Women’s notebook: Virginia looks to get back in win column against Georgia Tech

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Virginia women’s basketball team hosts Georgia Tech on Thursday at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• The game will stream online on ACCNX through the ESPN app. It is available through participating TV providers that carry the ACC Network
• The game will be airing on the Virginia Sports Radio Network
• Live stats be available
• Links are posted on VirginiaSports.com

VIRGINIA NOTES

• The Cavaliers (12-1, 1-1 ACC) are receiving votes in the USA Today Coaches Poll
• Virginia suffered its first defeat of the season last week at Duke, falling 70-56 to the Blue Devils. The loss snapped a 12-game win streak, the team’s longest since 1995
• The Blue Devils held a 41-40 edge in rebounding, just the second time this season Virginia was outrebounded in a game. The Cavaliers rank fifth in the nation in rebounding margin at plus-13.9 (2nd in the ACC). UVA continues to lead the ACC with 16.4 offensive rebounds per game
• Virginia ranks in the top 10 in the nation in shooting defense, holding opponents to a 33.1 percent overall efficiency (9th in the nation, 2nd in the ACC) and 23.7 percent from beyond the arc (8th in the nation, 2nd in the ACC)
• The Cavaliers are in the top 20 in scoring defense, holding opponents to 53.5 points per game (16th in the nation, 3rd in the ACC) and 15th in scoring margin at plus-23.2 (15th in the nation, 3rd in the ACC)
• Mir McLean leads the team in scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.0 points per game and 9.9 rebounds per game. She has led the team in rebounding in the last seven games and eight of the last nine
• McLean is second in the ACC and 23rd in the nation in rebounds per game and leads the ACC and is 13th in the nation in offensive rebounds per game (4.1)
• Alexia Smith scored a season-high 11 points at Duke. She is the seventh different Cavalier to lead the team in scoring in a game this season
• Sam Brunelle has scored in double figures in each of the last three games and in nine of 13
• Brunelle made her first 17 free-throw attempts of the season, missing for the first time in the second quarter at Duke. She is 21 of 22 this season, shooting 95.5 percent. Last season at Notre Dame, she only went to the line 14 times, going 9 of 14 (64.3 percent)
• Taylor Valladay is 7th in the ACC in assists per game at 4.0 per contest. She has had at least four assists in seven of the last eight games
• Both teams are coming off an eight-day break for the holidays. Both UVA and Georgia Tech last played on Wednesday, Dec. 21

SCOUTING GEORGIA TECH

• Georgia Tech (9-3, 0-1) went into the break with an 82-41 win against Furman
• The Yellow Jackets opened conference play with a 74-62 loss at Boston College on Dec. 18
• The Yellow Jackets rank right behind the Cavaliers in field goal percentage defense, limiting opponents to 33.3 percent shooting. They lead the ACC in three-point shooting defense at 21.2 percent (2nd in the nation)
• Cameron Swartz leads the team in scoring at 13.4 points per game. Swartz is a grad transfer from Boston College where she was First Team All-ACC last season. Georgia Tech is her third school, as she played her freshman year at Colorado
• Bianca Jackson is also averaging double figures with 12.8 points per game
• Kayla Blackshear leads the team in rebounding at 6.0 per game
• Georgia Tech made its second-straight NCAA Tournament appearance last season, going 11-7 in conference play. They were picked to finish eighth in the preseason ACC poll
• Virginia leads the all-time series 58-18, but the Yellow Jackets have won the last two meetings, including a 67-31 victory last year in Atlanta

ON THE HORIZON
Virginia has a bye this weekend before playing back-to-back road games at No. 7 Virginia Tech next Thursday (Jan. 5) at 7 p.m. and at No. 6 NC State next Sunday at 3 p.m.

🟧 ORANGE OUT JPJ 🟧 pic.twitter.com/J6SvsWF45W

— Virginia Women’s Basketball (@UVAWomensHoops) December 29, 2022