virginiasports.com:
CHALOTTESVILLE, Va. — With the help of a strong performance in the first half, Virginia (1-0) cruised to a 104-68 victory over American (0-1) in its season opener at John Paul Jones Arena Monday night (Nov. 4).
The Cavaliers were led by sophomore guard Kymora Johnson (21 pts, 6-9 FG, 9 ast) and true freshman Breona Hurd (18 pts, 8-15, 6 reb), who shined in her collegiate debut. Additionally, senior transfer Latasaha Lattimore (21 pts, 7-12 FG, 8 reb, 5 blk) came off the bench to give the Hoos a nice lift, particularly in the second half.
With the win, UVA claimed its third consecutive victory to open the season under Amaka Agugua-Hamilton, who is in her third season as UVA head coach. The Cavaliers also reached the 100-point milestone for the first time since scoring 101 points against UMBC on Nov. 10, 2022, Agugua-Hamilton’s second game at UVA. The Hoos’ 104 points scored are the program’s most in a single game since the 2009-10 season.
How It Happened
Virginia forced six American turnovers in the first quarter which helped UVA lead by as many as 16 points. The Hoos led 26-10 at the end of the first and had 18 points in the paint and 11 in transition. Hurd and Johnson scored seven points each in quarter No. 1.
The Cavaliers extended their lead in second quarter and ultimately grasped a 51-25 lead at the half. UVA drilled four 3-pointers, which matched that of the Eagles’ total field goals made in the second quarter. Hurd added nine points in the second on 4-of-7 shooting. Center Taylor Lauterbach led all players at the break with nine rebounds, as did Johnson’s six assists.
Virginia’s bench came alive in the third, pouring in 16 of its 27 points in the quarter. Latasha Lattimore scored nine of her 15 total points in the third on 4-of-6 shooting. Lattimore made four layups in the third despite being fouled in the act of shooting on two of them. She also added three rebounds and one block. Johnson also contributed nine points in quarter No. 3 after knocking down a pair of field goals and all four free throw attempts. The Cavaliers committed 10 fouls in the period, which contributed to the Eagles sinking 9 of their 13 attempts at the charity stripe.
UVA closed out the game by connecting on its final eight attempts from the floor and shot 55 percent overall in the fourth. Seven of the Cavaliers’ last eight shots were from layups, many of which came in transition. Center Taylor Lauterbach (8 pts, 13 reb) finished one basket shy of a double-double and logged career highs in both scoring and rebounding.
Up Next:
Virginia returns to action Friday (Nov. 8), when it travels to No. 10 Oklahoma (1-0). Tipoff from Lloyd Noble Center is set for 9 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
