Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 22, 1992 TAG: 9203220037
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
\ It has been more than a month since Virginia last won a women's basketball game by more than 30 points, which isn't such a bad thing as far as coach Debbie Ryan is concerned.
Although the Cavaliers no longer lead Division I in scoring margin, there is a tradeoff.
"It's a godsend we've been in so many close games recently," said Ryan, whose team earlier won nine games by 30 points or more, including four by more than 40. "It's given us confidence and prepared us to win close games.
"I don't think any team starts off winning by 30 and keeps it up all year."
Ryan knows from experience not to expect any blowouts in the NCAA Tournament, beginning with the Cavaliers' second-round game with George Washington at 2 p.m. today at University Hall.
Virginia almost lost in the second round at home last year before rallying for a 74-72 victory over Stephen F. Austin. The Cavaliers subsequently advanced to the NCAA championship game.
"Last year, I was a little concerned with where we were mentally," Ryan said. "This year, we're where we want to be. The anticipation is killing us."
In 1991, the Cavaliers were upset by Clemson in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament and then had 15 days to stew over the setback. This year, UVa overcame an 11-point second-half deficit to defeat Georgia Tech 70-69 in the ACC title game.
Four of UVa's past nine games, all victories, were decided by one to four points.
"I think we've gotten better as a team," Ryan said. "I also think everybody else has gotten a lot better, especially North Carolina and Georgia Tech."
Nevertheless, Virginia enters the NCAA Tournament with a 16-game winning streak and is ranked No. 1 in the country. The Cavaliers were awarded a first-round bye as the No. 1 seed in the East and will play host to the regional semifinals and final Thursday and Saturday.
But first there is the matter of George Washington, the Atlantic 10 champion, which overcame a 17-point deficit Wednesday night and handed Vermont its first loss of the season, 70-69.
The Colonials (25-6) are listed as the No. 8 seed in the East, but that is misleading because they were ranked sixth in the country earlier this season.
"What people don't realize is that only the top four teams in each region are actually seeded," Ryan said. "The other teams are just thrown in [the bracket]."
Virginia and George Washington once met on an annual basis, but the series was discontinued after the 1983-84 season, before current Colonials coach Joe McKeown took over the program.
"GW didn't want to play anymore," Ryan said. "I think we've called every year. I remember [assistant] Shawn [Campbell] saying something the other night about finally getting to play GW."
George Washington made the NCAA Tournament for the first time last year, when it defeated Richmond in the first round before finishing 23-7. The Colonials have three four-year starters, led by 6-foot-4 center Mary K. Nordling, whose 3.7 blocked shots per game ranks among the Division I leaders.
"I think they were very surprised by Vermont," Ryan said. "They [the Colonials] had just won the A-10 on Saturday night and they had to be feeling pretty good about themselves. But they came out in the second half against Vermont and scored on something like 20 of the first 25 possessions.
"There hasn't been a team who hasn't come in here ready to play. We've taken everybody's best shot."
Ryan said two-time ACC player of the year Dawn Staley suffered a minor thigh injury in practice Friday when she was accidentally kneed by Heidi Burge, but has made great progress from the knee injury that hobbled her for the last two weeks of the regular season.
"At least we're not playing three games in a row," said Ryan, whose team has enjoyed a 13-day layoff. "Dawn recovers quickly, but not when you play every day."
This will be the final chance for an NCAA title for Staley and Tammi Reiss, the senior guards who rank Nos. 1-2 on UVa's career scoring list. They have made the Final Four each of the last two seasons, going one step further each year.
"A lot of people think there's pressure in being No. 1," Ryan said, "but they've ignored it, had nothing of it. Things have been different from the start in the way we've approached the season. They want to be excellent; they don't just want to get by."
by CNB