Charlottesville, VA (cvillerightnow.com): Coach Amaka Agugua Hamilton’s UVA Women’s Basketball team has finished the turn of the corner that began the New Year, and have arrived as a dangerous and competitive squad in the ACC.  The score, as it seldom does, did tell the full story of last night’s performance at John Paul Jones Arena against one of the most surprising squads of the ACC, the #18 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.   

After a first half that saw the Jackets complete a 20-0 scoring run on the Hoos, entering the second quarter with the score at 21-6 in favor of the visitors, UVA looked down and out.  However, there were signs of life towards the half’s end, and the Jackets lead was cut down to 12 at the interval.  The momentum the Hoos were able to obtain courtesy of some familiar faces, Kymora Johnson chipping in with 22 points for the game, and Latasha Lattimore with 10 points and 10 assists, as well as some new faces like Breona Hurd, who netted 16 points, along with 6 rebounds, brought the home team to within two in the fourth quarter (64-62).  That was all she wrote for UVA though, as the Jackets pulled away, going on another offensive tirade to end the game (12-0 scoring run), bringing proceedings to a close by a score of 75-62. 

There’s reason to be optimistic for the Hoos.  NC State and Georgia Tech, both ranked opponents, came down to last minute misfortune that lost UVA the games.  An observer would likely think that there was just as much a chance for UVA to have late game calls go there we instead of against the Wolfpack, or the Jackets not stopping the Hoos fourth quarter run last night watching Mox’s unit take the lead.  Should Coach Mox find yet another gear, just as she’s done to start this year, the remaining games in ACC play may prove quite profitable for the Cavaliers.  Another tough test on Sunday afternoon awaits, Louisville comes to JPJ for a 2pm tip-off.