The Virginia women’s basketball team (8-12, 2-5 ACC) lost 52-42 at home Sunday afternoon to Wake Forest (10-10, 1-6 ACC) to give the Demon Deacons their first conference win.
Virginia junior guard Dominique Toussaint matched her career-high 19 points for the second straight game. This is the fourth time she has scored exactly 19 points this season and the fifth time in her career.
However, the rest of the Virginia offense never got going as Toussaint was the only Cavalier to score in double figures. Junior forward Jocelyn Willoughby — Virginia’s leading scorer on the season with 12.4 points per game — scored only eight Sunday. Willoughby, who has been one of the nation’s leaders in three-point percentage all season, went 0-5 from three-point range.
The other three Virginia starters — sophomore guard Brianna Tinsley, junior forward Lisa Jablonowski and senior forward Moné Jones — combined to score only 11 points, shooting 4-21 from the field.
The Cavaliers — playing at John Paul Jones Arena for the first time since Jan. 13 — fell behind almost from tip-off as Wake Forest took an early 11-2 lead. A three-pointer from Toussaint and a layup from sophomore guard Khyasia Caldwell narrowed the deficit to 13-7 by the end of the quarter.
In the second quarter, three-pointers from Wake Forest sophomore forward Ivana Raca and freshman guard Kaylen Dickson helped the Demon Deacons stretch their lead to 12 points at the half. Raca would lead the game in scoring with 21 points.
The Wake Forest advantage would grow to as many as 17 points in the third after a layup from sophomore forward Maya Banks. However, a jumper by Toussaint with 2 minutes 50 seconds to go in the quarter would key a 9-0 Cavalier run — with 7 of those points scored by Toussaint — including her second three-pointer of the day.
With junior center Felicia Aiyeotan out injured for Virginia, the Cavaliers were outrebounded 48-33. Wake Forest junior forward Ona Udoh grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds, while Raca recorded eight.
The Cavaliers will be back on the road for their next game at No. 13 Syracuse Thursday night at 7 p.m. The Orange will be Virginia’s third ranked opponent in their last five games after No. 4 Louisville and No. 8 North Carolina State.
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