Virginia women’s basketball struggled once again in its third consecutive loss Thursday, this time against Auburn. After leaving the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout with tight losses against Washington State and Wyoming, the Cavaliers (6-4, 0-0 ACC) struggled against the Tigers (6-3, 0-0 SEC) in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Although Virginia brought the score within three points in the final minutes of the game, it was once again unable to pull off a last-minute win. The Cavaliers fell 57-66 to Auburn for its first home loss of the season at John Paul Jones Arena.
Despite the loss, sophomore guard Kymora Johnson continued to dazzle with her third straight game featuring 20 or more points. Johnson’s 26-point performance, also featuring 13 rebounds, was not enough to help the Cavaliers pull ahead. Virginia has found success this season when it sees contributions from multiple players — such as its victories against Green Bay and Alabama State, where a handful of players recorded double figures.
Against the Tigers, however, the Cavaliers were unable to succeed as a cohesive unit. Senior forward Latasha Lattimore recorded 10 points but struggled to corral rebounds and lock down the paint, while the rest of the team aside from Johnson combined for a total of only 25 points.
“We just never had five people on the floor gelling together,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “It’s hard to play together when you’re not together. We have to figure that out — spend some more time together and iron things out.”
This lack of synergy on the court was evident from the start of the game, as Virginia fell behind a physical Auburn team early on. The Cavaliers not only struggled to stop the Tigers’ aggressive offense, but also, once again, fell victim to the recurring weakness of poor shooting. The Cavaliers shot 35.2 percent overall and 17.6 percent from three-point range. That is not a recipe for success. However, this game was another learning opportunity — especially on defense.
Down 15 midway through the second quarter, Virginia transitioned to a zone defense, effectively slowing down Auburn slightly — the Tigers did not score for over five minutes. This strategic switch certainly helped the Cavaliers remain within reach of Auburn.
“We can find positives in everything,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “I thought our zone really helped us stay in it … we just have to get everyone on the same page and compete.”
But Virginia still found itself unable to not connect well enough on offense to chip away significantly at Auburn’s lead. As the Tigers adjusted to the Cavaliers’ new defense, Virginia continued to struggle with turnovers and various ball-handling errors on the offensive side.
Looking for a change in pace, Agugua-Hamilton brought Lattimore back on the court as the third quarter rounded out. Lattimore saw limited minutes in the mid-section of the game after she recorded three fouls in the first half of the game. With her return, however, Lattimore put together back-to-back layups to end the third quarter. The Cavaliers home crowd on their feet, some momentum rested with Virginia entering the fourth quarter.
This momentum certainly propelled the Cavaliers within reach of a comeback win, as five consecutive points from Johnson brought Virginia within three points of Auburn. But as the Tigers fought back, and after Lattimore fouled out, the Cavaliers just could not muster up enough strength to complete the comeback.
Fourth-quarter runs ending in heartbreaking losses have characterized the last three games for Virginia. While the Cavaliers have recently trailed significantly throughout their past matchups, they seem to pick their energy in the final quarter. But these last ten minutes have not been enough for Virginia to pull ahead. To succeed, the Cavaliers will have to show this level of intensity all game long. The final effort was promising though.
“I felt like we were doing a lot of things with a purpose,” Johnson said. “We knew it was crunch time and we had to lock in, but that can’t always be the case … it’s gotta be for 40 minutes.”
Virginia will certainly have to show urgency from the tip-off of the game with ACC play starting Sunday. The Cavaliers will face off against even tougher opponents than the Tigers, including No. 8 Duke and No. 10 Notre Dame. As conference play begins, Virginia will have to show its ability to play as a team, as it had in the opening of the season, and improve upon weak points recent games have highlighted.
“These last three games in particular are not a reflection of who we are going to be this season,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We’re going to get better.”
Virginia will open conference play Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena against Boston College. The game will begin at 2 p.m. and can also be streamed on ACCNX or broadcast via News Radio WINA 1070 AM.
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