally beyond the point where they're nervous," Ryan said. "I think they're still feeling a little of that."
Ryan was most upset that the Cavaliers didn't put away the game when they were up by 15 points.
"Once we got up to 15, I thought, `If we could just get up to 20 . . ., ' " she said, "but 20 never came. Even if a team's within 20 in women's basketball, they're still within reach. The 30-second clock causes you to shoot the ball."
Ryan didn't have to be reminded of James Madison's upset victory over the East's No. 1 seed, Penn State, to know that any team is vulnerable. The Cavaliers were 26-2 in 1986 before they lost to James Madison in the second round.
"I still have the box score for the JMU game on my refrigerator just to remind me of some things I didn't do that day that I plan to do every other year when we get into the NCAA," Ryan said. "This ain't exactly the catbird's seat. Let me tell ya."
Ryan said it's easier to play from behind, but she doesn't want to fall behind to prove her point. Nor do her players, though they hope to capture some of that mentality.
"I haven't seen any signs of complacency; we definitely have weaknesses," junior guard Tammi Reiss said. "The country seems to view us as the head honcho, the No. 1 team to knock off. We view ourselves as one of the best teams, but we're still trying to take the underdog's role."
by CNB