UVA Women’s Basketball Earns Gutsy 69-63 Win Over Georgia Tech

Thursday evening’s sport marked an vital juncture for the Virginia ladies’s basketball season, as this was the primary time Coach Mox acquired to see how her group would reply to a loss. Greater than per week after struggling their first lack of the season at Duke, the Cavaliers returned to motion and needed to endure one other bodily battle. 

UVA was as soon as once more stricken by foul bother, particularly Mir McLean, who fouled out for the second-straight sport, however Virginia outfought Georgia Tech down the stretch to earn a gutsy 69-63 victory on Thursday at John Paul Jones Area to maneuver to 2-1 on the season. 

UVA put collectively an 11-0 run within the first quarter to take an 11-3 lead in opposition to the Yellow Jackets. The scrappy Cavalier protection pressured seven Georgia Tech turnovers, and the offensive load was properly balanced within the quarter, with no participant trying greater than three pictures and 6 gamers scoring baskets.

Georgia Tech decreased the deficit in direction of the top of the quarter with a number of bounce pictures, however Virginia led 16-11 after the primary 10 minutes. Camryn Taylor had 4 factors and two rebounds within the first interval. 

Early within the second quarter, Georgia Tech turned extra aggressive and acquired to the road, going an ideal 4-4 within the early minutes of the interval. Mir McLean sat out the whole second quarter after selecting up two fouls within the first and her absence was felt on each ends of the ground. Quickly, the groups had been tied at 20 apiece. Bianca Jackson had 9 early factors for Georgia Tech, whereas the remainder of her group had 13 mixed factors. 

With somewhat over a minute remaining within the half, Virginia’s Kaydan Lawson and Georgia Tech’s Ines Noguero traded three pointers. The Cavaliers had been 3/5 from lengthy vary within the first half. After two made free throws from Bianca Jackson, Georgia Tech led 31-28 at halftime.

The balanced assault from UVA continued, with the main scorer Kaydan Lawson having 5 factors and 9 totally different gamers within the scoring column. Mir McLean was the one participant who didn’t rating, as she was restricted to simply 5 minutes after selecting up two fouls. The Cavaliers had been simply 1/4 from the road and 5/13 on layups within the first half, two stats that may be vital to enhance within the second half.

The Yellow Jackets began out sturdy within the third quarter and prolonged their result in 35-28, however then the resurgent Mir McLean took issues into her personal fingers with seven straight factors for the Cavaliers, and 9 of 11 factors in a essential scoring stretch. After a layup from Alexia Smith, Virginia retook the lead 41-40.

McLean and Smith had been key elements in Virginia’s 15-3 run to take a 49-41 lead and regain management of the sport, because the gamers completed with 11 and 7 factors within the third quarter, respectively. Within the third quarter alone, the Cavaliers had 18 factors within the paint, and it was clear that the momentum had switched again to the house group with the way in which the gamers had been carrying themselves.

The Hoos had been an astonishing 11/14 (79%) from the sphere, and made 9 pictures in a row. The 27 third quarter factors almost matched the primary half manufacturing of 28 factors. After outscoring Georgia Tech 27-16, UVA led 55-47 heading into the ultimate quarter.

Early within the fourth quarter, Mir McLean picked up her fourth foul whereas trying to take a cost. The Cavaliers must push by means of the fourth quarter with out the clear MVP of the sport. McLean performed simply 16 minutes within the matchup in opposition to Duke due to foul bother as properly, and the Cavaliers clearly miss her dynamic presence when she isn’t on the court docket. At that second, UVA led 57-51.

After two missed free throws from UVA, Camryn Taylor managed an enormous offensive rebound and made the putback with the foul, a key three level play. Shortly after, Cameron Swartz drained a 3 to deliver Georgia Tech inside 5 factors with six minutes remaining, so Coach Mox known as a timeout to organize her group for the house stretch.

Sam Brunelle scored on a submit transfer and Georgia Tech made one free throw, making it 65-61 with 1:02 remaining. After the UVA protection picked up a steal, Taylor Valladay went 1/2 from the road. Georgia Tech used two offensive rebounds to make a second probability layup, making it a one-possession 66-63 sport with 22 seconds remaining. 

In veteran vogue, Sam Brunelle made it a two possession sport after making two free throws. The stifling Cavalier protection pressured the Yellow Jackets to take a troublesome shot that resulted in an airball and from there it was only a matter of Kaydan Lawson including yet another free throw to the ultimate rating, with the Cavaliers taking residence the 69-63 victory.

Regardless that she solely performed 19 minutes, Mir McLean led the group in factors and rebounds with 13 factors and 9 rebounds. She struggled with foul bother all sport, however was electrical within the third quarter, making it simple to marvel what she might do if she performed many of the sport. After incomes the beginning spot, Alexia Smith had an important sport with ten factors, 4 rebounds, and 4 assists. Taylor Valladay completed with seven factors, six rebounds, and 5 assists and Carole Miller chipped in eight factors, two rebounds, two steals, and a block. 

UVA was 14/24 (58%) from the foul line, a transparent drawback for the group all season. Whereas the Hoos couldn’t capitalize on free throws constantly, they pounded the ball inside with 36 factors within the paint, together with 15 layups.

With the win, Virginia improves to 13-1 general and 2-1 in ACC play, matching the group’s ACC win complete from a season in the past. The Cavaliers could have one other week off earlier than enjoying arguably their largest sport of the season as they head to Blacksburg to tackle No. 7 Virginia Tech within the Commonwealth Conflict on  Thursday, January fifth at 7pm. 

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