March 1, 2012

GREENSBORO, N.C. - The sixth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers defeated the 11th-seeded Boston College Eagles, 72-41, Thursday night in first-round action of the ACC Women's Basketball Tournament in the Greensboro Coliseum. The Cavaliers (22-9) will face the third-seeded Maryland Terrapins in a quarterfinal contest Friday at 8:00 p.m.

Behind 20 points each from senior Ariana Moorer and sophomore Ataira Franklin, Virginia won for the sixth time in the last seven games. The victory was the second largest by UVa in ACC Tournament play. The Cavaliers beat Florida State 83-50 in the 1996 ACC Tournament.

"I'm just excited, tournament time," Virginia head coach Joanne Boyle said. "It's been great, and I like our approach to the weekend thus far. It's nice to get one underneath our belt."

Sophomore Katie Zenevitch led the Eagles with 11 points and six rebounds. Boston College, which features four sophomores and a junior in its starting lineup, fell to 7-23 on the year.

"I was hoping to end on a better note with this team," Boston College head coach Sylvia Crawley said. "We've been through a lot of adversity. I said to them in the locker room that they just have to keep their heads up and understand that we've been through a lot. It's made us stronger as a team. It's brought them closer as a team. I was explaining to them that when I was a freshman in college, I wasn't good enough to carry my team. When I was a sophomore, I wasn't good enough to carry my team. I was a player that you could splash me in here or there with some more experienced players. So I think they put a lot of expectations on themselves this year. We wanted to have a really good year, but they're young players. They have time, and they just have to be hungry to get better, to work harder and to do the little things that it takes to win a tournament like this."

Virginia-Boston College Notes

• Virginia's 72-41 victory over Boston College was the second most lopsided first-round contest in ACC Tournament history. The margin was the second-largest of the Cavaliers' 34 all-time triumphs in the event; it is surpassed only by an 83-50 result over Florida State in the 1996 quarterfinals.

• The point total is the lowest UVa has permitted in a tournament game; the Cavs defeated Georgia Tech 52-43 in the 2008 quarterfinals.

• The Cavaliers were whistled for only eight fouls in the game. That's the fewest in any contest in ACC Tournament history.

• Moorer and Ataira Franklin, both of whom scored 20 points, gave Virginia multiple players with 20 or more in the same game for the first time this season.

• The Cavaliers snapped a three-game ACC Tournament losing streak -- a tie for the longest in school history -- with the victory over the Eagles.

• Virginia improved to 15-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponent. The Cavaliers won that department 38-32 on Thursday.

• The Eagles, who were third in the ACC in 3-pointers made during the regular season, were 3-for-19 from downtown against Virginia.