ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, March 25, 1996 TAG: 9603270097
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
VIRGINIA'S PATH TO the Final Four goes through U-Hall, but is blocked by Tennessee.
In a women's basketball series that has spanned nine games and more than 15 years, Tennessee will play Virginia for the first time at University Hall tonight.
``It's not what you think,'' UVa coach Debbie Ryan said.
Ryan, aware that scheduling matters can become a distraction, was quick to scuttle any suggestion that the Lady Vols have avoided Virginia's home court.
``We've tried,'' Ryan said. ``Both of us have worked at it. Don't get that wrong. We've talked, but we just haven't been able to get anything in place.
``We've played in Knoxville [Tenn.] a lot, but mostly because of the NCAAs. It seems like every March we're going to see each other, so why play during the regular season?''
The first seven times the teams met, it was in the NCAA Tournament, including five years in a row between 1987-1991. UVa's only victory over the Lady Vols was in the 1990 East Region championship game in Norfolk.
That was one of coach Pat Summitt's most disappointing defeats because it kept the Lady Vols out of the women's Final Four in the only year they have served as hosts.
It only took one year for Tennessee to exact its revenge, when the Lady Vols defeated Virginia 70-67 in overtime in the 1991 title game. It was the closest UVa came to a championship in three consecutive trips to the women's Final Four, 1990-92.
The teams have met twice since, including a date in this season's season-opening Hall of Fame Classic, when Tennessee pulverized the Cavaliers on the backboards and won in a romp, 78-51.
``They killed us,'' Ryan said Saturday. ``I mean, they beat us by 27 points on national television. It doesn't get much worse than that.''
On closer examination, this season's first Tennessee-Virginia game was close for a while. The Cavaliers led 17-13 midway through the first half, and were able to trim a 31-21 halftime deficit to 31-25.
The difference was on the backboards. The Lady Vols shot only 40 percent from the floor, but outrebounded Virginia 66-34. Three Tennessee players hit double-figures in rebounds, including 5-foot-6 guard Latina Davis.
Virginia (26-6) has been outrebounded in five of its losses, including a 75-67 setback to Clemson in the semifinals of the ACC tournament. It was UVa's third loss to the Tigers this season and prompted a week of soul-searching.
``The checking out and the rebounding has been better ever since the Clemson loss,'' Ryan said. ``After [the players] saw the tape, they were absolutely shocked.
``They didn't realize it was as bad as it was. That picture is still etched in their minds. It is an emphasis every single day and every single minute.''
The UVa players used green markers to write the words ``box out'' on their wrists Saturday, when they grabbed 20 offensive rebounds in a 72-60 victory over Old Dominion, which featured 6-5 Clarisse Machanguana, 6-4 Esther Benjamin and 6-3 Nyree Roberts.
The Cavaliers, who were ranked 11th in Division I in rebounding following the regular season, have outrebounded their three NCAA Tournament victims by 12, 14 and nine. That's without a starter taller than 6-2.
There was much speculation that Virginia would fall to second-round opponent George Washington, which had won 20 of 21 games, but the Cavaliers prevailed 62-43 and spared Ryan the ignominy of watching the East Regional from the U-Hall stands.
Never mind that Old Dominion was coming to town with a 19-game winning streak and the mission of establishing a rivalry with the Cavaliers, who hadn't played the Lady Monarchs since 1990-91.
``The pressure's off,'' said Ryan after a 72-60 win over the Lady Monarchs. ``The pressure's been off. Maybe I was playing games with myself, but I felt we were the underdog. They're big, they're strong, they're [ranked] No.6.''
There is no question the eleventh-ranked Cavaliers will be the underdog against fourth-ranked Tennessee (29-4). The Lady Vols, seeded first in the East, have won 12 games in a row and 18 of their last 19.
Tennessee won its first two NCAA games by 41 and 32 points, respectively, and led Kansas by 32 points before winning 92-71. The Lady Vols have a large fan following, which has had its eyes on Virginia since the pairings were announced.
``Fortunately, our players have remained players throughout the tournament,'' Summitt said. ``The important thing is that they think as players and not fans or spectators.
``You have to have a lot of discipline in postseason when you see a bracket that might overwhelm you. Our team set a goal of winning two games, then we set a goal of winning two more games. With one down, we're ready for the second.''
LENGTH: Medium: 88 linesby CNB