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Injury forces U.Va. to regroup

Suffering a blowout loss against a conference rival at home would have been enough disappointment for one night, but for the Virginia women’s basketball team, the 29-point defeat to Maryland Sunday was only the beginning.

The team received the worst-case-scenario news Wednesday that junior guard Kelsey Wolfe would miss the remainder of the season with a torn ACL in her right knee cutting short a breakout season and leaving the already shorthanded Cavaliers searching for answers. Wolfe became the second starting guard in as many seasons to go down with a season-ending ACL injury for Virginia after senior guard China Crosby missed the team’s final 24 games with a left knee injury.

On the heels of a two game losing streak, Virginia (15-10, 7-7 ACC) will need to regroup quickly as it prepares to face Clemson (7-18, 3-11 ACC) Thursday in South Carolina.

“Every team deals with adversity, and it’s just really sad for Kelsey,” coach Joanne Boyle said. “She’s having a great year, we’re coming down the stretch and she was looking forward to helping us finish out strong.”

Wolfe’s presence will certainly be missed by the Cavaliers. She has started every game so far this season and is second on the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game. Wolfe has also shot just under 30 percent from beyond the arc, and Virginia may have trouble finding a perimeter threat that can replace her production.

“Now we kind of have to reconfigure our team a little bit,” Boyle said. “A lot of teams have to do it … You just give kids opportunities and you see if they can run with it.”

Starting in her place will be freshman guard Faith Randolph, who came into the season rated the No. 27 prospect nationally by ESPN, but has had trouble adapting to Virginia’s system so far this season. Randolph has averaged just 3.8 points in 18.2 minutes per game, but Boyle is hoping that Randolph will continue to progress and begin to approach her full potential late in the season.

“She’s going to have to play minutes for us,” Boyle said. “She brings her athleticism. She’ll bring defense and she’ll bring transition offense. Her struggle has been shooting. If she can get more minutes on the floor, maybe she’s more comfortable in the second half.”

Randolph has not been alone in her shooting struggles. The team has continually missed normally high percentage shots in the paint. In home losses to Duke and Maryland, Virginia has seemed out of sorts on offense, missing open layups and shooting a combined 29 percent from the field.

“That’s starting to become an Achilles heel for us,” Boyle said. “We’re not making easy baskets, and it’s making it a lot more difficult for us on the other end of the floor.”

The Cavaliers, who have lost four of five games, will need to refocus as they take on the struggling Tigers. Clemson snapped a losing streak of their own Sunday, ending a four-game skid with a 51-46 win against Virginia Tech. Sophomore guard Nikki Dixon leads the Tigers offensively with 13.0 points per game and junior forward Quinyotta Pettaway averages a team-best 9.1 rebounds per game. Clemson has not been much of a perimeter threat this season, however, averaging just over two 3-pointers per game, and they rank next to last in the conference standings.

“They’re kind of erratic,” Randolph said. “We just need to lock down on [defense], and then we can also gain transition on them. They’re not that great defensively, so just kick it out on them in transition.”

The Cavaliers’ primary focus this week is on regrouping as a unit. With just four games left in the regular season, Virginia’s time to rediscover a winning formula is running short. Boyle’s plan during the season’s final stretch is to maintain her composure in the face of adversity and hope her players follow suit.

“They’re going to go as I go,” Boyle said. “If I get all wrapped up and crazy, they’re going to play like it. They’re already tight. We just got to play loose. I got to kind of keep that in mind and let them relax a little bit.”

Tipoff from South Carolina is scheduled for 7 p.m.

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