Virginia returned to John Paul Jones Arena Monday night following the holiday break to take on its next conference opponent, SMU. The Cavaliers (10-3, 2-0 ACC) beat the Mustangs (7-7, 0-2 ACC) in convincing fashion, 76-52.
The first quarter started slow for both offenses, with neither team hitting double digits until nearly halfway through the quarter. As expected, the SMU strategy was to lock up junior guard Kymora Johnson as much as possible — Johnson entered the game riding the wave of a 41-point performance against Winthrop. The Mustangs could only hold off the star guard for so long as Johnson took off on a fastbreak for her first layup of the game.
SMU’s focus on Johnson throughout the first quarter gave other players opportunities to make some shots. Senior forward Tabitha Amanze was able to score a few early points of her own. Graduate forward Caitlin Weimar pushed through the defense for a well-earned layup. To close the first quarter, Johnson sank a corner three-pointer, bringing the fans to their feet.
The common theme behind most Virginia wins this year — points in the paint — was how the Cavaliers started the second quarter, freshman guard Gabby White having a quick side pass to Weimar for two points. The freshman-graduate duo continued to connect throughout the rest of the quarter as White fed the ball to Weimar with different creative passes.
Halfway through the quarter, fans rose to give sophomore forward Breona Hurd a standing ovation. Hurd, who played an important role in the offense during her freshman season, missed the past six weeks after sustaining a leg injury. Hurd seemingly picked up right where she left off, stealing the ball from the Mustangs to get her first layup of the game.
SMU tried to prevent the game from getting out of hand, mustering life against the Virginia defense. Junior guard Jzaniya Harriel had 10 points in the first half alone, presenting a tough challenge for Johnson.
Entering the second half leading by eight, it was clear that Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton told the team that it was time to pick up the offense — and they did just that. After a Mustangs layup, the Cavaliers went on an electrifying 20-0 point run. Redshirt junior Sa’Myah Smith and Amanze were two of the biggest contributors, along with multiple assists from Johnson.
The third quarter ended with Virginia leading 57-34, allowing the Cavaliers room to have some fun in the fourth. Each player contributed in the final quarter, as nine out of the 10 players who entered the game scored. With only four minutes left, both Johnson and Weimar had already recorded a double-double. Virginia dribbled out the final seconds of the game to win 76-52, adding another double-digit win to the resume — a great way to finish out 2025.
“I thought it was a good team win,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “Really proud of how we came off Christmas break, sometimes it's hard to get your rhythm after being off for that many days. But we have a hungry group, we're really focused.”
The Cavaliers return to action on Jan. 1 at 7 p.m., hosting Clemson at JPJ to ring in the new year. Virginia hopes to move to 3-0 in the ACC and continue building momentum in conference play. The match will be livestreamed on ESPN.
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