Virginia Explodes in Second Half, Rolls Past Boston College 66-50

Having lost each of their last three games, the Cavaliers appeared destined to see that losing streak extended to four games as they came out flat and went down 15-8 after the first quarter. But the Hoos fought back to keep things close by halftime and then exploded in the second half, outscoring Boston College 41-22 as the Virginia women's basketball team put an end to a three-game losing streak with an emphatic 66-50 victory over Boston College on Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena.

Although it ended up being a great win for the Cavaliers by the end, the first quarter was a forgettable one for Coach Mox's squad. UVA couldn't crack Boston College's zone defense and didn't get on the board until midway through the opening period. Camryn Taylor scored six points on 3/3 shooting from the floor, but the rest of the Cavaliers shot a combined 1/12 from the field and trailed 15-8 after the first ten minutes.

Boston College started the second quarter strong and built a lead as large as 11 points, but Virginia rallied behind separate 7-0 and 6-0 runs to narrow the deficit. London Clarkson powered the Cavaliers back into the game by getting to the free throw line. Although the senior forward came into Sunday's game shooting just 46% from the charity stripe on the season, Clarkson knocked down each of her nine free throws in the second quarter and was a perfect 14/14 from the free throw line in the game, setting a UVA program record for most made free throws in a game without a miss. Clarkson finished with a career-high 18 points to go along with eight rebounds.

Offensive rebounds were the key to Virginia getting back in the game. 13 of UVA's 25 first-half points were second-chance points and the Cavaliers collected eight offensive rebounds in the first half. Those second chance opportunities, combined with London Clarkson's proficiency at the free throw line and a lockdown defensive effort from the Cavaliers, allowed UVA to shrink Boston College's lead down to 28-25 at halftime.

Virginia's work to get back in the game in the second quarter paid off as the Cavaliers erupted in the third quarter to the tune of a 23-9 advantage. Camryn Taylor gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the game with an and-one four minutes into the period and then knocked down another jumper to tie the game again at 33-33 after BC had briefly retaken the lead. Taylor made each of her first seven field goals and finished with 17 points and eight rebounds.

Virginia missed each of its eight three-point attempts in the first half, but the Cavaliers knocked down three triples in the third quarter, fueling a 15-2 UVA run that turned the game on its head. Kaydan Lawson hit two three-pointers during that stretch and ended up recording her first-career double-double in the game with 11 points and a staggering 15 rebounds. Sam Brunelle splashed the third three-pointer, a bucket that allowed her to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career.

Virginia shot 58.3% from three in the third quarter and the UVA defense, which implemented a highly-effective zone defensive look, held Boston College to just 3/17 shooting in the period. Taylor and Lawson had nine points each in the third, allowing Virginia to turn a three-point deficit into a 48-37 lead entering the final frame.

Once UVA solved Boston College's defense, the Eagles couldn't keep the Cavaliers out of the paint or off the free throw line. Virginia attempted 28 foul shots and made 27 of them, a surprisingly impressive outcome given the fact that the Cavaliers entered this game shooting less than 67% from the free throw line. UVA built a lead as large as 21 points and, although Boston College went on a 6-0 run midway through the quarter to try to get back in the game, the Hoos continued to get to the line and make their free throws to maintain a sizable lead.

On Thursday night, Virginia saw an 11-point lead disappear in the fourth quarter as North Carolina implemented an effective press that forced eight UVA turnovers, allowing the Tar Heels to come back and spoil Virginia's upset bid. Boston College attempted the same strategy on Sunday and had similar success forcing UVA to commit turnovers, but the Cavaliers persisted with their stifling zone defense, preventing the Eagles from getting back in the game. Virginia maintained a lead of at least 11 points for the entire fourth quarter and rolled to the 66-50 victory.

Virginia was playing without the services of Mir McLean, who suffered a season-ending knee injury last Sunday, and point guard Taylor Valladay, who is currently suspended and was not with the team for Sunday's game. Despite being without two players who have a combined 28 starts this season, Virginia was able to snap a three-game losing streak behind strong performances from London Clarkson, Camryn Taylor, and Kaydan Lawson as well as a solid team effort from the Cavaliers on the defensive end.

Now 14-4 and 3-4 in ACC play, Virginia will host Florida State on Thursday at 7pm at JPJ.

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