After opening the 2005 season with two hard fought games in the Women's Sports Foundation Classic in Baton Rouge, La., the Virginia women's basketball team returns to action tonight at University Hall at 7 p.m. Win or lose, however, the Cavaliers' record will remain 1-1.
Because of an odd bit of scheduling, Virginia will play an exhibition game tonight against UMMC Ekateringburg, a junior national team from Russia, despite having already played two regular season games.
"Every time we have a game, we have to treat it as if it was an ACC team or an out-of-conference team," senior guard LaTonya Blue said. "It's an exhibition, but it's also a great way to tell where we are right now. We are looking at it like any other game."
The Cavaliers say they are not worried about a letdown and that they will be ready to play.
"We're not taking anybody lightly," junior forward Tiffany Sardin said.
UMMC Ekateringburg has proven to be a worthy foe, already defeating Temple (who is coached by former Cavalier Dawn Staley), Pittsburgh and Duquesne on its U.S. tour. The Russian team has also played George Washington and Maryland, losing both contests.
"They are a real team that's been playing together for a while," Sardin said. "We're expecting all five players on the court to be able to shoot. Foreign teams like to run and take those extra steps to get to the basket. We can't stop and say 'That's a travel' and get upset. We have to play them like we're playing a regular game."
The Cavaliers believe they have a lot to prove following their tournament performance in Louisiana. Virginia lost 60-50 to a talented Arizona State squad in the first game before bouncing back and defeating Maine, 72-62, for third place.
"We feel like we're a good team," Blue said. "We could have won that first game against Arizona State."
The Sun Devils are expected be one of the best teams in the Pac-10 this season, receiving multiple top-25 votes this past week.
"It gave us a lot of confidence, playing well against a top-ranked team," Sardin said. "The tournament helped us out a lot, let us see where we're at and what our weaknesses are. We have some things to work on. That's what we have to use practice for, to prepare for the next best team."
In the win against Maine, Virginia made 10 three-pointers, one shy of the school record. They will look to build on that skill tonight in what promises to be a fast paced, high scoring game.
"I can definitely say that we have a lot of great shooters," Sardin said. "Everybody likes to shoot, so you're going to see a lot of balls going up."
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