UM Crams the Convocation Center to Beat Breast Cancer Against No. 20 Maryland on Senior Night

UM Crams the Convocation Center to Beat Breast Cancer Against No. 20 Maryland on Senior Night

Feb. 16, 2005

CORAL GABLES, Fla. –

The <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>University of Miami women’s basketball team will host No. 20 Maryland Thursday night at the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. UM, who will recognize senior Yalonda McCormick and Fallon Phanord in the Hurricanes’ regular season-finale, will donate one dollar for every ticket sold to Thursday’s game to the Susan G. Koman Cancer Foundation.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

 

(20/21) Maryland (17-6, 6-5 ACC) vs Miami (12-12, 4-7 ACC)

 

Date: February 17, 2005

Time: 7 p.m.

Site (Capacity): The Convocation Center (7,000)

Location: Coral Gables, Fla.

TV: None

Radio: WVUM (90.5 FM)

Internet: www.hurricanesports.com

Tickets: $5 Adults, $3 Children/Seniors

Meeting: Fifth

Series: Maryland leads 3-1

Last Meeting: Maryland won 86-85 in Baton Rouge, La. (3/21/04)

 

The Game

The Hurricanes and the 20th-ranked Terrapins square-off Thursday night at the Convocation Center at 7 p.m. in UM’s 2004-05 regular-season finale. Against the Terps, UM will pay honor to a pair of Miami natives, seniors Yalonda McCormick and Fallon Phanord as they play in their final home games as Hurricanes. UM is also dedicating Thursday’s game to helping raised money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation by donating a dollar donation from every ticket sold to the local Komen affiliate. This will mark the fifth meeting all-time between the Hurricanes and the Terps, who lead the all-time series at 3-1 after downing UM, 86-85, last season in the first round of the 2004 Women’s NCAA Tournament in Baton Rouge, La. The game will be broadcast live on WVUM (90.5 FM) and can also be heard on the web at www.hurricanesports.com, which will also feature live scoring and stats. Tickets are $5 for adults and $3 for children and seniors and can be purchased through the Hurricane Ticket Office at 1-800-GO-CANES.

           

The Hurricanes

The Hurricanes, who have now won four of their last six games, will play host to the Terps Thursday evening looking to rebound from a disappointing, 71-68, loss to No. 21 NC State Monday night. Both of UM’s last two losses have come at the hands of ranked opponents, falling to NC State and to No. 3 Duke, 72-63, Feb. 3. The Hurricanes are averaging 65.3 points per game on the season, but have averaged 71.6 over the last five games, largely due to the increased production of sophomore Imani Dhahabu, who is netting 10.0 points over than span – nearly double her season average of 5.5 points per game. UM is led by junior Tamara James, who is second in the NCAA and tops the ACC in scoring with 23.1 points per game. James, who also leads the Hurricanes in rebounding with 7.0 boards per game, has averaged 29.7 points over the last three games, with totals of 35, 31 and 23 against Virginia Tech, Virginia and NC State, respectively. Senior Yalonda McCormick is second on the team in scoring with 12.7 points per game and with a 20-point outing against the Wolfpack, she became the 18th player in school history to score 1,000 career points and only the second player in UM history to record 1,000 points and 500 assists. Freshman Albrey Grimsley is third in UM scoring with 7.0 points per game and junior Tatjana Marincic has averaged 6.2 points off the bench in Miami’s last five games.

 

The Terrapins

Third-year head coach Brenda Frese and the 20th-ranked Terrapins head to Coral Gables with an overall record of 17-6 and a 6-5 mark in ACC play, having won four of their last five games. Despite turning in their lowest point total of the season in a 60-49 loss to Duke Feb. 13 in thier last outing, the Terps rank third in the ACC and ninth in the nation in scoring with 75.1 points per game. Sophomore Shay Doron is third in the ACC in scoring with 19.0 points per game followed by freshman Crystal Langhorne, who’s netting 15.7 points per game. Langhorne, who has been named the ACC Rookie of the Week four times, tops the ACC in rebounding with 9.4 rebounds per game and has turned in an ACC-leading 10 double-doubles this season.

 

Cram the ConvocationCenter to Beat Breast Cancer

The University of Miami’s women’s basketball team is dedicating its final home game of the year to helping raise money for the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation, Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate.  For every single game ticket sold to the February 17 game against Maryland, a dollar donation will go to the local Komen Affiliate.

 

“Our goal is to sell out the ConvocationCenter for this event,” said Associate Athletic Director and Senior Woman Administrator Connie Nickel.  “With a capacity of 7,000, that would amount to a significant donation to the Komen Foundation.”

 

Bobbi Meyers, Executive Director of the Foundation’s Miami/Ft. Lauderdale Affiliate, is excited about the partnership.

 

“We’ve enjoyed a strong relationship with the University of Miami Alumni Association in the past and the UM Center for Cancer Prevention and Genetics is a recipient of one of our grants. To extend that partnership to the entire UM community through the Athletic Department is obviously a great opportunity for us.”

 

Volunteers from the Susan G. Komen Foundation will be passing out information and educational materials prior to the game.  A halftime ceremony is planned, during which Dr. Sean Kenniff from CBS4 will speak and breast cancer survivors will be honored.