Seize Every Opportunity
Miami hits the road for the first of its final three road games of the season on Tuesday when it takes on the Virginia Cavaliers at 6 p.m. The game was originally scheduled to be played on Jan. 3, but was rescheduled due to COVID protocols in the Virginia program. Tuesday’s contest will air on ACC Network Extra and fans can also listen to the game on WVUM 90.5.
Miami and Virginia have not met in over two years as the Cavaliers opted out of the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19. The series between the two teams is tied at 10, but the Cavaliers came away with the 69-64 victory last time the teams met on Feb. 13, 2020.
LAST TIME OUT
The Hurricanes dominated the Seminoles from start to finish on Sunday, besting Florida State by 17 points, 76-59. Miami held a double-digit lead for 32 of the 40 minutes. Senior Karla Erjavec had the game of her Miami career on Sunday, tallying a season-best 15 points (5-of-10). The guard added two rebounds and five assists to her stat line to round out a complete performance.
As a team, Miami shot a season-best 55.1 percent from the field and an electric 52.9 percent (9-of-17) from 3-point range. Graduate student Kelsey Marshall joined Erjavec in double-figures, posting 12 points and knocking down three 3-pointers. Freshman Ja’Leah Williams and graduate student Maeva Djaldi-Tabdi also scored in double-figures, recording 12 and 10 points, respectively.
WHAT TO WATCH FOR
- Senior guard Karla Erjavec is just one assist away from eclipsing the 300-career assist mark
- The Hurricanes have shot the ball exceptionally well from distance over the last two games, knocking down 43.2 percent of their shots from beyond the arc
- When holding its opponent under 60 points, Miami holds an 8-3 overall record
- The Hurricanes are 11-2 when outrebounding their opponents with the only two losses coming to top-25 team
TOP-FIVE FRESHMAN
Freshman Ja’Leah Williams has solidified herself as one of the best freshmen in the conference, ranking in the top five among ACC freshmen in scoring (fifth – 7.6), rebounding (third – 4.3), assists (third – 2.1) and steals (first – 2.0). She is one of just two freshman (Sonia Citron – Notre Dame) to rank in the top five in all four statistical categories.
Williams has tallied seven double-digit outings this season and made 17 starts as a freshman. She ranks second on the Hurricanes in scoring (7.6) and third in rebounding (4.3). In ACC play, Williams is averaging 8.7 points and 4.8 rebounds.
THE BEST OF THE BEST
The most prolific 3-point shooter in Miami program history, graduate student Kelsey Marshall reached another milestone on Sunday, becoming just the 11th active Division I women’s basketball player to reach 300 career 3-pointers.
She is one of just two active ACC players to reach the mark, joining Virginia Tech’s Aisha Sheppard. Over the last two games, Marshall has shot 56.3 percent from 3-point range, knocking down 9-of-16.
