“Tomorrow's not promised,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “I think every game now we have an opportunity to reach that. I think our kids are getting hungrier … We have a lot left in our tank.”
Johnson’s clutch three-pointer with 30 seconds remaining — and double-double performance alongside graduate forward Caitlin Weimar — stamped Virginia’s ticket to secure its first seed in the NCAA Tournament after an eight-year drought.
The Cavaliers face Arizona State Thursday for the chance to earn a No. 10 seed and play No. 7 Georgia Saturday.
“Everybody wants to compete for national championships and being in that field is just a blessing,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “I'm just really happy for our players that we were able to do enough to get there.”
Three beat writers discuss Virginia’s regular-season and postseason outlook, as the Cavaliers await the selection committee’s decision on Selection Sunday, March 15.
“It's just … a full-circle moment, which is nice because last year was very unpredictable with what basketball was going to be for me,” Weimar said.
“I’m hopeful that the season is not over, and that we will be in the NCAA Tournament, because I think we deserve to [be in the bracket]” Agugua-Hamilton said.
Virginia lost to the Hokies because this is who they have been all year long — a team that fights back, but cannot sustain control when the lights shine the brightest.
Virginia now turns its attention to postseason play — as the No. 8 seed in the standings — where the Cavaliers will need that kind of urgency from the opening tip, not just when their backs are against the wall.
“It was a rough start,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “We wanted to set the tone in our gym, but … we were trying to … get out of that hole the whole game.
In front of what could be a raucous crowd at John Paul Jones Arena, the Cavaliers can make significant bounds towards breaking a lengthy NCAA Tournament drought.
On a raucous floor at the KFC Yum! Center, Virginia executed its most impressive performance of the season to record its most ACC wins in 26 years, knocking off No. 8 Louisville 74-72 after a commanding final period, which ended in a back-and-forth thriller that was not decided until the buzzer sounded.
Kymora Johnson finished the game with 25 points — a far from unusual performance for her — and secured the Cavaliers’ win with eight consecutive free throw conversions and went a perfect 12-12 from the line.
The Cavaliers remain on the West Coast to take on the Stanford Cardinal (16-10, 5-8 ACC) Sunday in an effort to bounce back from a loss defined by stagnant first-half offense and playing catch-up.
Every chapter of her journey has added depth to the player Virginia now sees.
A win as momentous as this — especially with the matchup’s history — could not have arrived at a better time for Virginia, especially on a night celebrating the legendary Coach Debbie Ryan.
The Cavaliers got back on track with a 67-56 win over Miami thanks to a triumphant effort on defense.
Over on the offensive end, Virginia’s offense was unable to keep pace with Virginia Tech. The most jarring symptom was that the Cavaliers as a team tallied just five assists in 40 minutes of play.
The century-long rivalry match-up is bound to be thrilling, and Virginia has 40 minutes to play their best basketball.
“I am just really proud of our resiliency,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We got discombobulated, we weren’t on the same page and we had to find a way to push through that. We were able to do that, and I’m just very proud of our group.”
