WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Some streaks endure by pure chance. Other times a streak lasts because of pure dominance. And in this case, the Virginia women's basketball team defeated Wake Forest for the 49th consecutive time because it simply willed a victory despite not playing its sharpest.
Brandi Teamer scored six points and Anna Prillaman added four free throws in the overtime period as Virginia (14-10, 7-6 ACC) defeated Wake Forest (10-14, 4-10), 61-55.
Virginia's intensity was slow to start - perhaps they were thrown off their game because they did not have their normal home crowd, or maybe because they had hardly any crowd at all with only 379 fans filling Joel Coliseum. Either way, the Cavaliers could not find their rhythm in the early going. They struggled in their halfcourt offensive set. Unable to get quality looks at the basket, they forced many off-balance shots while the shot clock expired. They shot just 38.3 percent in the first half.
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The Cavaliers found their inspiration from an unlikely source. With Virginia trailing 35-27, little-used senior guard Karen Jaeger came off the bench to breathe some life into the Cavaliers, and they came surging back to take a 41-40 lead.
Jaeger's energetic play buoyed the previously lackluster Virginia squad, elevating the play of her teammates who in turn limited the Demon Deacons to just 7-for-24 shooting in the second half and 1-for-9 in overtime.
Jaeger "made everyone else play better defense," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "I don't think she did it verbally, but she did it with her example. She made her teammates pick up their intensity, too."
Jaeger's feisty defense helped shut down All-ACC candidate Tonia Brown, who led Wake Forest with 11 points and six rebounds. Jaeger finished the game with two points, five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
"The coaches told me who their shooters were and told me to try to find Brandi inside," Jaeger said. "I just went out there and gave it all I had, and the team played well."
She found Teamer early and often in the second half. After scoring just four points in the first half, Teamer finished the game with 17 points. She made a marked improvement in the latter stages of the game - she began with zero rebounds and 0-of-7 foul shooting but would later grab 10 rebounds and nail two key free throws in overtime to give the Cavaliers the lead for good.
Senior Telisha Quarles scored 15 points, and sophomore Safiya Grant added nine points on 4-of-4 shooting.
The Cavaliers seemed to be suffering from a letdown after Monday's big win over Georgia Tech, but the team responded after a fiery halftime pep talk from their legendary coach.
"I knew this was a very dangerous game," Ryan said. "We were coming off an emotional win in Charlottesville. But I challenged them in the locker room - I challenged their character"
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