Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, March 27, 1992 TAG: 9203270254
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
West Virginia's basketball team made a run at Virginia in the second half Thursday night but came up well short in a 103-83 loss in the women's NCAA East Regional.
Junior center Heather Burge scored 32 points and her 6-foot-5 twin Heidi added 22 points - career highs for both - as the Cavaliers (31-1) won their 18th game in a row.
Virginia, bidding for its third straight trip to the women's Final Four, will meet Vanderbilt (22-8) in the region championship game Saturday at 11 a.m. at University Hall.
The Commodores snapped Miami's 30-game winning streak with a 77-67 victory on what was a night for upsets. Defending NCAA champion Tennessee fell to Western Kentucky 75-70.
"My first reaction was one of disappointment that we wouldn't get to see them," said Ryan, whose Cavaliers fell to the Volunteers in last year's NCAA final. "We're so used to playing them in the postseason."
Ryan said she was nervous all day, although the Cavaliers had defeated West Virginia 92-63 earlier in the season and were coming off a 97-58 victory over another Atlantic-10 team, George Washington.
UVa had scored more than 100 points three times during the regular season, but had never hit three figures in NCAA play until Heather Burge put back a missed free throw with 1:38 left.
The Mountaineers, once down by 30 points, cut the deficit to 14 at one stage in finishing 26-4. Rosemary Kosiorek led WVU with 27 points and Donna Abbott added 21.
West Virginia had no answer for the Burges in the opening minutes, when the twins combined for 17 points as the Cavaliers took a 24-12 lead with 12:28 left.
The Mountaineers stayed within sight of Virginia, trailing 38-25, before the Cavaliers scored 16 points in the last five minutes to go ahead 54-31.
West Virginia was called for 17 fouls in the first half, compared with eight for the Cavaliers, a disparity WVU coach Scott Harrelson repeatedly brought to the attention of the officials.
When Staley was called for a charging foul with six seconds left, Harrelson leaped to his feet in mock celebration. At that point, West Virginia had been called for seven fouls since UVa's last personal.
Heather Burge had 18 points at the half on an assortment of right- and left-handed hooks and even a few 12-foot jumpers, a weapon normally reserved for her sister. Heidi Burge had eight points, all in the first 4:06.
Kosiorek, averaging 24.2 points per game, had 10 points in the first half but did not score in the final 8:22 as UVa rotated fresh players on her.
It was 63-33 before Kosiorek scored again with 17:29 remaining as part of a 6-0 West Virginia run. Until that time, the Mountaineers had not scored more than four points in succession.
West Virginia cut its deficit in half, drawing to 74-59 with 10:29 left as UVa's Dawn Staley watched from the bench after picking up her fourth foul.
The Mountaineers got as close as 78-64 on a 3-pointer by freshman Donna Blazek with 9:10 left, but the twins scored six straight points to put UVa back on top by 20 before Staley returned with 7:48 left.
"I think they just relaxed a little bit," Harrelson said. "They were beating us so bad that it got boring for them. We tried to get so far behind that they would quit playing."
Staley, two-time ACC player of the year, concentrated on her playmaking and scored only 12 points. Fellow senior Tammi Reiss had 22 points, hitting 11 of 12 free throws.
"I think there's lot of room for improvement," Ryan said. "We allowed a 52-point half tonight. Giving up 31 points in a half is plenty." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB