The Virginia women’s basketball team pulled off an astonishing win over No. 20 North Carolina on Sunday. The 81-66 victory came on the same day the Hoos celebrated the program’s 50th Anniversary. This is the second time this season the Cavaliers have taken down a top 25 ranked opponent.
It was a celebratory weekend for the Hoos as they were surrounded by friends, family, and alumni as they honored those who came before. An unparalleled atmosphere filled John Paul Jones Arena as it was filled with emotion from both fans and players. Following a tough loss to Pitt in Charlottesville just three days ago, the Cavaliers and a season-high 5,690 fans were eager to get this conference win on their home court.
Forward Sam Brunelle talked about what it meant to have the alumni in the building, and how trusting them and their advice made all the difference in Sunday’s game.
“Yesterday was a really powerful day for our program, just having all our alumni come to practice yesterday,” Brunelle said. “We got to spend a long time with them after practice and hear their advice and hear the things that got them to be successful as they were. Wendy Palmer was there, Audra Smith, and so many great names were there and they gave us great advice. It was just really powerful to hear their stories and know we just need to take a step back and use their advice, and that is what we did.”
It was evident the Wahoos took this advice to heart, as they made quite the comeback against an ACC rival.
The Tar Heels jumped out to a hot start where they were up 9 points in the first quarter. The Hoos struggled on all fronts, as they had a tough time making shots and managing UNC’s aggressive offense. Virginia went scoreless for nearly four minutes from 6:22 to 2:21 in the quarter, and UNC took advantage to gain a 13-point lead.
Offensive struggles continued for the Hoos early in the second quarter, but momentum shifted 4 minutes in when Brunelle drilled a 3-pointer. From there, the Cavaliers quickly took over and scored 21 points. They also held the Heels to just 9. UVA shot at a solid 8-13 (61.5%) from the field and 4-5 (80%) from behind the arc, showcasing a large improvement from the initial 4-14 (28.6%) field goal percentage and 2-3 (66.7%) 3-point accuracy in the first quarter. Virginia had the edge going into the half, 37-34.
While both teams were strategizing during halftime, fans and alumni came together to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Virginia women’s basketball program. Former players and coaches came out on center court to be recognized for their hard work and dedication that helped shape the successful program. Notable alumni and coaches included Sharlene Brightly 1975, Val Ackerman 1981, Wendy Palmer, 1996 Telisha Quarles 2002, Ariana Moorer 2012, Debbie Ryan (1978-2011), and Joanne Boyle (2011-18).
Both teams came out of halftime aggressive and each scored 23 points in the third quarter. The difference was made in the fourth quarter, however, when the Hoos scored 21 points and held UNC’s offense to only 9, making the final score 81-66. That flipped the score from a nearly identical margin in UVA’s 81-68 loss in Chapel Hill earlier this month.
Brunelle and Kymora Johnson made a big the difference in this game as they kept the Hoos’ offense alive. Brunelle scored 14 points to go with 7 rebounds and 2 assists. She posted 6 points in the critical fourth quarter. Johnson recorded 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists. She had it going in the first half in particular when she made 6 of 10 shots, which included 3 of 4 from 3-point range. Johnson came through with big games in both wins against top 25 teams as she also had 35 points in a 91-87 victory at then No. 15 Florida State just a week ago.
Paris Clark and London Clarkson also reached double figures. Clark tallied 14 points, 3 assists, and 5 steals. Clarkson had 10 points with 8 during the third quarter. Alexia Smith chipped in 7 points all on free throws and dished out 6 assists.
In the end, Brunelle believes that the Wahoos’ success in this game rested on their confidence, a trait the team has previously lacked at times this season.
“I feel like we played with a lot more heart this time around,” Brunelle said. “Compared to our last game with Pitt, we just fought for 40 minutes. In basketball, it’s a game of runs, they’re going to go up, we’re going to go up, they’re going to go down, we’re going to go down, the difference was having that heart and that confidence for 40 minutes.”
Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said she was proud of her team and how it responded following the disappointing 56-52 loss to Pitt.
“I just couldn’t be more proud of our group,” Coach Mox said. “You know, this was an emotional win, a great win, and so many different people stepped up. We played together as a team, we bought in and executed. We were poised and we didn’t panic when they were up, we just understood possessions, and took one possession at a time.”
Coach Mox and the Hoos remain hopeful this win will guide them in the right direction for the rest of the season and into their tournament season.
“You know, having the loss we did a few days ago at home against Pitt, the season can go one of two ways.” Coach Mox said. “You can throw in the towel and say this is just too much, or you can rally and really believe in yourself and each other, which we chose to do. This is the best game we played all year on this court, and we showed a lot of pride. … I’m just happy to see that we’re continuing to fight and that we understand there are going to be ups and downs when you’re building a program. We have kids that are resilient and there is going to be a fight in us all the time.”
The Hoos look to build on this momentum and their fight when they face Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash in Blacksburg on Thursday. That game is scheduled for a 6 p.m tipoff on the ACC Network.
Even after all these years I can still do arithmetic. The program began my 4th year. What a terrific development. Good luck going forward.