Virginia knocks off No. 2 seed Iowa in 2OT to reach Sweet 16
IOWA CITY, Iowa — (*16*) scored 28 factors as Tenth-seeded Virginia turned the primary First Four to reach the regional semifinals after an 83-75 double-overtime win over No. 2 seed Iowa on Monday in a girls’s NCAA event second-round recreation.
The Cavaliers (22-11) gained three video games in 5 days, defeating Arizona State 57-55 in final Thursday’s First Four recreation, following that with an 82-73 extra time win over Georgia in Saturday’s first-round recreation, after which beating the Hawkeyes (27-7), who had been taking part in in entrance of a sellout dwelling crowd of 14,332.
“We were just so resilient in this game,” Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton mentioned. “Iowa is a really good team. They’re a 2-seed for a reason. No matter what they threw at us, we just didn’t get rattled. We just believed that we were going to win this game before it even started. Every time they punched, we punched back, stayed poised.”
It’s the primary time Virginia has superior to the second weekend of the event since 2000. It’s additionally the primary time a 10-seed has reached the Sweet 16 since Creighton did it in 2022. The Bluejays additionally beat Iowa in the second spherical that 12 months to advance.
“We had to do a lot of rebuilding when we got here in all facets of the program, even just rebuilding the community, the energy,” mentioned Agugua-Hamilton, in her fourth season because the Cavaliers’ coach. “But resources, players, culture, everything. I knew it was going to be a large task, and it was no small feat. But at the same time, I knew we were going to get it done.”
“Just coming into March,” Johnson mentioned, “we’re a confident team, and I think we believe in all the work that we’ve put in. Not a lot of people have. They’ve written us off. We came into March trying to show what Virginia is about.”
Iowa had probabilities to win the sport in regulation and on the finish of the primary extra time. Chazadi Wright‘s turnaround jumper with one second left in regulation missed, then the Hawkeyes missed two photographs on the finish of the primary extra time, a 3-pointer by Taylor Stremlow and a putback try by Ava Heiden.
“They made some big plays,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen mentioned of the Cavaliers. “When you win in March, you make big plays.”
Johnson had 14 of his factors in the 2 overtimes. She performed all 50 minutes.
“Hungry and tired,” Johnson mentioned when she was requested about how she felt. “But blessed and happy to be able to get the dub and be able to play 50 minutes.”
Paris Clark he had 20 factors for the Cavaliers. Romi Levy had 13 factors. Caitlin Weimar had 12.
Heiden led Iowa with 26 factors. Wright had 21 factors. Hannah Stuelke he had 15 factors and 19 rebounds for his Tenth double-double of the season.
Virginia led 28-23 at halftime. The Cavaliers shot simply 39.3% in the half however took benefit of Heiden selecting up two fouls in the primary 4½ minutes in addition to Iowa’s poor 3-point capturing. The Hawkeyes had been 10-of-32 from the sphere in the half however solely 1-of-12 on 3-pointers.
Hometown participant
Johnson, a junior, grew up 2 miles from Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville, and it took her some convincing to play for the Cavaliers.
“It took probably two months, my first two months there to even get her to come and talk to us,” Agugua-Johnson mentioned. “I literally passed her house on the way home every day. Once she did and once we clicked, we knew we had a special kid.”
“When she first called me, I’m going to be honest, I was not coming to Virginia, but I gave it a couple rings and finally picked up,” Johnson mentioned. “As soon as the first conversation happened, I knew this was where I destined to be. I followed my heart and it led me to Virginia.”
Johnson led the Cavaliers in scoring at 19.3 factors per recreation this season.
Efficient offense
Iowa took 84 photographs in the sport, 21 greater than the Cavaliers. But Virginia shot 44.4% for the sport, whereas the Hawkeyes made simply 36.9% of their photographs.
“They hit some clutch shots,” Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach he mentioned.
Up subsequent
The Cavaliers transfer on to the Sacramento Regional semifinals, the place they are going to play third seed TCU.
