Virginia Sees Three-Game Road Winning Streak Snapped in 73-54 Loss at Duke
For the first time since February 1st, the Cavaliers lost an ACC road game. Virginia (14-14, 6-11 ACC) saw its three-game road winning streak come to an end as the Cavaliers suffered a 73-54 loss at Duke (19-9, 11-6 ACC) on Thursday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
After slow starts had plagued Virginia all season long, the Cavaliers improved in that area recently and been starting stronger in their last few games. But their struggles returned on that front in Durham, coming up empty on their first five possessions and watching as the Blue Devils scored the first nine points of the game. Camryn Taylor finally got UVA on the board more than three minutes in, but Duke responded immediately with another basket and Coach Mox called an early timeout as her team fell behind 11-2. Reigan Richardson scored nine of those 11 points for Duke, including a three-pointer to start the game.
Jillian Brown and Kymora Johnson made tough contested layups to get Virginia's offense jumpstarted and Edessa Noyan knocked down a baseline jumper to get the Cavaliers back within five at 17-12 to end the first quarter, which was a small victory for UVA after the disastrous start to the game.
Both teams made five shots in the opening period, but Virginia was 5/18 (27.8%), while Duke was 5/10 from the floor. The Blue Devils turned it over five times and UVA also got three offensive rebounds, so the Cavaliers had way more shots, but Duke went 6/6 from the free throw line in the first quarter.
Paris Clark scored the first basket of the second quarter to draw the Cavaliers back within three, but Duke scored the next eight points, including back-to-back buckets from Jadyn Donovan to make it 25-14. The Blue Devils started to run away with things, but Clark went coast-to-coast and scored off the glass plus a foul. Duke kept its foot on the gas and built a 35-21 lead, but Clark again answered with a tough and-one, flipping a shot over her head and in off the backboard.
Such sequences epitomized how this game went for both teams, as Duke scored at will and with ease, while Virginia made tough shots with a high degree of difficulty and a low likelihood of sustainability.
The Cavaliers got the deficit down to eight with less than a minute to go in the half, but Duke blitzed Virginia with a 5-0 closing run in the last 45 seconds. Ashlon Jackson connected on a corner three that went in just as the buzzer sounded, the third buzzer-beater Jackson has hit this season, to give the Blue Devils a 40-27 halftime lead.
Paris Clark had nine points in the second to help Virginia stay in the game, but the Cavaliers had only 15 points as a team. Duke, meanwhile, got eight points from Kennedy Brown and scored 23 points on 69.2% shooting to extend its lead. Reigan Richardson led all scorers with 13 points and Kennedy Brown had 12 points for the Blue Devils, who had 11 assists on 14 made baskets, shot 60.9% from the floor, and were 10/10 from the charity stripe in the first half. Virginia shot 37.0% from the field and was 0/6 from beyond the arc.
Clark opened the second half with a layup to get Virginia to within 11 points, but that was the closest the Cavaliers would ever get. Duke responded with an 8-0 run, sparked by a pair of threes from Ashlon Jackson. The Blue Devils built a lead as large as 19 and led 53-38 at the end of the third as UVA made just four shots on 28.6% shooting.
That lopsided third frame pretty much spelled the end of the game, as Duke eventually stretched its lead to as large as 20 points in the fourth and cruised to a 73-54 victory.
Richardson led the Blue Devils with 24 points on 10/14 shooting and Brown and Jackson joined her in double figures with 13 and 11 points, respectively. Duke shot just 29.4% from three, but shot 50.9% from the floor, had 20 assists on 27 made field goals, and was 14/16 from the free throw line. The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle 35-24 and scored 16 points off of 16 UVA turnovers.
Virginia made just one three-pointer on 12 attempts and shot 37.0% from the field. Reigning ACC Rookie of the Week Kymora Johnson led UVA with 14 points and six boards, but was 0/5 from beyond the arc. Paris Clark had 12 points and Camryn Taylor with 11 points.
Up next, Virginia returns home for the regular season finale against No. 5 Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Clash on Sunday at 6pm at John Paul Jones Arena.
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