Virginia delivered an early Christmas gift to its fans Saturday — a second straight win at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers (8-5, 0-1 ACC) put up a strong first-half performance against Coppin State, defeating the Eagles (8-6, 0-0 MEAC) 74-66 to close out their non-conference slate.
Senior forward Latasha Lattimore led the way with 18 points and 10 rebounds — her fifth double-double of the season. Sophomore forward Edessa Noyan also had a breakout game and tallied a career-high 16 points. Noyan and Lattimore were two of four Cavaliers who scored in double figures.
Sophomore guard Kymora Johnson put up 13 total points, eight of which came in the second quarter. Johnson has recently been Virginia’s backbone this season but was held scoreless through the first quarter. Regardless, the Cavaliers were still able to pull ahead of the Eagles in the first half thanks to Lattimore, who put up 12 points in just the first quarter.
Virginia pulled ahead of Coppin State right from the tipoff, a differently paced game than the Cavaliers have shown this season. In their most recent win against Maryland Eastern Shore, for example, Virginia was forced to pull off a strong second-half performance after struggling to hold on to its lead in the opening half.
Against the Eagles, however, momentum resided with the Cavaliers throughout the game as they entered the second half up 47-29. A zone defense helped negate Coppin State’s offense as Virginia scored 12 points to the Eagles’ one in the final minutes of the second quarter. The Cavaliers also dominated on the boards, corralling 32 rebounds to Coppin State’s 19.
Up 18 entering the second half, it seemed unlikely the Eagles would be able to hold off a hot Virginia team. But the Cavaliers somehow seemed to lose their footing, going scoreless in the opening four minutes of the quarter. As Coppin State’s senior forward Laila Lawrence — who currently holds the fourth-most double-doubles in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball — took off, Virginia was outscored 11 to 21 as Coppin State broke down the Cavalier defense.
The game now seemed within reach for the Eagles and only continued that way late into the fourth quarter. 10 unanswered points from the Eagles brought the score within one, forcing a quick response from Virginia.
The Cavaliers, however, have already been battle-tested. They are no stranger to last-minute challenges from their opponents and close losses, as exemplified by their defeats against Washington State and Auburn. Determined to exit another close game on the winning end this time, three-point shots from Noyan and sophomore guard Olivia McGhee brought Virginia back in control. Johnson closed out the game with two free throws, bringing the Cavaliers to their eight-point victory — a small margin despite Virginia’s first-half dominance but nonetheless a win for the Cavaliers before they begin all-ACC play for the rest of the regular season.
Two straight wins against out-of-conference opponents certainly do not hold as much weight as would victories against more competitive ACC opponents. But the Cavaliers certainly needed Saturday’s win as a confidence booster before heading to South Bend, Ind. where they will face off against No. 3 Notre Dame. Dec. 29's matchup may very well be Virginia’s most competitive game of the regular season, and its strong first-half performance Saturday will be needed for all 40 minutes played against the Fighting Irish (9-2, 1-0 ACC).
The Cavaliers’ matchup against Notre Dame will begin at 1 p.m. and can be streamed on ACC Network or broadcast on News Radio WINA 1070 AM.
Read More
Virginia adds six promising players in second week of the transfer period
By Peter Kriebel | 20 hours agoVirginia has reinforced several positions throughout its roster, and more additions may be on the way.
Reflecting on a year of incredible achievement by women’s sports at Virginia
By Eleanor Buchanan , Caroline Wulff and Cierra Lyles | YesterdayThree Cavalier Daily staff writers share their thoughts on 2024 highlights.
Late run pushes men’s basketball past American
By Thomas Baxter | 2 days agoVirginia squeezed out a win to end non-conference play.
