Close games like this are not only decided by how well a team shoots, or by how effective a team breaks a press, but by which team wants it the most.
Last night, Virginia freshman guard LaTonya Blue wanted it more than anyone.
The game was tied with under a minute left and Blue had the ball in her hands at the top of the key. She faked right, drove left, stopped and popped from 16 feet out to put the Cavaliers on top, 57-55.
As pivotal as that shot was for the Cavaliers, the previous possession showed where Blue made her greatest contribution to the Virginia victory.
Virginia Tech had the ball with the game tied, as 6-foot Hokies junior Sarah Hicks made her move to the hole. Blue reached in and ripped the ball away. This gave Virginia an essential possession that it used to take the lead.
"She was incredible," Ryan said of Blue's defensive performance. "We told her she had to stick [Hicks] like glue."
Hicks is the top threat for Virginia Tech. This season she is averaging 18.3 points for the Hokies. But Blue proved up to the challenge as she played air-tight defense on Hicks all night long, limiting her to just nine attempts from the field and just 12 points.
"I saw the scouting report and they told me how good of a player she was," Blue said of Hicks. "I just played her straight up and tried to deny her the ball."
"You have to give credit to their defense," Hicks said. "They made it hard for us."
Blue's stellar defense extended beyond Hicks as she was a factor all over the floor for the Cavaliers.
The 5-foot-9 Blue came off the weak side early in the game to block what should have been an easy two for 6-foot-4 Hokies center Ieva Kublina. Technically, this was Blue's only block of the night, but all the fans at University Hall felt she should have had one more.
With under seven minutes left, Hicks drove on Blue and as the Hokies wing elevated on the baseline for the mid-range jumper, Blue completely stuffed the shot. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, the referees didn't see it that way and they called Blue for the foul, drawing boos from Virginia men's basketball center Travis Watson and the rest of the spirited U-Hall crowd that jumped out of its seats after Blue's "block".
Blue crashed the boards with authority for Virginia. For the game she finished with three offensive rebounds - a number almost half of what the entire Hokies squad totaled on its offensive glass for the game.
At the end of the night, Blue had 13 points on 4-of-10 shooting, four rebounds, three assists, five steals and one block in 28 minutes of action.
Blue wasn't the only Cavalier to show hustle and spirited play against Virginia Tech. Virginia's victory was a total team effort as the entire squad stepped up to earn the win over the Hokies.
Virginia forced 21 turnovers and was able to score 23 points off of them. The Cavaliers also held a 16-7 edge on the offensive glass. Other than some low-post problems, the Cavaliers defense played tremendously. Virginia's man-to-man defense was very effective, creating 12 steals for the Cavaliers. The Hokies were also forced into many last-second desperation shots because the Cavaliers defense wouldn't allow any better looks at the basket.
The Cavaliers' total team defensive effort was best at crunch time. The Hokies' most important possession came following a timeout, as they were down by two with 38.8 seconds remaining. But the Cavaliers' aggressive stifling defense didn't even allow them to get a shot off. The shot clock violation gave Virginia possession and assured it the win.
"My team hustled their butts off every minute on the court," Ryan said.
Hustle like this is what the Cavaliers need to be successful. Now Debbie Ryan knows that in Blue she has one player who will step up and give the team the presence it needs.
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