`Canes Claim 15th Straight in Win at Virginia Tech

BLACKSBURG, Va. – The University of Miami women’s basketball team won its 15th consecutive game and opened 2-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time in program history with a 69-56 victory over Virginia Tech Sunday at the Cassell Coliseum.

The Hurricanes were in for a battle early and the reigning ACC Player of the Week, Shenise Johnson was sent to the bench with 6:31 to go in the first half with a pair of fouls and her team trailing 22-19.

After the Hokies’ Aerial Wilson hit a three-pointer to extend the lead to 25-19, Miami (16-1, 2-0 ACC) went on a 10-0 run without Johnson and led 29-25. The Hurricanes would never trail again.

When Johnson returned to the court in the second half, she regained her All-ACC form, ending the game with 19 points.

The `Canes defense stepped up its pressure after the break and turned the Hokies over 14 times. In all, Virginia Tech had 24 turnovers – the 16th Miami opponent with 20 or more turnovers on the season.

For the third straight game, Morgan Stroman recorded a double-double with 15 points and a game-high 12 rebounds. She also led the `Canes with three steals and converted on two and-one situations.

Riquna Williams – the ACC’s leading scorer – was quiet in the first half, but scored 13 points after the break for a game-high 21 points.

Even though Johnson, Williams and Stroman lit up the stat sheet, it was timely buckets from freshman Krystal Saunders that were vital to Miami’s first half. The 2010 Miss Florida Basketball honoree hit a pair of threes and was tied for a game-high eight points at the half.

Virginia Tech (9-7, 0-2 ACC) was led by Brittany Gordon’s 10 points and 11 rebounds – her first double-double of the season. Shanel Harrison scored a team-high 11 points, while Alyssa Fenyn added 10 points of her own.

Miami returns to sunny South Florida for two games next weekend. Clemson will come to Coral Gables on Friday at 8:30 p.m. and Boston College pays a visit to the BankUnited Center on Sunday at 1 p.m. Each game will be televised on Fox Sports South.

POST-GAME NOTES

The win today…
-is Miami’s 15th in a row – the second-highest streak in program history.
-improves Miami’s record to 16-1 – tied for the best start in program history after 17 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 17 games this year.

Double-Double Trouble
Morgan Stroman recorded her third consecutive double-double – sixth of the year – with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Threes Company
With five threes in tonight’s game, Miami extended its streak to 309 consecutive games with a three-point field goal.

Today’s Opponent
With the win today, Miami now owns a 7-6 edge in the all-time series between the two teams.

Shenise Continues the Streak
With her 19 points today, Shenise Johnson has now scored in double figures for the 54th straight game.

Pressure Burst Pipes
Today, the `Canes forced 24 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.

A Program First
With its win today, Miami has opened the ACC season with a 2-0 record – the first time in program history that has happened.