The Virginia women's basketball team has been full of surprises this year. Whether it has been the play of Virginia's talented freshmen or the team's turnaround from last year's disappointing record, this team has been anything but ordinary.
The biggest surprise for the Cavaliers this year, however, could be the emergence of senior Jocelyn Logan-Friend. The 6'1" forward from Cheverly, Md. has come out of nowhere to be the third leading scorer for Virginia. But Logan-Friend isn't overly surprised by her increase in scoring this year.
"I think I've learned how to take on a larger role," Logan-Friend said. "I think I do the things that our team needs done, and sometimes we need someone to score."
Logan-Friend's team-first attitude has resulted in increased playing time. She is one of only two Cavaliers to start every game this season. Logan-Friend's 21 starts this season easily surpasses her previous career high for starts in a season, 17, which she accumulated last year.
The added starts have allowed Logan-Friend to hone her scoring touch. On the season, she is averaging 9.6 points per game, a total that is six points better than her career average entering this season. Logan-Friend's offensive game has improved so much that she has broken her career mark for points in a game three times this season, most recently dropping 24 points against Dartmouth Jan. 23. But Logan-Friend isn't one to take all the credit for her offensive output.
"All of [my points] are lay-ups," she said. "My teammates create a lot of opportunities for me and find me down low. I just have to step, catch the ball and make the shot."
Logan-Friend also has increased her production hitting the glass. She leads the Cavaliers in total and offensive rebounds with 136 and 64, respectively. In fact, Logan-Friend's 64 offensive rebounds almost match her output for total rebounds from last year, when she pulled down 86 boards. But despite her personal success, Logan-Friend stresses that winning this year is the paramount concern.
"I think there is definitely [a sense of urgency to win]," she said. "I think it comes with age, with maturity. You start to think that it will be the last time you play at home, the last time in the ACC, and you want to go out on top."
That desire to win was one of the reasons Logan-Friend was honored for the first time as a captain prior to the season. Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said she can see that desire to win in Logan-Friend and the other seniors.
"I really feel like the senior class has taken this [season] personally," Ryan said at the beginning of the season. "This is their last year, and they have made it clear that they better make the best of it because they want to leave a legacy here."
Logan-Friend said she wants to do as much as possible to help cement that legacy. She has cited free-throws and her jump shot as the areas of her game she would like to improve over her final trip through the ACC.
"If I can improve in those areas, then I know I can help the team even more," she said.
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