Cavs get another road test

For Debbie Ryan, it was the equivalent of using Park Place and Boardwalk in steamrolling to a board game victory over a rival.

As special as the win over fifth-ranked Tennessee on the road was on Monday, the joy is short-lived in the eyes of Virginia’s Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach. It is, in fact, still the opening month of the season.

“I am having a tough time getting the kids focused on what is next,” Ryan said. “They just heard too many ‘You’re great, you’re great, you’re great.’ And I said, ‘Nobody really cares that you won.’

“It is time to move on. It is done. It is like a game of Monopoly. All the parts go back in the box. Nobody cares the next day who won.”

Virginia (2-0) marches on this evening, completing one of the toughest weeks of the season — the 16th-ranked Cavaliers play at No. 25 Old Dominion (2-1) at 7 p.m.

At least in theory, the in-state showdown serves as an opportunity for revenge. UVa was ousted from the NCAA Tournament last year at ODU in overtime, 88-85, during a thrilling second-round contest.

Due to various circumstances, however, Virginia’s rotation tonight will look different against the Monarchs.

“You have to remember that only six of our players are familiar, are aware with what happened last year,” Ryan said. “That’s not much, but it should be an interesting game.”

In a perfect world, Ryan would have rushed her players, including four talented rookies, back onto the court for an intense practice just hours after upsetting the Lady Vols.

“I had to give them a day off, but I wish that I didn’t have to do that because I would have liked to have brought them in and made them practice and forget it,” she said. “All they have heard is how wonderful they are and I told them that they weren’t that good.”

Virginia had 23 turnovers against Tennessee and missed seven free throws, leaving the Cavaliers with a 61.7 percentage from the charity stripe, which betters only Florida State in the ACC.

But when it mattered most, UVa thrived under pressure against the program that won the past two national championships and is viewed as a measuring stick for the sport.

Credit, obviously, should be given to the team’s best player. Monica Wright burned Tennessee for 35 points, eight rebounds and five steals.

“Monica hit some incredible shots,” Ryan said. “She was just in another zone.”

Wright led by example for a team that played without point guard Paulisha Kellum and forwards Lyndra Littles and Enonge Stovall.

While Kellum has been lost for the season with the third torn ACL of her career, Littles and Stovall are expected back.

For Stovall, that will be sooner rather than later. She will play tonight.

“She had academic responsibilities [on Monday] and could not travel with us on that day,” Ryan said. “She will be there [tonight] and she will be there next weekend.

“She knew that this was what I was going to have to do.”

Short of the needed credits to play this semester, a timetable for Littles’ return likely depends on the speed in which her first semester grades are officially recorded by her respective professors.

For now, Littles is biding her time, operating in practice in a new role.

“Lyndra is actually playing the point for my scout team,” Ryan said. “It has been a real challenge and she is having a blast doing it. She has no time off in practice. She has to run the team and set it up and she makes sure that everybody is in the right place.

“I had to do that because I have to play [Wright, Britnee Millner and Ariana Moorer] together in practice if I am going to start a game with them that way.”

Layups …

Virginia rookie Chelsea Shine walked away from Tennessee with, well, a shiner. The forward scored four points and grabbed six rebounds, but took an elbow to the eye, leaving a noticeable mark. … After beating St. Mary’s and Dayton in the first two games of the World Vision Classic, ODU was throttled by hosting Texas, 78-44, in the title game. … Tiffany Green leads the Monarchs in scoring, averaging 17 points per game.