Johnson, Hurricanes Too Much For Virginia

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Hurricanes, led by junior Shenise Johnson’s 30 points and 11 rebounds, earned a big 82-73 road victory over Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams Thursday night at the John Paul Jones Arena. The win was the 14th straight for Miami – the second longest win streak in program history.

The double-double was the seventh of the season for the do-everything guard. The Preseason All-ACC selection proved that she might be one of the most complete players in the country, as Johnson added game-highs in both assists and steals, with six and four respectively.

Trailing by as much as five points in the opening half, Miami (15-1, 1-0 ACC) closed out the period on an 8-0 run, keyed by four points each from Riquna Williams and Morgan Stroman.

The run continued in the second half with a corner three from R. Williams and a Sylvia Bullock layup. In all, the Hurricanes went on a 13-0 run to take a 44-34 lead. The Cavaliers would get within one point with 8:09 to go, but Miami never trailed again.

After Virginia closed the gap to one, Johnson nailed one of her career-high tying 11 field goals to go up 59-56. On the next possession, reserve guard Shanel Williams stepped up and hit a three to extend the `Canes lead to six, limiting the home team’s chances for a comeback.

Despite a poor shooting performance in the first half, R. Williams continued to attack the basket and draw fouls. The two-time ACC Player of the Week hit 9-of-11 free throws on the night and ended the game with 22 points.

As a team, the `Canes connected on 20 of their 22 free throw attempts for a season-best 90.9 percent.

Stroman added 12 points and 12 rebounds – recording her second straight double-double and the fifth of the season. Bullock also reached double-figures on the night, adding 10 points.

Once again, the Miami defense forced 20 turnovers – leading to 23 points. The `Canes have forced 20 or more turnovers in all but one of their sixteen games this season.

Virginia (10-6, 0-1 ACC) was led on the offensive end by Paulisha Kallum’s 19 points. Ariana Moorer scored 17 points, while Ataira Franklin added 15 and a team-high eight rebounds.

Miami will stay on the road as it faces Virginia Tech Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Cassel Coliseum in Blacksburg, Va.

POST-GAME NOTES

The win today…
-is Miami’s 14th in a row – the second-highest streak in program history.
-improves Miami’s record to 15-1 – tied for the best start in program history after 16 games. The `Canes started 30-1 during the 1991-92 season.

Today’s Starters
Starting for Miami today was Riquna Williams, Shenise Johnson, Stephanie Yderstrom, Sylvia Bullock, and Morgan Stroman. The Hurricanes have used the same starting lineup in all 16 games this year.

Double-Double Trouble
Shenise Johnson recorded her third consecutive double-double – seventh of the year – with a season-best 30 points and 11 rebounds. Sophomore Morgan Stroman scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 12 boards for her fifth double-double of the season.

Threes Company
With four threes in tonight’s game, Miami extended its streak to 308 consecutive games with a three-point field goal.

Today’s Opponent
Miami defeated Virginia for the first time in seven chances and just the second time in school history. Virginia had beaten the Hurricanes in overtime in each of the last two seasons.

Shenise Continues the Streak
With her season-high 30 points today, Shenise Johnson has now scored in double figures for the 53rd straight game.

Pressure Burst Pipes
Tonight the `Canes forced 20 turnovers. Miami’s full-court pressure defense has forced its opponents into 20 or more turnovers in all but one game so far this season.