Virginia to Host Pitt in Shoes 4 Hope Game

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Coming off a top-15 road win, Virginia (9-9, 1-6 ACC) returns to John Paul Jones Arena on Thursday (Jan. 25) to host Pittsburgh (6-13, 0-6 ACC). Tipoff is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX) and 98.9-FM/1070-AM WINA.

FOR OPENERS

• The Cavaliers are coming off their first ACC win of the season, a 91-87 upset at then-No. 15 Florida State (Jan 21), which snapped a six-game losing skid.
• Kymora Johnson was named ACC Rookie of the Week and U.S. Basketball Writer’s Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Week for her performances against Notre Dame (Jan. 18) and the Seminoles.
• Pittsburgh enters Thursday’s contest on a six-game losing skid. Liatu King (19.7 ppg, 9.7 rpg) is currently fifth in the ACC in scoring and second in rebounding.

BROADCAST INFORMATION

• Corey Spector (play-by-play) and Lauren Moses (analyst) will have the call on ACCNX, which will also be streamed online via ESPN.com/watch.
• The game will also be broadcast on 98.9-FM/1070-AM WINA, VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports mobile app.
• Live statistics will be located on VirginiaSports.com and the Virginia Sports mobile app.

SHOES 4 HOPE

• For the second year in a row, members of the Virginia men’s and women’s basketball teams gathered with patients from the UVA Health Children’s Pediatric Oncology program to participate in Shoes 4 Hope, an event supporting pediatric cancer patients and their families.
• The patients and UVA student-athletes teamed up at John Paul Jones Arena in December as they painted donated pairs of new Nike Air Force Ones.
• Head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton and her staff will wear the painted shoes during Thursday’s game and will later be auctioned off to support the pediatric oncology division at UVA Health Children’s Hospital.
• This project was inspired by the Coaches vs. Cancer partnership between the National Association of Basketball Coaches and the American Cancer Society.

SERIES HISTORY

• Virginia leads the all-time series, which began in 1995, 7-6.
• The Cavaliers are 5-2 against Pitt all-time in games held in Charlottesville and are winners of the last three.
• Since Pitt joined in the ACC in 2013-14, UVA 4-5 against the Panthers, but the Cavaliers have won four of the last five meetings.

LAST MEETING BETWEEN THE HOOS & PITT

• The Panthers orchestrated a 14-2 run in the third quarter on the way to their 60-51 victory at Peterson Events Center last season (Feb. 5, 2023)
• The result marked the Cavaliers’ sixth straight loss at the time, while Pitt snapped a 10-game losing skid.
• Camryn Taylor led UVA with 14 points with nine rebounds. London Clarkson grabbed a career-high 10 rebounds while scoring eight points.
• Pitt had four players finish in double figures, including Dayshanette Harris (14 pts).

LAST TIME OUT

• Kymora Johnson scored 35 points on 14-of-20 shooting, pulled down seven rebounds and dished out six assists to lead the Cavaliers to a 91-87 triumph over then-No. 15 Florida State at Tucker Center this past Sunday (Jan. 21).
• The win marked the Cavaliers’ first in league play this season and first true road win over an ACC team since the 2019-20 season.
• The score was tied 65-65 going into the fourth quarter, but the Hoos shot 63 percent from the field and Johnson tallied 10 points in the final period to help deliver the Cavaliers’ first victory in Tallahassee since the 2011-12 season.
• The victory is UVA’s first true road win over a ranked opponent since Feb. 13, 2011, when UVA toppled then-No. 11 Maryland, 60-57, in College Park, Md.
• Including Johnson, five Cavaliers finished with double-digit points.

JOHNSON GARNERS WEEKLY HONORS

• First-year guard Kymora Johnson was named ACC Rookie of the Week and U.S. Basketball Writers Association’s Tamika Catchings national freshman of the week for her performance against Notre Dame (Jan. 18) and at then-No. 15 Florida State (Jan. 21).
• Johnson averaged 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists and shot 59 percent from the field.
• She scored 35 points in the win over FSU, which tied for sixth all-time in program history.
• Johnson is the first Virginia player to be named ACC Rookie of the Week since Kylie Kornegay-Lucas was recognized on Nov. 25, 2019.
• Johnson is one of just two freshmen in school history to achieve that milestone with the other being Dawn Staley, who had 37 points at Wake Forest on Feb. 2, 1989.
• She is also one of just five freshmen nationally – and the only ACC freshman – to score 35 points in a game this season.
• Prior to Virginia’s matchup in Tallahassee, the last time a Cavalier scored 35 points was on Jan. 21, 2010, when Monica Wright scored 39 points at Boston College.

OLD SCHOOL BASKETBALL

• As of Jan. 23, Virginia is eighth in the nation in rebounds per game (45.67), 13th in offensive rebounds per game (15.8), 20th in defensive rebounds per game (29.8) and 15th free throw percentage (78.4).
• The Hoos also lead the ACC in rebounding and free throw percentage.
• The Cavaliers are 9-4 this season when either leading or tying their opponents in rebounding.
• Virginia has been outrebounded in just four contests this season (vs. #7 LSU, #3 NC State, Duke, and #20 North Carolina).
• UVA has shot at least 80 percent from the charity stripe in eight games this season, including its most recent home game against Notre Dame (94.4).

ON THE HORIZON

• Virginia returns to John Paul Jones Arena on Sunday (Jan. 28) to host No. 20 North Carolina (14-5, 6-1 ACC).
• Tipoff is set for 12 p.m. on The CW.