TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Kymora Johnson played all 50 minutes and scored 31 points to help Virginia fend off Florida State in a thrilling double-overtime victory on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 4) at the Donald Tucker Center. The Cavaliers (12-3, 4-0 ACC) defeated the Seminoles (5-11, 0-4 ACC) 91-87 to record their sixth straight victory and remain undefeated in ACC play. Virginia recorded its first win after multiple overtime periods since 2011.
Johnson led the Cavaliers on the stat sheet with 31 points (10-21 FG, 5-12 3FG) with 11 assists and eight rebounds to record her second double-double of the game. Paris Clark dropped a season-high 22 points to go with eight rebounds, four assists and three steals.
Sole Williams led the Seminoles with 28 points (11-17 FG, 4-7 3FG) while Jasmine Shavers scored 18 points and Amaya Bonner added 15.
Caitlin Weimar pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds while the Cavaliers combined to block 13 shots as Breona Hurd and Sa’Myah Smith blocked three apiece. Virginia outrebounded the Seminoles 57-50 while pulling down 18 offensive boards.
How It Happened
After the Seminoles opened the scoring, Clark keyed a 12-4 Cavalier run to start the game. Clark netted eight of Virginia’s 12 points as the Cavaliers took an early lead. Virginia outscored FSU 31-15 in the opening quarter to open a 16-point advantage. Clark led all players with 10 points in the period while dishing three assists with two rebounds and a steal.
FSU used a 9-0 run to cut the Virginia lead to eight points [34-26], but UVA responded with eight straight points of its own and outscored the Seminoles 11-6 to end the quarter and take a 45-32 lead into halftime. Johnson led the Cavaliers with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting while connecting three times from beyond the arc in the first half.
The Seminoles used a 14-4 scoring run to cut the Cavalier lead to as few as six [54-48] in the third quarter. Florida State shot an efficient 66 percent (8-12) from the floor in the third while holding Virginia to 33 percent (6-18) from the floor.
Virginia led by as many as nine points in the fourth quarter [65-56], but Florida State finished the period on an 11-2 run to tie the game for the first time since 2-2 [Q1, 8:56] and force overtime.
Johnson led the Cavaliers in the overtime periods with 11 points while going 6-for-8 from the free-throw line and dishing out three assists. Paris Clark chipped in six points while coming up with a crucial steal to help Virginia build a two-possession [89-84] lead with under a minute to play.
From Head Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton:
“I thought we came out the way we wanted to come out. We punched first. We really, really executed the game plan early. We got up big. But then I thought we kind of relaxed. And, you know, Florida State, any team in the ACC is good. And, you know, they took advantage of us. We relaxed, and we started taking uncharacteristic shots, and kind of went rogue a little bit, and they closed the gap. And then once you do that. It's a game, and we weren't really able to separate ourselves again. So, I'm just proud of our resiliency. I don't care if it's one point, half a point, how many points on the road, a win is a win. We're in somebody else's gym. They're used to shooting in this gym. It's a different kind of environment to play in, and I just really am happy to see us persevere through adversity.”
With the Win:
- Virginia improves to 37-23 in the all-time series with Florida State
- UVA has won back-to-back road games against FSU and improve to 17-12 in Tallahassee
- The Cavaliers start their ACC slate with four consecutive wins for the first time since starting 5-0 in conference play in 2017-18
- The Cavaliers improve their winning streak to six straight games, its second-longest streak under Amaka Agugua-Hamilton.
- Virginia’s four-game winning streak in ACC play is the longest under Agugua-Hamilton
- The Cavaliers record their first overtime win since an 87-81 win over Missouri (11/30/23)
- Virginia improves to 38-23 all-time in overtime games
- Virginia recorded its first win after multiple overtime periods since a 94-92 win at NC State (2/10/2011).
- The Cavaliers improve to 4-4 in double-overtime games and 7-4 in games that required multiple overtime periods
Game Notes
- Double figure scorers: Johnson (31), Clark (22)
- Kymora Johnson recorded her second 30-point game of the season (41, vs Winthrop 12/21/25)
- Johnson (31 pts, 11 ast) recorded her second double-double of the season and the seventh of her career
- Johnson has recorded 8+ assists in five games this season
- Johnson has scored 30+ points in both of her appearances at the Donald L. Tucker Center (35 pts, 1/21/2024).
- Johnson's 30-point game is the fourth of her career and the 45th in program history
- Paris Clark recorded a season-high 22 points
- Virginia recorded 13 blocks, two shy of the program’s single-game record
- UVA has recorded 10+ blocks in four games this season
- Sa’Myah Smith and Breona Hurd led UVA with three blocks each
- Adeang Ring matched a career high with a pair of three-pointers
- The Cavalier bench scored 22 points compared to FSU’s 14
- Virginia led for 43:50 and trailed for just 0:58.
- The game featured five lead changes and five ties
- Both teams shot 41 percent from the field
- The Cavaliers drilled 12 three-pointers to FSU’s nine
- UVA outrebounded FSU 57-50 and improve to 12-1 when outrebounding their opponents
- Virginia’s 57 rebounds were just one shy of a season high
Up Next:
Virginia will travel to Georgia Tech on Thursday (Jan. 8). Tipoff from McCamish Pavilion is set for 7 p.m. on ACC Network Extra (ACCNX).