The Storylines: VCU enters tonight’s game against Virginia Tech in search of its school-record 19th-straight home win. The Rams are 5-1 in season openers under head coach Beth Cunningham, including a 2-0 mark at home.

The Series:  Virginia Tech travels to Richmond to face VCU for the first time since the 1996-97 season. The Hokies are 17-9 all-time against the Rams, while VCU has won the last two meetings. After winning five straight from 1993-1995, Virginia Tech dropped a 57-54 decision to the Rams in Blacksburg during the 1995-96 season, before falling 65-60 the following year in Richmond.

The Scouting Report:  Virginia Tech was picked to finish 12th in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. The Hokies were 12-18 in 2008-09, including a 2-12 mark in ACC play. Senior forward Utahya Drye returns with her team-leading 14.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last season, while classmate Lindsay Biggs (12.5 ppg and 3.4 rpg) is also back for the Hokies.

Sweet November: Six-year head coach Beth Cunningham has compiled an astounding 20-3 record in the month of November during her tenure at VCU. The Rams had a streak of 17 consecutive victories dating back to the 2004-05 season, but sixth-ranked North Carolina ended the run last year with a 77-65 victory in Chapel Hill, N.C. VCU went a perfect 4-0 in 2007-08, 6-0 in 2006-07 and 4-0 in 2005-06. The Rams ended November last season with a 4-1 mark.

Big Shoes to Fill:  The Rams are forced to replace their top two scorers from last season’s squad. All-Colonial Athletic Association honorees Quanitra Hollingsworth and Radoslava Bachvarova graduated in the spring and combined to average 25.8 points per game. Hollingsworth was a first team All-CAA selection and earned All-Defensive Team honors, while Bachvarova received third team All-CAA accolades. Hollingsworth became the first VCU women’s basketball player to ever post career marks of 1,000 points and 1,000 rebounds, and was the third women’s basketball player in VCU history to have her jersey retired.

The Injury Bug: Senior guard Kita Waller (Gainesville, Ga.) suffered a knee injury during the team’s preseason workouts, which will keep her out of the VCU lineup for the start of the season. No timetable has been set for her return. Waller averaged 9.3 points per game in 2008-09. Her superior size at the guard position provided match-up problems for opposing squads as she registered a team-leading 68 steals. She also finished second on the squad with 12 blocks and 170 rebounds.