CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA – The Scarlet Knights mounted a furious late-game rally, but came up just short in their bid for a fourth consecutive win, as the Rutgers women’s basketball team (3-2) lost at Virginia (4-2) 68-64 Dec. 6.

The Knights scored the game’s first six points and entered the locker room with a 35-28 lead, an advantage that would have been much larger if not for Virginia’s 10-of-17 (.588) shooting from the free-throw line. The Cavaliers started the second half with a 16-2 run to take a 44-37 lead with 12:32 remaining in the game, not allowing a RU field goal while forcing five turnovers during the stretch.

With Virginia leading by eight (56-48) with 6:20 on the clock, the Knights reeled off 10 consecutive points to retake the lead (58-56) less than two minutes later. The two teams traded baskets over the next 1:30, but UVA made six of its eight free throws in the closing moments to assure the Cavaliers of the victory.

Sophomore Cappie Pondexter (Chicago, IL) led the Knights with 19 points, adding six rebounds and four assists. Classmate Chelsea Newton (Monroe, LA) added 16 points, tying for the team lead with four assists and seven rebounds. Senior Mauri Horton (Minneapolis, MN) collected 13 tallies and junior Dawn McCullouch (Long Beach, CA) had 12 to round out Rutgers’ double-digit scorers. Sophomore Amber Petillon (Brick, NJ) tied with Newton for the team rebounding lead with her seven caroms in 14 minutes off the bench.

Foul trouble limited the Scarlet Knights, especially in the first half. RU was whistled for 15 first-half personal fouls, resulting in a 17-7 advantage in free-throw opportunities for the Cavaliers while forcing RU to sit four of its players with two or more fouls.

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Official Basketball Box Score
Rutgers vs Virginia
12/6/02 7:30 p.m. at University Hall; Charlottesville, VA
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VISITORS: Rutgers 3-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
03 LOCKE, Courtney.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    1  1  2   1   0  0  0  0  0   5
15 HORTON, Mauri.......    5-11   2-4    1-2    0  4  4   3  13  2  3  0  3  37
22 PETILLON, Amber.....    1-3    0-0    0-1    4  3  7   3   2  0  1  0  0  14
25 PONDEXTER, Cappie...    5-14   1-3    8-8    1  5  6   2  19  4  3  0  0  37
32 NEWTON, Chelsea.....    5-13   2-4    4-5    3  4  7   3  16  4  2  0  3  36
34 CAMPBELL, Michelle..    0-0    0-0    2-2    1  1  2   5   2  0  2  0  2  20
35 McCULLOUCH, Dawn....    4-11   2-5    2-4    0  5  5   4  12  0  2  0  0  26
42 THEODORIS, Mariota..    0-4    0-0    0-2    1  3  4   1   0  0  1  0  0  15
55 RICHMAN, Rebecca....    0-2    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   4   0  0  1  1  0  10
   TEAM................                            3  3
   Totals..............   20-58   7-16  17-24  11 30 41  26  64 10 15  1  8 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 20-58 34.5%   Game: 34.5%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half:  7-16 43.8%   Game: 43.8%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 17-24 70.8%   Game: 70.8%   2,2

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HOME TEAM: Virginia 4-2
                          TOT-FG  3-PT         REBOUNDS
## Player Name            FG-FGA FG-FGA FT-FTA OF DE TOT PF  TP  A TO BLK S MIN
32 TEAMER, Brandi...... f  6-12   0-0    3-8    5 11 16   3  15  0  1  1  3  33
41 CROSSWHITE, Anna.... f  8-18   2-7    3-5    3  1  4   4  21  0  2  0  0  26
00 GRAHAM, Cherisse.... g  5-14   1-3   12-14   0  5  5   2  23  3  5  0  1  37
12 BLUE, LaTonya....... g  1-6    0-4    1-3    1  8  9   4   3  5  2  2  1  32
21 PRILLAMAN, Anna..... g  2-5    1-3    0-0    0  4  4   1   5  0  2  0  1  34
01 DICKSON, Marcie.....    0-1    0-1    0-0    1  0  1   1   0  0  1  0  0   6
05 SAHIN, Liz..........    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  2  0  0  0   6
14 JAEGER, Karen.......    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   5
33 SARDIN, Tiffany.....    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  0  0   1   0  0  0  0  0   5
44 LOGANFRIEND, Jocelyn    0-0    0-0    0-0    0  1  1   0   0  0  0  0  1   4
54 O'REGGIO, Lynette...    0-4    0-0    1-2    2  2  4   1   1  0  0  0  0  12
   TEAM................                         2     2
   Totals..............   22-60   4-18  20-32  14 32 46  19  68 10 13  3  7 200

TOTAL FG% 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 22-60 36.7%   Game: 36.7%  DEADB
3-Pt. FG% 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half:  4-18 22.2%   Game: 22.2%   REBS
F Throw % 1st Half:  0-0   0.0%   2nd Half: 20-32 62.5%   Game: 62.5%    4

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Officials: Sally Bell, John Morningstar, Tommy Salerno
Technical fouls: Rutgers-TEAM. Virginia-None.
Attendance: 4129
Score by Periods                1st  2nd   Total
Rutgers.......................   35   29  -   64
Virginia......................   28   40  -   68