Virginia women’s basketball hosted Virginia Tech at John Paul Jones Arena Sunday afternoon, looking to claim a series sweep. However, the result was far from it —- and instead was a disappointing rivalry loss that moved the Cavaliers (12-13, 4-9 ACC) to a subpar 12th in the ACC standings. The Hokies (16-8, 7-6 ACC) handedly defeated Virginia 87-62 in what was the Cavaliers’ fifth straight loss at home.
“The way our team came out with a mentality and fight to improve our defense was the difference in the game,” Virginia Tech Coach Megan Duffy said. “I just can’t tell you how proud I am of these young women … of sticking to the process.”
On Virginia’s side, however, the story was different. Sunday’s game was the most points the Hokies have ever scored against the Cavaliers in a women’s basketball game. But Virginia took responsibility for this excruciating loss, crediting its own mentality.
“We didn’t compete,” Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said.
The Cavaliers certainly struggled to compete with Virginia Tech, and on both sides of the ball. While Virginia completed a measly 12.5 percent of three-point shots, if found even less success on the defensive end of the court, particularly guarding beyond the arc. Virginia Tech made 63.3 percent of its three-point shots and also shot above 50 percent on all field goals.
Virginia Tech ranks No. 28 in the nation in free throw percentage, so this performance wasn’t a shock. But Virginia’s shooting woes certainly didn’t do them any favors, either.
Standout sophomore guard Kymora Johnson picked two fouls up within the first four minutes and consequently saw no more playing time in the first quarter. Her absence was felt.
While Lattimore and junior guard Paris Clark led the way with six points each this quarter, their performances were still not enough to hold off the Hokies as their field goal and three-point shot percentages rose to 50 percent and above.
Johnson’s return early into the second quarter certainly helped Virginia find better looks on offense, but the Cavaliers continued to struggle throughout and were unable to substantially chip away at the lead Virginia Tech had accumulated. Lattimore, who had posted a double-double in Virginia’s last matchup against the Hokies, only contributed two points in the second quarter. She saw minimal time in the second half and did not score at all there.
Second-half struggles only inflated the fact that Virginia Tech’s offense was on fire — Virginia made zero of its attempts beyond the arc in the third quarter, capitulating and setting themselves up for a fourth quarter that would require a miraculous comeback.
That miracle never came. The Cavaliers once again made no three-point shots in the final quarter, compared to Virginia Tech’s four.
The Hokies’ performance certainly was dominant, given their above-average shooting percentages. But this should not excuse Virginia from yet another disheartening showing, where it struggled to play as a team on both sides of the ball.
“I think it just came down to us following our principles, and just communicating,” Clark said. “I mean, Tech is a great team — they executed, did what they had to do. But I think it just came down to us just [not] having each other’s backs.”
Entering the final stretch of its regular season, the Cavaliers desperately need a momentum shift before the postseason kicks off with the ACC Tournament. The opportunity window to turn the season around has grown increasingly small as losses pile up. But with five in-conference games remaining, Virginia must figure something out before it is too late.
The Cavaliers will be on the road Sunday to play Pittsburgh, which sits third-to-last in the ACC women’s basketball rankings. While a win might not change Virginia’s standings in the ACC, a loss would certainly be catastrophic. Tipoff begins at 2 p.m. and the game can be streamed on ACCNX or broadcast on NewsRadio WINA 1070 AM.
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