A lot can happen in two minutes and 18 seconds — especially in basketball. That amount of time is more than enough to go on a scoring run. That amount of time can change the outcome of a close contest. That amount of time should have been more than enough to make a single shot. But Friday in San Juan, Puerto Rico against Washington State, Virginia’s offense was nonexistent in the game’s final minutes. The result was a crushing 75-74 loss in a contest that should have ended with a thrilling victory.
The Cavaliers (6-2, 0-0 ACC) had battled so hard to even have a chance for the game-winning shot — having come back from a 74-63 deficit. They even held the Cougars (4-3, 0-0 Pac-12) scoreless for the final three minutes. But the final two minutes and 18 seconds were full of ugly basketball for the Virginia offense.
After senior forward Latasha Lattimore converted a layup to cut the deficit to 75-74, an offensive nightmare ensued. Sophomore guard Kymora Johnson missed a layup, and sophomore forward Rylee Grays missed a subsequent jump shot after she corralled the offensive rebound.
Both the Cavaliers and Washington State exchanged a series of turnovers, and then just five seconds remained. With the game on the line, Johnson missed a layup. Grays once again recovered the rebound, only to miss a shot of her own. Then Lattimore missed, and the final buzzer rang out. Virginia lost a heartbreaker.
This was the Cavaliers’ second game in the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout Challenge after a tight win Thursday against Green Bay. In another close game against the Cougars, however, Virginia could not turn the tide in its favor.
Friday’s matchup against Washington State was a crucial litmus test for Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton and company. Their only other loss came at No. 8 Oklahoma, but all of their wins have come against mid-major programs. A win over the Cougars would prove that the Cavaliers are capable of taking the next step towards climbing the ranks of the ACC. But even though they fell short, a few standouts turned in strong performances.
Three Virginia playmakers scored in double figures — Johnson led the way with 20 points. Lattimore put up 19 and junior guard Paris Clark scored 13. Unfortunately, the remaining six Cavaliers who saw game action appeared to struggle, scoring only a collective 21 points.
Virginia and Washington State fought neck and neck as the first half opened, as Lattimore quickly contributed to an early lead with two layups and a three-point shot in the first three minutes. Johnson closed out the first quarter with a layup to give the Cavaliers a seven-point lead after the opening quarter.
Virginia continued to extend its lead going into the second quarter, jumping ahead of the Cougars by 11 points early into the quarter. Johnson continued to contribute offensively, but as the half closed out, a slow but steady comeback from Washington State tightened the scoring gap.
Both teams prepared for a battle in the second half, with the Cavaliers looking to hold off a comeback run from the Cougars. As the third quarter rounded out, Virginia still held a one point lead. But Washington State had capitalized on countless missed shots from the Cavaliers, setting the fourth quarter up to be anyone’s game.
In the fourth quarter, everything fell apart for Virginia. The Cougars scored the first nine points to storm out to an eight-point lead. While efforts from freshman forward Breona Hurd, Grays, Johnson and Lattimore helped close the Cougars’ lead as they struggled to score, Virginia needed more from its role players.
A 75-74 defeat to Washington State is nothing to scoff at, but failing to maintain a lead and then completely crumbling in the final minutes is troublesome. Friday’s matchup against Washington State is part of the Cavaliers’ non-conference play that Agugua-Hamilton has cited as important for preparing Virginia for impending ACC play.
The ACC features top competitors such as No. 3 Notre Dame and No. 13 Duke. The Cavaliers will need to bounce back from this loss and continue working as a unit offensively in order to succeed through conference play.
Virginia will close out the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout Challenge Saturday against Wyoming at 12:30 p.m. before leaving San Jose, looking to finish the challenge 2-1. The game can be streamed on FloHoops and will be broadcast on News Radio WINA 1070 AM.
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