That marked the first postseason win since 2018 when UVA defeated California in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Thursday’s win also gave this team the most wins for the program since that same 2018 team finished 19-14. Back then, graduate student Sam Brunelle was still playing at nearby William Monroe High School. Kymora Johnson was in middle school at neighboring St. Anne’s-Belfield. In between, the Virginia men’s basketball team wrote its redemption story, men’s lacrosse won two titles, baseball made two trips to Omaha, women’s golf earned four appearances at the NCAA Championships, and, oh yeah, the UVA women’s swimming and diving program started a dynasty. When you’re surrounded by programs winning postseason games on a regular basis like that, the wait can feel even longer.
So, yes, it was a big deal to get the first postseason win of the Amaka Agugua-Hamilton era on the board.
“I mentioned this in media the other day, I don’t think people thought postseason was this close I guess you could say because two years it was a little bit farfetched so to be able to turn it around and build and for us to get there is a big deal,” Agugua-Hamilton said.
Babysteps, but an important one either way for the program. The turnaround has helped fuel a little bit of an interest surge for the Wahoos too. For the WBIT game, 1,883 fans were announced as the attendance. When you look at the season numbers, many more fan have been coming to the John Paul Jones Arena to watch the team play. In 2021-22, the Hoos averaged 1,642 fans. The last two seasons have seen growth to 3,489 fans on average last year to 4,652 fans on average this year.
“Overall, our numbers are going through the roof,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “I think there’s just so much excitement about us in the community, and everybody’s coming out, everybody’s just seeing the joy that our players play with, and they want to be a part of it. And I love it. I just want to say thank you to our fans, because they have showed up all year and showed out like we asked.”
Fan(s) Of The Week
Put your hands together for the Wahoos.
Student Fan(s) Of The Week
Go Hoos!
Feature Photo Of The Week
Sam Brunelle drives to the basket for Virginia.
