The Plus/Minus: UVA Women’s Basketball beats Georgia Tech

Plus

A win is a win is a win. The Virginia Cavaliers erupted for 27 third quarter points (after having scored only 28 points in the first half) to break open a tight game and knock off Georgia Tech, moving to 13-1 on the season and 2-1 in the ACC.

Minus

Mir McLean’s foul trouble. McLean fouled out against Duke last game out and, when she picked up her first foul three minutes into the game, Coach Agugua-Hamilton immediately ushered her to the bench. McLean would only play five minutes in the first half, and yet, she fouled out again. She’s trying to draw charges — she was whistled three times for blocking and she’s had some success against the cupcakes in UVA’s out-of-conference slate — but the game speeds up in the ACC. McLean is the team’s best player but she is going to have to adjust her defense for the ‘Hoos to reach their full potential. She’s too valuable.

Plus

McLean was a beast when she was on the court. She played just 19 minutes but led the team in both scoring and rebounding with 13 points and nine boards, four of them offensive. The Cavaliers had let a 16-9 first quarter lead dissipate into a 33-28 halftime deficit with McLean riding the bench. But the Connecticut native, obviously well-rested, came out on fire in the third and scored nine points in three minutes to bring UVA within one point, 39-40. When McLean was on the court, Virginia outscored Georgia Tech 31-19. When she sat, Tech outscored Virginia 44-37. McLean had the highlight-reel defensive play of the night, sending 6’5” Nerea Hermosa’s third quarter shot five rows deep.

Plus

Virginia is not a good three-point shooting team and, when they’ve struggled, it’s because the women have hoisted way too many threes. UVA was much more judicious and effective, tonight going 4-7 from deep.

Plus

The Cavaliers pounded the Wreck in the paint, thereby obviating the need to score more from deep. Hermosa is a large, powerful force inside for Georgia Tech, but she seems to be missing her front-court mate from last year, (and my favorite ACC player last year) Lorela Cubaj. Sam Brunelle, Camryn Taylor, London Clarkson and McLean all went right at Hermosa. The team’s 11 offensive boards translated into 14 second-chance points (Tech only had five) and that was the difference in the game.

Minus

A poor team performance from the free throw line. 14-24. That’s 58%. Brunelle did her part, going 4-4, but that’s 50% for the rest of the team. With 30 seconds left, it’s a two-possession game, Georgia Tech has to foul, and Taylor grabs the defensive rebound. She’s a good free throw shooter, one of the best along with Brunelle and McLean, but she instead opted to get the ball away quickly to Kaydan Lawson, who was thus fouled immediately. Lawson is 60% from the line on the season, and the results are about what you would expect. Coach Mox is going to have to figure out a way to get the ball into Sam Brunelle’s hands when the clock is winding down because the rest of the team is just too sketchy in that spot.

Plus

After the Duke game, I opined that Alexia Smith is going to be better in ACC action than freshman Yonta Vaughan. It was almost as if Coach Mox read my mind because she started Smith and played her for 32 minutes. Smith was the only other player besides McLean in double figures while she also had four rebounds and four assists.

Plus

Carole Miller is playing better coming off the bench than she did last year as a starter. Miller had eight points and is averaging 4.5 points in just 16 minutes. Last season, Miller averaged 5 points in 25 minutes. And I don’t know if I failed to notice her defensive play amidst the malaise that was last season, but her defense is quite good. She fights through screens and has the length to alter a wing’s shot. Tech’s Bianca Jackson lit it up in the second quarter. But Miller drew the assignment in the second half and shut her down.

Minus

It is somewhat jarring going back and forth between watching the men and the women play relative to how the games are officiated. The refereeing is simply not the same between the two. From games this season it looks as though the women’s teams get called for way more traveling, double dribbles, and palming violations. I’d personally prefer to see the men’s game called this tight, but if not, the women need to be given the same leeway because far too often refs make the women look less competent.

Plus

Losing to Duke doesn’t look so bad now. The Blue Devils just hammered #6 NC State, drubbing the Wolfpack by 14 points.

Next Up: The gauntlet that is the ACC begins in earnest as UVa heads off to Blacksburg ahead of games versus NC State and UNC. We play Virginia Tech Thursday, January 5^th at 7:00pm Tech started the season strong, reaching #7 in the rankings before losing both ACC games they played this week.