Virginia looks for 4-0 start tonight at Loyola-Chicago

jerryratcliffe.com

Posted on Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, 2:28 pm

Follow Jerry Ratcliffe on Twitter

Advertising inquiries: Connect with us

Email Jerry Ratcliffe: jratcliffe7000@gmail.com

 

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Photo by Jon Golden

The Virginia women’s basketball team travels to take on Loyola University Chicago on Wednesday at 7 p.m. ET at Gentile Arena in Chicago, Ill.

FROM HEAD COACH AMAKA AGUGUA-HAMILTON

“Yesterday (Monday), we met as a team and spent a good part of the afternoon and evening together. First, I just wanted to be there for them and let them know that they were loved and not alone during this trying time. We have several players that were very close to those three young men. But even the ones that were not are still dealing with the trauma lingering from the senseless act of violence against some of their peers. We talked about this game as a group, and the consensus was that they want to compete for Lavel, Devin, and D’Sean, because that was the best way we could honor them.”

BROADCAST INFORMATION

  • The game will be streamed on ESPN+ (subscription required)
  • All of the 2022-23 Virginia women’s basketball games are available locally on the radio on NewsRadio 1070 AM and 98.9 FM WINA
  • Live stats be available
  • Links are posted on VirginiaSports.com

NOTING THE CAVALIERS

  • Tonight’s game is a homecoming game for two of the Cavaliers’ starters
  • Taylor Valladay attended Rich South High in Richton Park in the south suburbs of Chicago. She led the Stars to consecutive state tournament appearances. She also ran track and was the Illinois State Champion in the 4×200
  • Camryn Taylor was born and raised in Peoria. She attended Richwoods High in her hometown, leading the Knights to a Class 3A State Championship as a junior
  • Virginia is off to a 3-0 start to the season for the first time since 2016-17 and opened conference play with a win for the first time since 2017-18
  • The Cavaliers (1-0 ACC) opened the season with an 85-59 victory against George Washington on Monday. Virginia trailed by six with 9:18 left in the third quarter but outscored the Colonials 31-9 in the fourth. Wake Forest had a six-point lead in the first quarter and lead 14-12 at the end of the frame. UVA outscored the Demon Deacons 45-22 in the second and third quarters to pull away
  • Virginia had five players score double in each of the first two games and four in the third game. Two players, Camryn Taylor and Sam Brunelle, have scored in double figures in all three games.
  • Virginia is averaging 86.0 points per game with a plus-33.7 scoring differential. Virginia has averaged fewer than 60 points per game in three of the last four seasons and has finished last in the ACC in scoring in each of the last two seasons. The Cavaliers haven’t averaged more than 65 points per game since 2014-15. The last time the Cavaliers averaged 70 points per game for a season was 2013-14
  • Virginia comes into Wednesday’s game averaging 53.0 rebounds per game which ranks fourth in the nation
  • The Cavaliers are ranked No. 21 in fewest turnovers committed per game at 10.7 and 17th with a 1.78 assist-to-turnover ratio
  • Senior Camryn Taylor is averaging 16.7 points and 7.7  rebounds per game to lead the team in both categories. Taylor was the Cavaliers’ leading scorer last season but only played in 12 games, taking a personal leave of absence from the team after Jan. 13 game against NC State
  • Junior guard Kaydan Lawson is averaging 13.3 points, including scoring a career-high 18 points in the season-opener, and 7.3 rebounds per game. She averaged 4.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game last season
  • Grad transfer Sam Brunelle is averaging 14.3 points per game in the first three contests, including a 21-point performance against UMBC

SCOUTING LOYOLA

  • Allison Guth is in her first season as the head coach after spending the last seven years (six seasons) at Yale. She was an assistant coach for the Ramblers from 2005-07
  • Loyola (1-1, 0-0 A10) was a member of the Missouri Valley Conference (the same conference as Coach Mox’s former team, Missouri State), but has moved to the Atlantic 10 this season
  • The Ramblers were 18-12 last season, their highest win total since the 1988-89 season
  • Loyola returns three starters from the 2021-22 squad, along with eight total returning letterwinners. Four of the team’s top six scorers, that accounted for nearly 50% of the team’s point production, are back this season, including the leading scorer from a year ago, junior guard Maya Chandler (10.6 ppg)
  • Loyola opened the season with a 60-51 win against Western Michigan but dropped a 76-66 game at Milwaukee last Thursday
  • This is the first meeting between the two schools

ON THE HORIZON

Virginia closes out the week with a game at American on Sunday at 2 p.m.