March 22, 2003

Box Score?|? Quotes

By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
AP Sports Writer

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. - Anna Crosswhite and Brandi Teamer each scored 17 points as Virginia beat Illinois 72-56 in the first round of the Mideast Regional on Saturday.

The eighth-seeded Cavaliers (17-13) advanced to the second round to face top-seeded Tennessee, which beat Alabama State 95-43.

Virginia came out strong after halftime with a 12-3 run, started by Crosswhite's 3-pointer. LaTonya Blue capped it with another 3 that gave the Cavaliers a 45-34 lead with 15:29 to go.

Illinois (17-12), the ninth seed making its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2000, trimmed the lead to eight after a basket by Tiffanie Guthrie. Safiya Grant-Farley hit a 3 at the other end to restore Virginia's lead to 11.

The Cavaliers then went ahead by as many as 14, but Illinois cut it to eight again with four minutes left on a basket by Janelle Hughes. Virginia answered when Teamer hit a 3, and Illini couldn't rally.

Grant-Farley finished with 11 points.

Virginia's top scorer, Cherisse Graham, was held to six points - all free throws. After scoring 36 points in a loss to North Carolina in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, she was 0-of-5 from the field.

Illinois struggled from the floor, shooting 33 percent (20-of-59).

Hughes finished with 12 points while Aminata Yanni added 11 and Guthrie had 10. Cindy Dallas grabbed 11 rebounds for the Illini.

Virginia, playing in its 20th straight NCAA tournament, had lost in the first round the last two years.

The Cavaliers have plenty of tournament history with Tennessee even though they have only beaten the Lady Vols once. The win the 1990 regional final in Norfolk, Va., was a big one because it kept Tennessee out of the Final Four, which it was hosting.

Tennessee avenged the loss the next year by beating the Cavaliers in the national championship game.