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Pink-clad Cavaliers defeat Clemson

Virginia goes on 32-7 run to break 33-33 tie

<p>Virginia senior guard Faith Randolph, now back&nbsp;from a broken thumb, recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 13 boards Sunday in a 65-48 win against Clemson.</p>

Virginia senior guard Faith Randolph, now back from a broken thumb, recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 13 boards Sunday in a 65-48 win against Clemson.

Garbed in pink jerseys, headbands and shoes to raise awareness for breast cancer and to honor former North Carolina State coach Kay Yow, who passed away in 2009 after a 22-year fight against the disease, the Virginia women’s basketball team hosted Clemson Sunday.

Four Cavalier players scored in double figures for the first time since Jan. 3, as Virginia (15-13, 5-9 ACC) pulled away from the Tigers (4-23, 0-14 ACC), 65-48.

“It’s always good to have a good amount of people scoring double digits,” sophomore point guard Mikayla Venson said. “It opens the floor up, creates more assists for us and gives us more opportunities. It’s always good to move the ball around.”

At first, Virginia had trouble separating itself from pesky Clemson. Before the Cavaliers went on that decisive 32-8 run, the score stood 33-33 in the third quarter.

Clemson saw its 37-45 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter swell to 39-57 by the 4:56 mark, after Venson buried her second three pointer of the afternoon. The Tigers ended the contest on a 7-0 run, but Virginia had built up a big enough cushion over the final 15 minutes to hold off the charge.

“I think it’s really about challenging [our team],” Virginia coach Joanne Boyle said. “This was not the team that showed up the past couple of games, and I thought we were flat and complacent. No team in the ACC is ever going to hand over a game, but we finally got some stops and finished.”

Although her five turnovers were problematic, Venson led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting. She appears more comfortable running the show and finding her shot since the return of senior guard Faith Randolph from her broken thumb. Sophomore guard Aliyah Huland El’s game has also elevated to another level with No. 20 back in the rotation.

A gifted athlete and an improved perimeter shooter, Huland El contributed 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting and drained all three of her three-points attempts. The only knock on Huland El, like Venson, was her six turnovers Sunday.

“Our posts weren’t scoring today so we ended up playing a lot of four-guard line-ups,” Boyle said. “We tried to take advantage of some of the mismatches there. [Huland El] did a good job shooting the ball today. As a team, we have to do a better job of taking care of the ball, but I think that she came in and really contributed on the offensive end of the floor.”

Junior guard Breyana Mason had arguably the smoothest performance for the Cavaliers on the offensive end. Mason could find her pull-up jumper off the bounce or shot-fake, and got into the paint because her teammates swung the basketball around the perimeter. She tallied 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting and added two assists, with only a single turnover.

With four assists to one turnover, Randolph made wise decisions as well. She shot just 3-of-10 from the field — including 0-of-2 from downtown — but lived at the free throw line and sank 7-of-8 attempts. Randolph recorded her first collegiate double-double with 13 points and a career-high 13 rebounds. Determined to end an up-and-down season on a high note, the lone Cavalier senior awaits her final home game against North Carolina.

“I’m excited,” Randolph said. “Thursday is an important game. A lot is on the line, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Thursday at 7 p.m., Virginia will face the Tar Heels at John Paul Johns Arena on Senior Day.

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