Virginia Falls 70-53 at North Carolina

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (10-15, 4-8 ACC) suffered a 70-53 loss at North Carolina (16-11, 7-6 ACC) on Sunday (February 17) at Carmichael Arena in Chapel Hill, N.C.
 
Junior guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) led the Cavaliers with 16 points and 10 rebounds, one of three Cavaliers to finish the game in double figures in scoring. Freshman guard Erica Martinsen (Clarence, N.Y.) had 13 points. Junior guard Dominque Toussaint (Staten Island, N.Y.) scored 10 points. The Tar Heels had four players finish with double-digit points, led by a 16-point performance from Paris Kea. UNC’s Taylor Koenen had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Virginia shot 29.7 percent (19-of-64) while North Carolina shot 42.4 percent (25-of-59). UNC held a 46-34 edge in rebounding.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
North Carolina started the game making seven of its first 10 field goal attempts, building up an early 16-9 lead, but a pair of three-pointers from Erica Martinsen capped an 8-0 UVA run to put the Cavaliers ahead 20-19. In the second quarter, North Carolina scored seven-straight points in a one-minute span and stretched the scoring run out to 11 over four minutes to take a 36-24 lead with 3:39 remaining in the period. Virginia scored the final eight points of the quarter, including a layup from Jocelyn Willoughby on an inbounds play, to head into halftime trailing by just four, 36-32. The Tar Heels began the second half on an 8-0 run, including six points from Janelle Bailey. Martinsen snapped an 0-of-6 shooting slump for UVA and halted the Tar Heels streak by hitting a three with 5:25 remaining in the third quarter, but the Cavaliers trailed 55-43 heading into the final period. North Carolina ended the game on an 11-2 run to close out the 70-53 victory.

NOTES

• Jocelyn Willoughby is now 10 points shy of reaching 1,000 in her career
• Willoughby’s double-double was her third-consecutive, fourth in the last five games and seventh overall of the season
• Erica Martinsen’s 13 points was her highest total since scoring 15 against Saint Louis on Nov. 25. It was her third double-digit scoring game of the year
• Martinsen was 4-of-8 from three-point range
• Sophomore guard Brianna Tinsley (Madison, Va.) scored nine points, including making a pair of three pointers
• UVA went 7-of-25 (28.0 percent) from three-point range
• North Carolina scored 15 fastbreak points in the first half; Virginia had zero. UNC finished the game with a 17-4 advantage in fastbreak points
• The Tar Heels outscored the Cavaliers 30-14 in the paint
• Virginia finished the game on a 3-of-14 shooting cold snap, including missing nine-straight attempts
• UVA has lost in its last 12 games at North Carolina. The last time Virginia won in Chapel Hill was Jan. 11, 2001

On the Horizon

• The Cavaliers have two remaining home games, hosting No. 2 Louisville on Thursday, February 21, and Georgia Tech on Sunday, February 24
• Sunday’s game against Georgia Tech is the Play4Kay game. All fans are encouraged to wear pink. It will also be Alumni Weekend and our Senior Day game
• 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