The deciding factor in tonight’s NCAA women’s second-round game between Virginia and Old Dominion will quite possibly be the ability of the Cavaliers to keep 6-3 post player Aisha Mohammed on the floor. Mohammed, a tall, powerful junior from Lagos, Nigeria, gives Virginia a weapon it has not had in the low post since – well, maybe ever. She exudes aggressiveness and an appetite for physical play and will not back down from contact. In fact, she seems to thrive upon it. In that respect she is a significant change from the finesse-oriented players who have prowled the pain in the past for Virginia. Wendy Palmer came closest to matching Mohammed’s presence. But Palmer, somewhat more nimble and possessing an ability to score from 15-feet in, more closely resembled a power forward than a true post player. Mohammed is averaging 12.9 points and a team-high 9.1 rebounds. She also ranks second on the team in personal fouls with 88 (Monica Wright has 89) and is tied with Wright for the team lead in disqualifications with four. U.Va. is a different team without her, and no one knows that better that ODU coach Wendy Larry. Look for ODU to try to establish a transition attack that will force Mohammed to defend on the run – not a strong point. Too, look for Old Dominion to rotate several big bodies – notably 6-4 Megan Pym and 6-2 Tiffany Green – against Mohammed. Said Larry: ODU hopes to “put her in a position to wear her down a little bit, get her a little tired, maybe get her a little over-aggressive and fatigued. Then maybe we’ll see her sitting on the bench because she’s picked up a few extra fouls.

There is a bittersweet nature to second-round games such as this one, games that match No. 4 seeds (Virginia, in this instance) vs. No. 5 seeds (ODU). The winner will be able to enjoy its success for perhaps 90 minutes. Then reality will set in: Waiting in the Sweet 16 is a No. 1 seed, UConn, in this case.