When the Virginia women’s basketball jumped out to a 10-0 lead Friday night against James Madison, the Cavaliers appeared primed to deal the Dukes a lopsided season-opening defeat for the second year in a row. Virginia’s hot shooting quickly cooled, however, and James Madison exploited the Cavaliers’ lack of size to hand them a 63-46 loss behind All-CAA senior guard Kirby Burkholder’s 24 point, 16 rebound double-double.
Virginia (0-1) shot a frigid 28.3 percent from the floor, making just 13-of-46 field goals and 3-of-16 from 3-point territory. Sophomore guard Faith Randolph was the only Cavalier player to convert more than two field goal attempts. Even Randolph struggled to make shots consistently though, as she scored her 18 points on 4-of-16 shooting, a performance redeemed only by her 8-of-10 mark at the free throw line.
Preseason All-ACC senior guard Ataira Franklin finished with four turnovers and just two points in the first game of her senior campaign. Virginia coughed up possession 17 times overall and registered just eight assists to lose its season-opener for the first time since 2004.
Virginia trailed 33-23 at the break, but cut the deficit to six early in the second half. James Madison (1-0) responded with a 7-0 run capped by Burkholder’s long-range jumper with 16:02 to play, and the Cavaliers got no closer than eight the rest of the way.
James Madison — who was picked to win the CAA in the conference’s preseason coaches poll — dominated on the glass, snagging 49 boards to Virginia’s 26 and pulling down more offensive rebounds than the Cavaliers had defensive rebounds. Junior forward Sarah Imovbioh, who averaged 6.8 rebounds per game last season, corralled just three boards in 17 minutes on the floor.
Redshirt freshman guard Raeshaun Gaffney was one of a few bright spots for Virginia, scoring eight points in 16 minutes off the bench in her first appearance for the Cavaliers. Senior guard Kelsey Wolfe played 32 minutes in her return from a right ACL tear last February, and redshirt senior guard Lexie Gerson came off the bench in her first game back from a hip injury that forced her to sit out the 2012-2013 season.
Virginia will look to correct its shooting and rebounding woes when it hosts High Point Monday night in the team’s home-opener. The Panthers, who finished 17-13 last year, began their season with a 79-58 win against Division II Newbery. The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
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