The Virginia women’s basketball team fell Sunday for the second time in four days, losing to N.C. State 60-54 in Raleigh. The defeat marked the end of an unsuccessful two-game road trip for the No. 15 Cavaliers (19-7, 5-5), after their 94-78 loss to No. 9 Maryland Thursday.
A sluggish start hurt Virginia coach Debbie Ryan’s squad, as N.C. State opened up an 18-8 lead halfway through the first period. While the Cavaliers were able to close the margin to three points, a 29-26 lead at the break gave the Wolfpack the confidence it needed to notch its first upset of a ranked opponent this season.
Virginia came out of the locker room strong, going on an 8-0 run while stifling the N.C. State offensive attack. The Wolfpack, meanwhile, failed to score until more than seven minutes into the second half, but once the host team rediscovered its rhythm, it was an uphill battle for the Cavaliers.
A 15-2 N.C. State run ensued, giving the Wolfpack a 42-40 edge with less than eight minutes remaining. N.C. State refused to relinquish the lead, toppling the Cavaliers in front of the program’s first-ever sell-out crowd.
Senior forward Lyndra Littles led Virginia’s scoring column with 15 points, while senior center Aisha Mohammed tallied 13 points and 14 rebounds to notch her 10th double-double of the season. Junior guard Monica Wright, averaging a team-high 21.5 points, only managed 12 points on 4-17 shooting from the floor.
The Cavaliers will look to stop their recent skid when they return home Thursday to face Miami.
—compiled by Cayce Troxel
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