The Cavaliers returned home for a Thursday night clash in dire need of a win. Last time out, Sunday’s game at Virginia Tech was the latest stumble in an extended month-long slump for Virginia (16-7, 8-4 ACC). At John Paul Jones Arena, reprieve arrived.
The Cavaliers got back on track with a 67-56 win over Miami thanks to a triumphant effort on defense. Virginia’s opponent never had a 20-point quarter.
“I'm really proud of our team and proud of our resilience,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “That was a great bounce back win. It was one that we had to grind out because they were doing different things by playing off people, doubling the post, doubling the guards on drives, things like that.”
A key boost was in the foul department — the Cavaliers were called for 28 fouls Sunday against the Hokies but were whistled for just 14 Thursday.
In the first quarter, the Cavaliers stifled the Hurricanes (12-11, 4-8 ACC) by holding them to just 10 points. But while Virginia shut down Miami, buckets were hard to come by on the offensive end of the court with a narrow 14-10 lead.
The offensive slump was fueled by reemerging ball security issues. Fouls may have evaded the Cavaliers, but turnovers plagued Virginia, as the game’s first 20 minutes featured a combined total of 19 turnovers.
The Cavaliers actually lost three fewer turnovers than Miami, but entered halftime trailing 26-25 — unable to string together consistent scoring waves.
Virginia attempted 29 shots but netted just 10 of them. The Hurricanes were equally stuck in the mud but took a narrow lead thanks to making an efficient four of their seven attempts from long distance.
The third frame decided the game’s fate — the Cavaliers outscored Miami 22-12 in the first 10 minutes after halftime. By evening’s end, Virginia earned itself a double-digit victory.
Instrumental as per usual was junior guard Kymora Johnson with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists. Thursday came with some added bonuses too. Johnson set a program record by hitting her 71st three-point make in a single season. She also surpassed 500 career assists.
Thursday was also special for freshman guard Gabby White, as she earned her first career start, taking graduate guard Romi Levy’s spot in Virginia’s opening lineup. Both White and Levy were notable contributors with 10 points and nine points respectively.
With the win, the Cavaliers have stabilized at seventh place in ACC. There are now six games left to play in the regular season — each one essential to reclaim a spot on the safe side of the NCAA Tournament bubble.
The Cavaliers’ victory was ever-valuable — but Miami does reside 13th in the ACC standings. A more arduous challenge comes next as Virginia hosts Notre Dame at 2 p.m. Sunday. The Fighting Irish feature junior guard Hannah Hidalgo, the ACC’s leading scorer at 25.3 points per game. Fortunately, the conference’s second-leading scorer is Johnson with 18.7 points per game. Sunday’s highly anticipated duel between the two best guards in the ACC will be streamed on ACCNX.
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