Virginia Rallies for a 57-54 Victory over American

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (4-5, 0-0 ACC) picked up a 57-54 victory over American (4-4, 0-0 Patriot) on Wednesday (Dec. 5) at John Paul Jones Arena.
 
Junior guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) led all scorers with a 25-point performance, going 9-of-15 from the field and 5-of-7 from three-point range. Junior forward Lisa Jablonowski (Ernster, Luxembourg) grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds while scoring nine points. Cecily Carl led the Eagles with 21 points. Virginia shot 36.4 percent (20-of-55) while American went 21-of-58 (36.2 percent). Virginia held a 38-34 edge in rebounding.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers twice overcame double-digit deficits to pick up their fourth win of the season. UVA scored the first five points of the game, but American mounted a 15-0 run in the first quarter to lead 18-12 at the end of the period. Virginia erased the deficit and held a one-point advantage with 3:38 remaining in the half, but the Eagles outscored UVA 12-2 down the stretch to take a 34-25 lead into the break. The Eagles stretched the lead out to 44-31 with 5:51 remaining in the third, but the Cavaliers, ended the third on an 8-0 run and began the fourth on an equal 8-0 run, tying the game on a three from Willoughby and then taking the lead on another trey from the junior guard. Junior guard Dominique Toussaint (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored a go-ahead jumper with 29 seconds remaining. Senior forward Mone Jones (Durham, N.C.) grabbed a defensive rebound on an American missed shot with 4.4 seconds remaining. Kaitlyn Lewis took a three-point shot at the buzzer, but it was off the mark.

NOTES

• Virginia trailed 17-7 with 2:36 remaining in the first quarter, going on to erase the deficit and take a 23-22 lead with 3:38 remaining in the first half
• Virginia trailed 44-31 with 5:50 remaining in the third, erasing the deficit and taking a 47-44 lead with 7:18 remaining in the game
• American tied the game twice after Virginia took the 47-44 lead, but UVA did not trail again in the contest
• The Cavaliers scored the first two baskets of the game, going up 5-0 on a three from Jocelyn Willoughby, but went scoreless for 5:13 after that, with American scoring 15-straight points
• Willoughby scored eight points in the first quarter and scored 12 points in her first 12 minutes on the court. She started the game making four of her first five shot attempts
• Willoughby scored Virginia’s first 10 points of the fourth quarter, going on a personal 10-2 run. She scored 13 of Virginia’s 18 points in the period and hit all but one of UVA’s field goals in the quarter
• Willoughby’s 25 points is the first 20-point performance for a Cavalier this season. It also matches her career high which she set in a 2017 WNIT game against Saint Joseph’s
• Virginia trailed by as many as 10 points in the first quarter, but tied the game and took a 23-22 lead on a pair of free throws from senior forward Mone Jones (Durham, N.C.) with 3:38 remaining in the first half
• The Cavaliers held the Eagles scoreless for the final 5:51 of the third quarter and for the first 4:27 of the fourth quarter, a span of 10:30 between baskets for the Eagles
• Freshman guard Erica Martinsen (Clarence, N.Y.) sat out the game due because of a violation of team rules

UP NEXT

• The Cavaliers close out a three-game week by hosting Radford on Saturday, Dec. 8 at 2 p.m. It is the Cavaliers’ final game before heading into an 11-day break for final exams. It is also the Cavaliers’ last home game before Christmas. The next time UVA will be at JPJ will be on Sunday, Dec. 30 to host Charlotte in the final non-conference game of the season
• New this year for all regular-season home games, available reserved single-game tickets can be purchased for $8 in advance, online and via mobile devices, or for $10 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. General admission single-game tickets are $5 in advance, online and via mobile devices or $8 at the John Paul Jones ticket office on game day. Courtside seats are $15