Moorer shows some emotion

Ariana Moorer had showcased the ability to score.
Virginia’s rookie had also shown a Sean Singletary-like knack for rebounding, a rarity for an undersized point guard.
Moorer had not, however, exploded emotionally.
That all changed with one game-changing layup against Wake Forest on Sunday.
Caught up in the moment and tired of losing at home to a perennial cellar dweller, Moorer drove to the basket in the second half and thrust her right hand into the air twice after she watched the tough shot trickle through the net.
It was a stunning display of emotion.
“Did you see Ari when she got her and-one? I was so excited for her, but it caught me off guard,” Virginia senior Lyndra Littles said. “Ari is never that excited so all I could do was laugh. I really busted out laughing because I was so excited for her.”
Virginia (14-2, 1-0 ACC) needed the emotion in its league opener, something it never lacked last season with Sharnee Zoll on the floor. The current crop of Cavaliers appeared at times to be going through the motions as they rolled off the best start in almost two decades.
“We need that,” Littles said. “It was good to see that type of excitement and that type of passion because you made a good play and you are helping your teammates. I think that was great.”
Moorer admitted the moment was out of character.
“It came over me all at once,” Moorer said. “We just focused on getting stops [defensively] and that was what we got and it led to the and-one.”
Oddly enough, it was the first league game that Moorer had played in.
“In the first half I was very nervous but I kind of calmed down as the game kept going,” she said. “In the second half the nerves were gone and I just started to play.”
Virginia certainly needs Moorer to make a splash with point guard Paulisha Kellum sidelined for the season with a knee injury and top prospect China Crosby still a season away from the rotation.
Thus far, Moorer ranks 12th in the league in assists with an average of 3.4 per contest and stands ninth in the league in assist-to-turnover ratio. Despite standing just 5-foot-7, which makes her the shortest
player on the team, Moorer also ranks among the league leaders in defensive rebounds, averaging 4.1 per game.
They improved on that figure in the 18-point win over Wake Forest, grabbing five rebounds on the defensive end of the court.
“Ari played very well,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “Moorer had a very good floor game.”
That will be needed over the upcoming week. Virginia plays back-to-back road games, travelling to No. 2 North Carolina on Friday and to Virginia Tech on Jan. 21.
“I am ready,” Moorer said. “It is going to be exciting.”