Cavalier sports fans have many cheering options

By Dan Heuchert

It's an exciting week for U.Va. sports fans, as the waning football season and the waxing basketball seasons overlap for six games in nine delicious days.

Tonight, the Cavalier women's basketball team hosts the U.S. National Team -- including former Virginia star Dawn Staley and other top women's professional players -- in a 7:30 p.m. exhibition game at University Hall.

Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m., football fans will get their last chance to see record-setting tailback Thomas Jones and the other fourth-year players in their final games at Scott Stadium as U.Va. plays winless SUNY-Buffalo. As of early this week, tickets were still available.

On Tuesday, the women's basketball team meets another top national team, this one from Russia, at 7:30 p.m. in its final exhibition game.

The men's basketball regular season tips off in earnest Nov. 19 when the on-the-rise Cavaliers face Elon College at 7:30 p.m.

Finally, both the men's and women's teams have home games on Nov. 21, with the women playing St. Joseph's at 2 p.m. and the men taking on Virginia Military Institute at 7 p.m.

Tickets remain for all of the aforementioned basketball games, the remaining women's home schedule, and the men's team's games with Loyola (Dec. 8), Belmont (Dec. 28) and Dartmouth (Jan. 2). Call 924-UVA1 or visit the ticket office in University Hall.