CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — The Cavaliers exploded for a 20-point scoring run in the third quarter to separate from SMU and notch its second straight ACC victory of the season. Virginia (10-3, 2-0) defeated SMU (7-7, 0-2) by a score of 76-52 in its ACC home opener Monday night (Dec. 29) at John Paul Jones Arena.
Kymora Johnson led the Cavaliers with 17 points on 7-for-13 shooting with 10 assists and six steals to record the sixth double-double of her career. Caitlin Weimer recorded a double-double of her own with 13 points to go with 12 rebounds while Tabitha Amanze’s 11 points rounded out Virginia’s trio in double figures.
Virginia dominated down low, outscoring SMU 54-22 in the paint while Sa’Myah Smith pulled down a career-high 15 rebounds. The Cavaliers shared the ball well recording 24 assists on 32 made baskets while nine different UVA players scored in the game.
How It Happened
Seven different Cavaliers scored in the opening period led by Johnson’s nine points and three assists in the first frame. Virginia used a 9-2 scoring run in the final moments of the opening quarter to build an early advantage and take a 23-14 lead into the second quarter.
After six quick Cavalier points to open the second quarter, SMU used a 11-2 scoring run to cut the Cavalier lead down to as few as six points [31-25]. The Cavaliers would take a 35-27 lead into the halftime break. Johnson led all players with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting. White and Johnson both dished out four assists in the opening half.
The Mustangs netted the first basket of the second half, but the Cavaliers exploded for a 20-0 scoring run that spanned over minutes to take a 26-point lead [55-29]. Over the course of the run, Virginia forced SMU into 11 consecutive missed field goal attempts. Virginia outscored SMU 22-7 in the third quarter and took a 57-34 lead into the fourth.
Weimar led the Cavaliers with seven points in the fourth quarter while Sa’Myah Smith pulled down eight of her 15 rebounds in the final 10 minutes. The Cavaliers outscored SMU 19-18 to seal a 76-52 win.
From Head Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton:
“I thought it was a good team win. Really proud of how we came off Christmas break, sometimes it's hard to get your rhythm after being off for that many days. But we have a hungry group, we're really focused. Taking everything one game at a time, but I like how we came out. We've just got to put teams away in the second half and keep growing in that regard. But I thought it was a great team win.”
With the Win:
- Virginia improves to 3-0 all-time against SMU
- The Cavaliers start their ACC slate with back-to-back wins for the first time since starting 5-0 in conference play in 2017-18
- Virginia improves to 8-1 at JPJ in 2025
Game Notes
- Double figure scorers: Johnson (17), Weimar (13), Amanze (11)
- Kymora Johnson recorded her sixth career double-double (17 pts, 10 ast)
- Johnson has recorded 10+ assists on five occasions in her career
- Johnson’s six steals match a career-high (vs Boston College, 12/8/24)
- Caitlin Weimar recorded the 47th double-double of her career and her second as a Cavalier (13 pts, 12 reb)
- Five of Johnson’s six career double-doubles have been recorded with points and assists
- Sa’Myah Smith matched a career-high 15 rebounds
- Smith’s 15 rebounds are the most of any Cavalier in 2025-26
- Gabby White set a career-high with six assists
- Breona Hurd made her first appearance since Radford (11/16/25)
- Nine Cavaliers scored in the game for the 10th time in 2025
- Virginia recorded 24 assists on 32 made field goals
- The Cavaliers have recorded 20+ assists in five games in 2025
- Virginia’s 54 points in the paint match a season-high (Howard, 12/10/25)
- Two Cavaliers recorded a double-double in the same game for the first time since a victory over Longwood on 11/20/25 (Levy 14 pts/12reb/10ast, Weimar (15 pts/12 reb)
- The Cavaliers led for 38:01 of the game and by as many as 29 points (4th, 8:52)
Up Next:
Virginia will host Clemson on Thursday (Jan. 1). Tipoff from John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).