Virginia Wins Third Straight in Rout of Alabama State

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Led by a highly-efficient night from Kymora Johnson, Virginia (4-1) breezed to an 85-50 wire-to-wire win over Alabama State (2-2) on Wednesday night (Nov. 20) at John Paul Jones Arena.

Johnson (22 pts, 9-11 FG, 3-5 3PT, 6 ast) led the Cavaliers offensively with her second consecutive 20-point performance while shooting 9-for-11 from the field. Three other Cavaliers hit double figures on the night including Breona Hurd (13), Latasha Lattimore (13) and Olivia McGhee (12).

Lattimore (13 pts, 13 reb, 4 stl, 3 blk) recorded her second-consecutive double-double while racking up double digits on the boards in her third consecutive game.

How It Happened
The Cavaliers leapt out to a 9-3 advantage scoring on four of their first five possessions. Johnson tallied seven of her 22 points in the first three minutes of the game shooting a perfect 3-for-3 from the field. The Cavaliers mounted a 14-0 run to end the quarter to bring an 18-point lead [25-7] into the first quarter break. Latasha Lattimore pulled down seven of her 13 rebounds in the first frame.

Virginia kept its foot on the gas in the second quarter extending its scoring run to 20-0, its largest of the game. The Cavaliers would work their lead to as many as 31 points [45-14], before taking a 30-point advantage into the break [49-19]. With four more rebounds in the period Lattimore reached double digits [11] by the end of the first half.

In the third, Alabama State chipped away at the Cavalier lead getting as close as 22 points [58-36]. A 7-2 Cavalier run was highlighted by a Hurd steal off an in-bound pass resulting in a layup for Olivia McGhee at the other end. Virginia would restore a 28-point lead [66-38] entering the game’s final quarter.

Virginia went 6-for-11 from the floor in the fourth quarter. The Cavaliers outrebounded their opponents by a margin of 13-6 to score nine points on second chance opportunities in the final period and put the finishing touches on an 85-50 victory.

From Head Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton:
“Another great win. We’re getting better both individually and as a team. I love to see the scoring spread around, assists getting back to rebounding and dominating the board some. There’s still areas to improve, and we’re going to continue to do that. We have to get our turnovers down, work on our free throws. We’ve got to get better defensive rebounding, things like that. But overall, I thought it was good game.”

With the Win:

• The Cavaliers record their third consecutive victory
• Virginia improves to 2-0 against Alabama State in the all-time series
• UVA is now 24-5 against non-conference opponents under Agugua Hamilton

Game Notes

• Kymora Johnson recorded a season-high 22 points to mark her second straight 20+ point outing
• Johnson’s 22 points are the most by any Cavalier in a single game this season
• Latasha Lattimore (13 pts, 13 ast) recorded her second consecutive double-double and the fourth of her career
• Lattimore’s four steals match a career high set in 2022 (vs UTRGV)
• Lattimore’s total of 13 rebounds matches Taylor Lauterbach for the most of any Virginia player in a single game this season
• Four Cavaliers scored in double figures including Johnson (22), McGhee (12), Lattimore (13), Hurd (13)
• Breona Hurd recorded a career-high nine rebounds
• Yonta Vaughn pitched in seven assists on the night, just one short of a career high
• Virginia shot a combined 49.2 percent (29-59) from the floor and held its opponents to just 27.7 percent (16-65)
• Virginia recorded 15 steals in a game for the second time this season
• UVA recorded its largest scoring run of the season (20-0)
• Virginia’s 30-point halftime lead was its largest of the season

Up Next:
The Cavaliers return to action on Sunday (Nov. 24) when they host Bethune-Cookman (2-3). Tipoff from John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on ACC Network.