It was as if Sean Singletary were back on the court in John Paul Jones Arena last night. With four seconds remaining in regulation against Miami, senior forward Lyndra Littles sank a shot that was reminiscent of No. 44’s game-winner against Duke two seasons ago.
“I don’t have any words for that shot,” Miami sophomore guard Epiphany Woodson said. “I can’t believe she made that shot.”
Littles forced the game into overtime with the basket, and the No. 21 Cavaliers (20-7, 6-5 ACC) were able to pull out an 84-75 victory against Miami (13-13, 2-9 ACC).
After trailing for the majority of the game, Virginia managed to tie the score with just 59 seconds remaining. Woodson scored with 29 seconds left to give the Hurricanes the edge, but Cavalier junior guard Monica Wright answered right back with a two-pointer of her own. With 13 seconds remaining, a foul was called on senior guard Britnee Millner to put Shenise Johnson on the line. The freshman forward made both of her free throws, leaving Virginia little time to cover the deficit.
With four seconds left, however, Littles made an off-balance jumper to tie.
“Sometimes I practice the no-look shot,” Littles said. “I was looking to get the foul, and at the same time put the ball up. It binged off and went in. I didn’t even see it go in.”
Following the end of regulation, the Cavaliers came out of the huddle fired up and were able to outscore the Hurricanes 14-5 in overtime. Miami never led in the extra period — a stark contrast from the way in which the Hurricanes played during the first 40 minutes.
Virginia got off to a dismal start in the first half, shooting only 18 percent from the field. The only thing keeping the team in the game was their performance from the free throw line, as the Cavaliers went 14 of 22 from the stripe.
Coach Debbie Ryan said she was not satisfied with her team’s performance during the first half.
“I felt like I was coaching an alien team in the first half,” Ryan said. “I feel like we left Raleigh and started the same game.”
The trio of Littles, Wright and senior center Aisha Mohammad was responsible for the team’s rally, scoring 48 of their 64 combined points after the break.
Freshman guard Ariana Moorer also was able to provide a spark, adding 12 points and exercising uncommon leadership for a rookie.
“Ari showed some leadership today,” Ryan said. “She scored and that’s what we were looking for. I was really proud of her. She gave me a solid 35 minutes.”
The Hurricanes’ attack, meanwhile, was led by the McDonald’s High School All-American Johnson. Like Moorer, Johnson also showed maturity beyond her years in handling the tough task of playing a ranked team in a hostile environment. She recorded a double-double, posting 25 points and 10 assists.
The Cavaliers got a must-needed conference victory after losing their past two ACC matchups against Maryland and NC State. Littles’ shot to save the Cavaliers’ NCAA tournament chances should give the team added confidence as it attempts to get back on track as the regular season draws to a close.
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