Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991 TAG: 9104020050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: NEW ORLEANS LENGTH: Medium
"You can't really count us out," Staley said Sunday after Virginia's 70-67 overtime loss to Tennessee in the NCAA championship game. "We're coming back next year."
If so, Virginia should expect to find the Lady Vols when they get there.
"It's not an NCAA Tournament unless we play Tennessee," UVa coach Debbie Ryan said.
The teams never have played during the regular season, but they have met seven times in postseason play, starting with the defunct Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Tournament in 1981. Tennessee defeated Virginia five times in a row, including four in the NCAA Tournament, before the Cavaliers stunned the Lady Vols last year in the East Region final.
That was the source of considerable aggravation for Tennessee, forced to serve as non-playing host for the 1990 Final Four in Knoxville, Tenn. Coach Pat Summitt called it "the hardest thing I've had to deal with professionally."
Nevertheless, Ryan said she did not feel the revenge factor provided the Lady Vols with any advantage Sunday.
"I know my team was emotional about hearing that all year," Ryan said. "[The Lady Vols] have a young team and, when you get to this point in the season, I don't think you can worry about revenge."
Junior guard and Ryan disciple Tammi Reiss said, "Revenge is only an emotion and you can play on emotion for only so long. But if we were to play Tennessee in the tournament next year, I think there would definitely be a revenge factor for us."
At least to start the season, Virginia and Tennessee are certain to do battle in the polls. All-America center Daedra Charles was the only senior on the Lady Vols' 11-player roster, and Tennessee's recruiting year has been ranked No. 1 in the country, with three signees among the top 10.
Virginia loses three seniors, of whom two-time All-ACC forward Tonya Cardoza is the only major casualty. Cardoza was the Cavaliers' leading scorer and rebounder this season, as well as an outstanding defender and ball-handler.
Katasha Artis, a 6-foot freshman, was considered Cardoza's heir apparent when she signed with UVa. Artis, the player of the year in New York, once scored 73 points in a high-school game, but her status for 1991-92 is uncertain.
"There are a lot of questions about Katasha," Reiss said. "We're hoping she will be able to come back and step in."
Artis, it turns out, has been suspended from the team but remains in good standing as a student.
"Officially, she has been redshirted," Ryan said. "I think the reason everybody is reluctant to say anything is that Katasha is kind of in my doghouse."
UVa's recruiting class, which includes Parade All-American Amy Lofstedt and All-Group AAA forward Charleata Beale from Gar-Field, has been ranked ninth in the country by the Blue-Star Report out of Philadelphia. Virginia is a finalist for 5-11 All-American Tanda Rucker from Berkeley, Calif.
One thing the Cavaliers need to develop during the off-season is a more effective halfcourt offense, which might sound strange for a team that scored more than 88 points per game. UVa gets much of its scoring off the fast break, but it bogs down when it doesn't dominate the rebounding.
Over the weekend, UVa's offense consisted mostly of Staley going one-and-one or one of the guards dumping the ball to the 6-foot-5 Burge twins, Heather and Heidi. The Burges are prone to turnovers, and often the ball gets turned over before it gets to them.
"Twenty turnovers," said Ryan, shaking her head as she surveyed the final statistics from Sunday's game. "That's ridiculous."
The Burges have a lot to learn and, as sophomores, they still have time. They foul too much, with a combined 14 disqualifications for the season, and Heidi has the worst shot selection for a UVa post player since Ralph Sampson insisted on launching an 18-footer to start every game.
That said, the Burges redeemed themselves in the second half Sunday. Heidi was 4-for-5 before fouling out and Heather had 10 points and 11 rebounds against the best front line in the country. Heather also made a contribution to UVa's 7-for-19 nightmare at the free-throw line, going 0-for-3.
"It [free-throw shooting] ended up being our nemesis," Ryan said, "but it really had been improving. That's what kills you."
UVa actually had shot a better percentage from the free-throw line (67.9) than Tennessee (65.4) before Saturday's game. The Lady Vols were no sharpshooters Sunday, when they were 22-for-35 (62.9 percent).
"Right now I'm having a hard time thinking about next year," Ryan said. "Obviously, this team is hungry. With Tammi Reiss and Dawn Staley as seniors, I think you can see a lot more of what you saw this year."
by CNB