CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW)-  Elina Aarnisalo scored 20 points and No. 21 North Carolina led from start to finish as the Virginia women’s basketball team dropped its penultimate game of the regular season, 82-70, in front of a crowd of 4,669 at John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday night.

Kymora Johnson scored a game-high 22 and Romi Levy added 15 for the Cavaliers, who close out the regular season Sunday when they host rival Virginia Tech.

The Tar Heels led 40-23 at the half, then ballooned that advantage to 22 early in the third quarter.

The resilient Hoos brought that lead down to 13 to begin the fourth and a Levy 3-pointer with 6:21 got UVA within nine. But hot-shooting UNC prevailed. The Heels connected on 58% of their shots from the floor and went 67% from 3-point range, costing Virginia – which was coming off a road win at No. 8 Louisville – a potentially valuable victory for NCAA Tournament seeding. 

Lainey Grant and Nyla Brooks had 15 and 11 points respectively for UNC, going 6-11 from the arc as a duo.  Forward Ciera Toomey added six rebounds as a big presence on the defensive glass, before fouling out.