Tired after continuously being on the road and playing opponents throughout the academic winter break, Virginia arrived at Clemson, S.C Thursday evening. While some may have expected for this fatigue to plague the Cavaliers (10-6, 2-2 ACC) with their lingering issues, such as inaccurate shooting and struggling to hold their own in the paint, Virginia stepped up to the plate and delivered.
Thanks to yet another 20-plus points scored by sophomore guard Kymora Johnson and a helpful double-double from senior forward Latasha Lattimore, the Cavaliers were able to power through a close contest to come out on top in the two final quarters — defeating the Tigers (10-6, 3-2 ACC) 67-60.
While it took some time and was not easy, Virginia is showing potential promise of a better second-half season than originally anticipated. However, this appeared to be a night of surprise for the Cavaliers.
While Johnson’s and Lattimore’s performances are generally expected to be of high standard, sophomore guard Olivia McGhee and junior guard Paris Clark stepped up as well — forming a well-rounded offense. McGhee’s 14 points and Clark’s 11 points rounded out the team’s offensive performance to steal a crucial ACC road victory.
From the start of the first quarter, Clark was there to prove herself. Shooting to force fouls early into the game, confidently making both free throws and making a jump shot less than a minute later were all signs of a player ready for the heat of the game. Clark made all of the shots she attempted in the first quarter and corralled a few rebounds — which invigorated others to try and do the same.
However, the first half was moving a little slowly — a bevy of missed shots prevented either team from claiming a convincing lead. But instead of seeing this as discouraging, Clark, McGhee and Johnson took this as a challenge. Stronger rebounding and steals on the defensive end allowed for Johnson to take advantage of fast breaks, while both Clark and McGhee followed in her footsteps.
The trio contributed to the exponential jump in shooting accuracy from the first period to the second period, which allowed the Cavaliers to build up an eight-point cushion that placed them in a better position heading into the second half. Now energized, Virginia saw the start of the third quarter as its time to shine.
In comparison to Clark’s early actions, McGhee had a slower start. Having been benched for the game against Boston College and finally getting back into her rhythm against Wake Forest, McGhee knew the next few games were a deciding factor in how much playing time she will receive in the future.
She made a couple of her attempts in the first quarter and had a pair of rebounds, but it was not yet enough to garner an insurmountable lead. The second quarter did not see much improvement, with only one shot made to give the Cavaliers the slightest edge in their lead.
But seeing her teammates around her putting their full effort into shutting down Clemson’s offense and pulling ahead by shooting at will pushed McGhee to play harder. She opened up play in the third quarter with a successful fastbreak. Two more of her attempts gave Virginia six points to maintain its gap over the Tigers, and a McGhee steal ended the third quarter with the Cavaliers ahead by five.
While Virginia was ahead, it was still not enough to allow the team to sit comfortably during the final period. Fortunately, this was when the Cavaliers stepped up the most as a cohesive unit.
Lattimore fought to earn her double-double — fighting to make a layup that resulted in three more points, thanks to a foul drawn as she was running up to the basket. Johnson was equally motivated and used every opportunity to hike up the score, shooting with a 100 percent free throw accuracy and forcing four more Clemson fouls.
Nothing was stopping Virginia from reaching victory. Even though the lead was only a handful of points, Clemson never managed to get close enough to tie nor win the final quarter. In the end, a slight edge in the shooting and rebounding margins hit the last nail in the coffin for the Tigers’ defeat.
These improvements, although small, highlight that the Cavaliers are in the process of overcoming what was once their fatal flaws. Maintaining a slim lead on the road against a conference foe is a sign that Virginia is rounding into form with the opportunity to pick up some postseason resume-building victories.
A challenge is coming, though — the Cavaliers will face No. 14 Duke Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena. In the past, ranked opponents have usually decimated Virginia — but these Cavaliers could be strong enough to upset a ranked ACC rival, especially if fans come out in orange to show support.
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