August 18, 2004

CAIRNS, Queensland -- After spending over two days enjoying the beautiful scenery of this beach front community, and visiting the Great Barrier Reef, there might have been some concern that the Virginia Tech women's basketball team would lack focus in the final contest of their Australian tour. However, as the friendly Aussies love to say, there were 'No worries' in Tech's 117-58 rout of the Cairns Dolphins Wednesday night at the Bendigo Bank Basketball Centre.

The Hokies jumped out to a 13-0 lead midway through the first quarter and cruised to the win, as well as a 5-0 record on the tour. Tech placed five players in double figures led by Kerri Gardin (Jr., Morgonton, N.C.) and Erin Gibson (Sr., Galax, Va.) with 21 points each. The Hokie inside duo pulled down 16 and 17 rebounds respectively in the one-sided affair as the visitors held a commanding 61-41 rebounding edge.

Dawn Chriss (Jr., Hilcrest Heights, Md.) added 19 points followed by Carrie Mason (Jr., Seneca, Pa.) with 18 points, including four treys, and Britney Anderson (So., Blacksburg, Va.) with 15 points.

Tech led 33-14 after the first quarter and 65-27 at intermission in the victory. The Hokies shot 53.5 percent (46-86) from the field while limiting their hosts to only 31.0 percent (22-71). Tech, which committed 28 turnovers in Sunday's 103-71 over the Brisbane Capitals, had only 11 versus the Dolphins.

On the tour, Gardin led the way averaging 15.0 points followed by Gibson (13.6), Kirby Copeland ((So., Morrow, Ga.) 13.0), Chriss (12.8), Mason (12.0), Fran Recchia ((r-Jr., Flower Mound, Texas) 8.8), Nare Diawara ((So., Bamako, Mali.) 8.6) and Anderson (7.2). Megan Finnerty (Jr., Atlanta, Ga.) scored two points in the first game of the tour but did not play in the remaining four contests due to a sore back.

Tech held the opposition to 20 points or less in 18 of the 20 quarters while averaging 91.4 points per game. The Hokies, who were only tested in the tour's first contest, a 71-67 win over the HSE Blues in Sydney, had an average margin of victory during the tour of 27.4 points.

The Hokies return to Blacksburg on Thursday around midnight following an approximately 35-hour journey including four flights and a bus ride from Charlotte, N.C. Tech will be back in action on Nov. 7 for an exhibition game against the Premier All-Stars at 7 p.m. in Cassell Coliseum followed by another exhibition on Nov. 15 versus Premier Sports. The Hokies open the regular season against Valparaiso on Nov. 19 in the University of Minnesota tournament.