Virginia women’s basketball had surrendered more than 100 points in a game just thrice this century — once to Duke in 2001, once to North Carolina in 2009 and once to Notre Dame in 2019. Thursday at John Paul Jones Arena versus No. 22 Florida State, it happened for just the fourth time in 25 years.
“Embarrassing,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “Giving up 101 points in our own gym is not acceptable, so I apologize to the fans.”
The Cavaliers (12-12, 4-8 ACC) threw all different types of looks at the Seminoles (19-4, 9-2 ACC), with man, zone and a little bit of full court pressure as the ball was brought up the court. But no matter what strategy was deployed, nothing slowed down the unstoppable force that was the Florida State offense, led by star junior guard Ta’Niya Latson who finished with 27 points and 12 assists.
Latson’s scoring came as no surprise, as she averages 26 points per contest. However her 12 assists is what stands out — blowing her season average of 4.5 per game out of the water.
“I think we over helped on her at times,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “We were running like three people at her at some times, and then she was just picking us apart with her passes.”
Latson’s penetration led to wide open shooters on the perimeter, resulting in 10 made three-point shots for the Seminoles. And while Virginia’s defense had a historically awful outing, the offense turned in a frustrating performance as well.
The Cavaliers shot just 21 percent from long distance, and 44 percent from the free throw line. The offense was never competitive enough to even give Florida State the tiniest glimpse of a fight.
With just under 90 seconds remaining in the first half, freshman forward Breona Hurd created a wide open lane to the basket after a beautiful spin move at the free throw line. However, without even looking at the basket, she dumped the ball off to graduate guard Casey Valenti-Paea, yielding a cry of groans from the crowd in shock that Hurd did not attempt the wide open layup.
While the game was decided by not one play, this moment encapsulated how the evening fared. The loud fans brought the energy early — but Virginia did not, as it failed to score until about midway through the first quarter. Until that first Cavalier score, Florida State took a commanding 11-0 lead and never looked back.
Virginia looked rattled on the offensive end throughout the entire first quarter, throwing rushed, errant passes that resulted in six turnovers. Florida State would end up turning the Cavaliers over 18 times, converting those opportunities into 25 points. Meanwhile, Virginia mustered just six points off of seven Seminole turnovers.
Turnovers were not the only consequence of Florida State speeding the game up for the Cavaliers, though. Similar to Hurd, there were a handful of instances where Virginia would get a wide open look — whether that be from beyond the three-point arc or right at the hoop after an offensive rebound — and pass the ball up to a defended teammate.
Despite the inefficient team offense, a few Cavaliers were solid. Junior guard Paris Clark and sophomore guard Kymora Johnson each tallied a team-high 16 points. Johnson was held in check for the majority of the game, especially in the first 15 minutes when the game was more in reach — but also reached a milestone of scoring 900 career points.
Clark did a nice job of attacking downhill on the Florida State defense, getting to the paint at will instead of settling for jump shots. Clark’s efforts opened up opportunities for other teammates, but they failed to capitalize on their clean looks throughout the entire game.
This defeat serves as yet another reminder that Virginia is capable of keeping it close with any opponent in the conference on any given night, but also being blown out on any given night. The talent on the team is evident, but lapses in consistency and discipline continue to hold the team back.
It was an all around meltdown for the Cavaliers, but not necessarily a surprise. This Florida State team has now scored at least 90 points in 16 of its games this season. Virginia has also shot the ball very poorly throughout ACC play. The loss comes as a disappointment at any rate, as in the past month the Cavaliers have been able to hang with ranked opponents far more closely than shown Thursday.
Now, the Cavaliers must put this performance in the past as they take on in-state rival Virginia Tech at home Sunday. Tip-off is at noon and can be watched on ACCN, as Virginia gets another chance to course correct its season versus a hated nemesis.
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