Virginia traveled Tuesday to face off against perennial powerhouse No. 4 Connecticut in an early season test for the Cavaliers. Virginia (2-3, 0-0 ACC), struggled to limit the offensive efficiency of Connecticut (4-0, 0-0 AAC), while the Huskies locked down Virginia’s scoring efforts.
The Cavaliers were outscored 10-26 in the first quarter while only shooting 29 percent from the field. Connecticut however shot 63 percent from the field in the first quarter, including 75 percent on three pointers.
The rest of the game was dictated by the Huskies, as Virginia could never make up for its slow start. Connecticut stifled the Cavaliers’ offense all game, while scoring at will across all four quarters.
Virginia scored just seven points in the second quarter as the Huskies’ lead soared to 42-17 by the end of the first half. Although the Cavaliers equaled their entire first-half scoring total in the third quarter, Connecticut continued to extend its lead.
The scoreline, 44-83, reflected the game perfectly. Virginia was held to its lowest scoring performance of the season, while the defense gave up more points to Connecticut than it had to any other team this year.
The Huskies ended the night with four players scoring in double digits, while senior forward Jocelyn Willoughby was Virginia’s lone double-digit scorer.
Connecticut dominated ball control, turning over the ball just 10 times, while forcing 19 Virginia turnovers. Moreover, Virginia blocked just one of the Huskies’ shots while Connecticut swarmed Virginia’s offense with seven blocks.
Establishing offensive rhythm plagued Virginia throughout this matchup. The most assists any Virginia player recorded was two, as the Cavaliers struggled to move the ball against the Huskies.
Virginia continually leaned heavily on Willoughby for scoring. The senior from New Jersey scored 13 points, and no other Cavalier scored more than seven. On the other end of the court, senior guard Dominique Toussaint proved to be a pestering defender in flashes of her 32 minutes on the court. She led Virginia with three steals while contributing seven points on 50 percent shooting from the floor.
Looking ahead, Virginia can hang its hat on a strong rebounding effort. The Cavaliers controlled their offensive glass with 13 rebounds on that end. Senior forward Lisa Jablonowski had a strong effort, leading the Cavaliers with four offensive rebounds — even though Virginia finished with just eight points in the paint on the night.
Up next, Virginia begins a three-game homestand, beginning with a game against Old Dominion Sunday. Tip-off is scheduled for 2 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
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