CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Monica Wright reached a peak upon which no other University of Virginia women's basketball player has trod. Her team, however, descended toward an all-too-familiar plateau.
Wright scored 20 points, in the process becoming U.Va.'s career scoring leader, in last night's ESPN Big Monday game against Maryland. But the Cavaliers collectively shot 30.8 percent, wasted a 22-11 edge in offensive rebounds and defended indifferently while absorbing a 61-60 home-court loss that will almost certainly knock the No. 23-ranked Cavaliers out of the AP rankings.
Wright entered the game needing 16 points to pass U.Va. legend and future hall of famer Dawn Staley atop U.Va.'s all-time scoring chart. Staley, who led the Cavaliers to three Final Fours, graduated in 1992 with 2,135 points. Wright broke the record with a 3-pointer from deep in the left-hand corner with 13:01 remaining in the second half.
"It's an honor to be put in the same category and talked about in the same breath as someone as someone as great as Dawn," Wright said.
But even so, she said, "I have no mixed emotions not right now. Right now the fact that we lost is just overwhelming to me. At some point in the future maybe I'll be able to reflect on it and feel proud."
U.Va., which trailed by six with 2½ minutes remaining, closed to one behind on Telia McCall's putback at :11. Maryland freshman Diandra Tchatchouang missed a pair of free throws at :7.2, and Wright grabbed the rebound of the second miss and set sail for the far end of the floor.
But instead of pushing the ball hard to the basket, she veered toward the Virginia bench, which asked for -- and received -- a timeout with 3.1 seconds remaining. Wright accepted the subsequent inbounds pass about 14 feet to the left of the Maryland basket. She was surrounded, immediately, by three Terrapins defenders. She hesitated once, then twice, then leapt forward and forced up a shot against heavy defensive pressure. The shot fell short and Wright tumbled hard to the floor as the buzzer sounded.
"I turned toward the basket and there were three people around me and my first thought was, 'Let's go,'" Wright said. "But then I realized that another [Maryland] player was rushing toward me, so I thought, 'Who can I dump it off to?' Then I said, 'Three seconds you don't have any options,' and just tried to draw a foul."
All agreed that there was contact on the play. Maryland coach Brenda Frese called the officials' interpretation "a good and appropriate no-call."
Guard Lori Bjork led Maryland (1-1 ACC, 13-3) with 20 points. Her harvest included six of Maryland's seven 3-pointers. Two Terrapins delivered double-doubles. Post player Lynetta Kizer scored 19 points and grabbed 14 rebounds. Guard Dara Taylor scored 10 points and handed out 11 assists.
Guard Ariana Moorer, who finished with 15 points and tied the game at 32 with a running 25-footer at the first-half buzzer, was the only other Virginia player in double figures.
Virginia (0-2, 11-5) now finds itself facing a steep uphill climb in its struggle to return to ACC and national prominence. The Cavaliers have lost 37 of their past 38 games against the ACC's Big Three: North Carolina, Duke and Maryland.
MARYLAND (1-1 ACC, 13-3)
Hawkins 5, Tchatchouang 2, Kizer 19, Taylor 10, Bjork 20, Nared 0, Barrett 3, Oyefuwa 2. Totals 23 8-15 61.
VIRGINIA (0-2, 11-5)
Shine 7, Egwu 0, Kellum 2, Moorer 15, Wright 20, W.Edwards 6, Gerson 2, McCall 8, Hartig 0. Totals 24 8-13 60.
3-point goals: M -- Bjork 6, Barrett. H -- Wright 2, Moorer 2. Halftime: Tied 32-32
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