MINNEAPOLIS A few weeks ago, there was a lot of hoopla about the men's basketball senior class, but not a single word was uttered about the seniors on the women's basketball team who were able to lead their team to the postseason.
No one talked about the five seniors who vindicated themselves for being part of the first Cavalier team to miss the tournament last year since 1983. No one talked about how this class took it upon itself to bring Virginia basketball back to prominence.
As the Cavaliers battled No. 3 seed Minnesota at Williams Arena last night, the senior class played with courage despite being in front of 10,043 hostile fans in their final game. When the game started to get out of reach in the second half, the frustration, pain and desperation could be seen on the faces of the five seniors who gave so much to Debbie Ryan's program.
Jocelyn Logan-Friend played with foul trouble because she had the uninviting task of guarding one of the most dominant post players in the nation, Janelle McCarville, but played well defensively -- a fact all the more amazing because she picked up her fourth foul with 17 minutes remaining in the game. Kate Kreager, playing in front of her grandmother for the first time ever this weekend, wore her emotions on her sleeve. Kreager, a transfer from Xavier, was playing her final game in an attempt to get her second team to the round of 16. Brandi Teamer was frustrated offensively, but she still played with the intensity that has been her trademark during her four seasons in Charlottesville. Lynette O'Reggio gracefully played a supporting role this season to help younger post players develop, but was keeping a close eye on every play from the bench.
And then there was LaTonya Blue, the senior from Baltimore. Blue was coming off the bench last night because she still suffered slightly from an ankle injury that kept her out of the ACC tournament, but was able to bring the defensive tenacity and scoring touch that Virginia fans are used to seeing. Blue also had a moment to show why she has been a fan favorite as a Cavalier.
She was knocked down when McCarville set a hard screen around half-court with about 14:20 remaining in the game. Ryan would call the screen dangerous but legal and Blue would temporarily leave the game. Blue, however, would return almost three minutes later and score 5 of her 16 points.
But it wasn't just the seniors who were showing their emotions on the court and elevating their game. Freshman Sharnee Zoll had the best game of her young career scoring a career-high 20 points while dishing out 5 assists. After the game, Zoll would admit her best game wasn't good enough because she still had "teammates in the locker-room crying."
As the final buzzer sounded, there were many tears as five Virginia Cavaliers walked off the court for the final time. Blue was so emotional that she could not express herself in the post-game press conference. In one of the most touching moments I've ever seen in sports, Zoll was able to comfort her teammate and answer the difficult questions about the end of the season.
"I don't know what it feels like for the career to be over," Zoll said. "But I know how I feel inside knowing that they're gone. These five girls who have helped mold me as the player I have become. Especially LaTonya, she doesn't know how much she's helped me. I look at her, and I'm trying to model my game after hers."
The fact that these five seniors have gotten the Cavaliers back on track and have helped mentor the younger players on the team is a fact that they can be proud of. Any other senior at Virginia would love to leave a legacy like that behind.
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