I am not going to prepare an in-depth preview of UVA for tomorrow's game. If a fan wants to refresh his or her memory, scroll down the page to Virginia preview (Feb 19) and re-read the backround on each player,etc.
I watched the entire Virginia victory over Pitt this afternoon. I will add my observations of that game as well as draw some conclusions on the initial matchup between the two team's on the Cavalier's home court.
https://calbears.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2024-25/virginia/boxscore/36914
The game that I watched today was not well played by UVA. The one wrinkle that the Cavaliers implemented that has me a little worried was the double-team on Pitt's primary offensive threat, 6-4 C Faye, who normally averages19.4 points per game. Virginia plays a zone defense the entire game. Every time that Pitt got the ball into their post, she was immediately double-teamed and could not maneuver, drive or make any offensive moves. Faye was shutout (zero points) at halftime for the initial time this season. I am concerned that they will try to execute this tactic on Michelle Onyiah tomorrow which could be problematic for Cal. I'll discuss it more down below when I discuss the pros & cons of the 76-70 Bear victory.
If Cal plays a solid game like they did on February 20th, there's no reason to think that the result will not be the same. As I stated in my preview of the first encounter with the Cavaliers, they do not force many turnovers and they're not a strong rebounding team. The Bears only committed 13 TOs and dominated the boards, 42-31. Michelle Onyiah was in foul trouble most of the game and only played 24 minutes, ending up w/ 4 PFs. Fortunately, she was able to establish superiority over UVA's second highest scorer and top rebounder, Latasha Lattimore. Michelle Onyiah got a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds as compared to L Lattimore's output of 6 points and only 4 boards. Lattimore is an elite shot blocker and did get 5 of those.
If Cal can duplicate similar results, they will have an excellent opportunity to triumph. As I previously stated, if the Cavaliers are able to substantially shut down Onyiah and/or get her in early foul trouble, the final result could swing in Virginia's favor. Michelle is the key to the Bear's successful three-point shooting from the four other starters. Cal made 13 treys that day with their "inside out" offensive strategy. The Bears had four starters hit double figures in Charlottesville with point totals of 18, 18, 15 & 14. The only major offensive force for UVA was their soph point guard, Kymora Johnson (#21). KJ led the way w/ 24 points, 7 rebounds & 5 assists. Nobody else was unstoppable like her. Kymora made 8 baskets while none of her teammates mustered more than 3 or 4. Two players scored 11 & 12 points to complement their star.
Both teams have only lost one game in their last several games. Cal has won 5 of 6. As long as the Bears perform in a balanced manor, they should be able to be successful on Thursday and advance. If Michelle Onyiah can stay on the court, I believe that Cal's chances go up exponentially. I predict the Bears will defeat the Cavaliers, 80-70. GO BEARS!
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I watched the entire Virginia victory over Pitt this afternoon. I will add my observations of that game as well as draw some conclusions on the initial matchup between the two team's on the Cavalier's home court.
https://calbears.com/sports/womens-basketball/stats/2024-25/virginia/boxscore/36914
The game that I watched today was not well played by UVA. The one wrinkle that the Cavaliers implemented that has me a little worried was the double-team on Pitt's primary offensive threat, 6-4 C Faye, who normally averages19.4 points per game. Virginia plays a zone defense the entire game. Every time that Pitt got the ball into their post, she was immediately double-teamed and could not maneuver, drive or make any offensive moves. Faye was shutout (zero points) at halftime for the initial time this season. I am concerned that they will try to execute this tactic on Michelle Onyiah tomorrow which could be problematic for Cal. I'll discuss it more down below when I discuss the pros & cons of the 76-70 Bear victory.
If Cal plays a solid game like they did on February 20th, there's no reason to think that the result will not be the same. As I stated in my preview of the first encounter with the Cavaliers, they do not force many turnovers and they're not a strong rebounding team. The Bears only committed 13 TOs and dominated the boards, 42-31. Michelle Onyiah was in foul trouble most of the game and only played 24 minutes, ending up w/ 4 PFs. Fortunately, she was able to establish superiority over UVA's second highest scorer and top rebounder, Latasha Lattimore. Michelle Onyiah got a double-double with 18 points and 11 rebounds as compared to L Lattimore's output of 6 points and only 4 boards. Lattimore is an elite shot blocker and did get 5 of those.
If Cal can duplicate similar results, they will have an excellent opportunity to triumph. As I previously stated, if the Cavaliers are able to substantially shut down Onyiah and/or get her in early foul trouble, the final result could swing in Virginia's favor. Michelle is the key to the Bear's successful three-point shooting from the four other starters. Cal made 13 treys that day with their "inside out" offensive strategy. The Bears had four starters hit double figures in Charlottesville with point totals of 18, 18, 15 & 14. The only major offensive force for UVA was their soph point guard, Kymora Johnson (#21). KJ led the way w/ 24 points, 7 rebounds & 5 assists. Nobody else was unstoppable like her. Kymora made 8 baskets while none of her teammates mustered more than 3 or 4. Two players scored 11 & 12 points to complement their star.
Both teams have only lost one game in their last several games. Cal has won 5 of 6. As long as the Bears perform in a balanced manor, they should be able to be successful on Thursday and advance. If Michelle Onyiah can stay on the court, I believe that Cal's chances go up exponentially. I predict the Bears will defeat the Cavaliers, 80-70. GO BEARS!
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