MINNEAPOLIS, M.N. -- The frozen tundra of the Minnesota landscape seemed like an odd venue for a matchup between the Virginia women's basketball team and its in-state rival, the Monarchs of Old Dominion. Yet, thanks to the powers of the NCAA Tournament selection committee, the Cavaliers and Monarchs packed their winter jackets and traveled to the Williams Arena on the Minneapolis campus of the University of Minnesota for their first round contest in the NCAA tournament. The trek was worth it for Virginia, as the team emerged with a lopsided 79-57 win over Old Dominion.
The victory was not entirely a walk in the park for the Cavaliers (21-10), however. Old Dominion sprinted out of the starting gate to build a 6-0 lead that included two buckets from guard Lawona Davis. Davis, however, finished the game with only six points on three of 14 shooting from the field. Senior guard Shareese Grant led the Monarchs with 16 points. Virginia faced an 11-point deficit, 18-7, with 12:08 remaining in the first half.
"I've been here a lot and have known that, with the layoff from the ACC tournament, we would come out slow," Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. "We were just a little bit off" at the beginning of the game.
The momentum shifted around the 12-minute mark. Senior guard LaTonya Blue, nursing a still tender ankle, hit a three-pointer that sparked a 22-4 run which gave Virginia a 29-22 advantage with 5:46 remaining. Sophomore Brenna McGuire knocked down a three-pointer and senior forward Brandi Teamer notched six points during this stretch. The Cavaliers went into half-time with a six-point lead, 39-33.
"We just kept telling ourselves to relax, stay composed, be patient and things would turn out how we wanted them," junior Tiffany Sardin said.
Virginia quickly dug an insurmountable hole for the Monarchs in the second half. Freshman guard Takisha Gransberry, who was questionable up to game time with flu-like symptoms, knocked down two treys within the span of 49 seconds, giving Virginia a 49-40 lead with 14:59 left.
Gransberry also threaded a beautiful pass to Teamer on a fast break that resulted in an emphatic lay-up that served as a dagger in the collective heart of the Monarchs with 14:17 left. Old Dominion head coach Wendy Larry was forced to call a 30-second timeout, and the Cavaliers never looked back as the dejected Monarchs hung their heads.
Sardin played another stellar game on the perimeter, scoring 16 points on seven of 10 shooting from the field, including two of three from behind the arc. Sardin has emerged as a rising star during the last part of the season. Senior forward Jocelyn Logan-Friend had a solid game in the post, pulling down six rebounds and netting four of her five free throw attempts.
Teamer finished the game with 23 points, including a perfect 9-9 mark from the charity stripe.
"She's a force to be reckoned with," Larry said of Teamer.
Sardin is excited about the possibilities for the Cavaliers in the tournament.
"It's great to know we'll be playing on Monday, and we want to continue on from there," she said.
Virginia faces a stern test Monday evening, with a 9:30 p.m. battle set against the No. 3 seeded University of Minnesota Golden Gophers for a spot in the Sweet Sixteen.
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