Enclosed by empty seats and shadows on the main court of an otherwise still John Paul Jones Arena, the Virginia women’s basketball team ended an intense practice early Wednesday. Assistant Coach Cory McNeill raced Cavalier players down the floor and through the tunnel to their film session on Thursday’s opponent Syracuse. Desire seemed palpable despite five straight losses, the most recent coming 46-66 at home last Sunday to archrival Virginia Tech.
“Just keeping our intensity and keeping that fire in our team are important, and the main thing, rebounding, rebounding, rebounding,” sophomore point guard Mikayla Venson said. “[Coach Joanne Boyle] got on us a little while ago about rebounding and how we have to bring that toughness again and not let teams outcompete us.”
The Hokies outrebounded Virginia 42-29 and tallied nine second-chance points on eight offensive boards. The Cavaliers (13-11, 3-7 ACC) cannot let that happen Thursday night against an Orange rotation that shoots only 35.6 percent. A team that holds Syracuse (18-6, 8-3 ACC) to one shot each possession is going to have success, but that’s no easy task. The Orange average 19.7 offensive rebounds per game. Those second-chance opportunities benefit its 71.6 points per game average — which is much higher than its shooting efficiency would suggest.
Boyle is particularly concerned with Syracuse’s leading rebounder, sophomore skinny post Bria Day. The Raleigh, N.C. native moves fluidly and uses her 6’4” frame to alter shots in the interior and snatch the ball at its highest point. Day averages 10.7 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2 blocks per contest.
“Day’s a shot blocker,” Boyle said. “She’s a really good rebounder. She’s a defender. And she gets a lot of things off of just guards driving and put backs. She’s very springy and very athletic.”
With a center like Day who can slide her feet and cover ground, among other agile guards, it’s no surprise the Orange relish the full-court press. A testament not only to its admiration for but also its aptitude in the press, Syracuse leads the nation in turnovers forced at 25.9 per game and 622 in total — nearly 100 more than any program in women’s college basketball. How Virginia responds to the Orange pressure will be a huge factor Thursday.
“They press on missed baskets as well,” Boyle said. “They want to turn you over and turn you over and turn you over. So we have to be able to withstand that pressure, because if you break the first line of defense, a lot of times you have two-on-ones and three-on-twos. You can score and not have to really set up your offense, so that’s going to be key for us.”
The Cavaliers have struggled mightily in the half-court minus senior guard Faith Randolph — a member of the 2014-2015 All-ACC Second Team — who can knock down jumpers, drive to the basket and draw attention on the perimeter. Venson has assumed what amounts to a volume-shooter role that doesn’t fit her unselfish disposition. In the blowout loss to Tech, she forced deep contested threes and finished the contest with only eight points on 4-13 shooting, including 0-5 from beyond the arc.
“There’s no way [Mikayla] can do this for the rest of the season,” Boyle said. “There’s just no way. So she’s going to have to have help. We talk more about an inside-outside game and just for her to get easier touches and not always have to create the shot for herself.”
Virginia will have its work cut out for itself on the defensive end. Any offense that shares the basketball and can operate around multiple scorers like Syracuse’s is difficult to stop. The Orange might not shoot lights out, but the team features two other players who average double figures, in addition to Davis. Junior guard Alexis Peterson is Syracuse’s leading scorer at 14.6 points per game and averages 5.4 assists as well. Senior guard Brianna Butler, unafraid to take and make the three, averages 13.3 points behind 11.3 downtown attempts per game. The Cavaliers verbalized a game plan for this trio during their film session Wednesday.
“We’re switching screens and just hoping to make them shoot bad shots and contested shots,” Venson said. “Just keeping them in front of us, playing good defense, and having help-side. And we have to go after the ball after that, who wants it more is the biggest thing.”
Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is scheduled for 7 p.m.
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