Virginia Falls 65-47 to North Carolina
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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia women’s basketball team (5-8, 0-2 ACC) suffered a 65-47 loss to North Carolina (11-2, 2-0 ACC) on Thursday (Jan. 2) at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
North Carolina went on an 18-2 run in the first six minutes of the second quarter to take control of the game.
Senior guard Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.), freshman guard Shemera Williams (Milwaukee, Wisc.) and senior forward Lisa Jablonowski (Ernster, Luxembourg) each scored 12 points. All five North Carolina starters finished the game in double figures, led by 16 points from senior center Janelle Bailey.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Virginia, fueled by five early points from Williams, took a 16-11 lead in the first quarter. North Carolina scored the first nine points of the second quarter, with a layup from Jablonowski putting a temporary halt to the run. The Tar Heels then rattled off another 9-0 run, which was also halted by another Jablonowski layup . UNC went into the break with a 36-22 lead. The Tar Heels went 7-of-8 from the field (87.5 percent) to start the second half, building up a 20-point advantage with 3:32 remaining in the third quarter. The Cavaliers put a dent in the deficit in the fourth quarter, mounting a 9-0 run capped by a Williams layup with 5:45 remaining to make it a 55-43 game, but UVA could not cut further into the deficit.
FROM HEAD COACH TINA THOMPSON
“The only word that I can come up with is embarrassed. I’m really embarrassed by our effort today. I know my kids, I know how hard we work, and I know how much effort we put in to prepare for these games. For us to come out to our home opener in the ACC lethargic and with no energy is unacceptable. I’m apologetic to our fans that show up to support us every time we come home. We’ll come back and be different. I can promise that.”
“We’re a blue-collar team. At no point in the game do we have the luxury of being comfortable and not being exactly who we are. At no point do we have the luxury of diverting from the game plan. We spend hours watching film because it is necessary for us to be precise and play teams and defend them in certain ways. We came out in the second quarter and did not do that. We lost that game in the second quarter. They outscored us by 19 and we lost this game by 19. That was our demise.”
NOTES
- Shemera Williams was in the starting lineup for the first time in her collegiate career
- Virginia shot 36.2 percent (21-of-58). North Carolina shot 44.3 percent (27-of-61)
- Virginia shot 50.0 percent (7-of-14) in the first quarter
- Virginia held a 40-34 edge in rebounding
- Virginia committed 21 turnovers, with UNC scoring 22 points off the miscues
- Both teams scored 34 points in the paint
ON THE HORIZON
- Virginia heads out on the road to play at No. 9 NC State on Sunday, Jan. 5 at 12 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Regional Sports Networks
- The Cavaliers will be back in action at JPJ on Thursday, Jan. 9, hosting Duke (7-5). The game will be televised on the ACC Network
TICKET INFORMATION
- Reserved single-game tickets are $8 if purchased in advance or online and $10 if purchased at the JPJ Box Office. General admission tickets are $5 if purchased in advance or online and $8 if purchased at the JPJ Box Office. Single-game courtside tickets may be purchased for $15
- For more information or to purchase tickets, fans should contact the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office at 1-800-542-UVA1 (8821). Fans can also purchase tickets online at VirginiaSports.com or in-person at the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium