The Associated Press

As reported by The Associated Press.

On Sunday, Virginia defeated No. 20 North Carolina 81-66, marking their second victory against a ranked team in the span of eight days. Kymora Johnson led the scoring with 25 points, while Sam Brunelle contributed 15 points to the win. The game took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.

At the end of the first half, Virginia was ahead by three points. They continued their momentum in the third quarter with an 8-2 run, resulting in a 45-36 lead over North Carolina. However, North Carolina made a comeback in the fourth quarter and narrowed the gap to three points. Indya Nivar was the top scorer for North Carolina in the third quarter with eight points, but unfortunately, she fouled out in the beginning of the fourth quarter after playing only 12 minutes.

Brunelle hit a 3-point shot, increasing the Cavaliers’ lead by five points early in the fourth quarter. Later, she made another 3-pointer, giving Virginia a 70-61 advantage with approximately seven minutes remaining.

Lexi Donarski’s layup brought the Tar Heels within eight points with 3:29 remaining, but they were unable to capitalize on their next six shots. This allowed Virginia to go on a 7-0 run and secure the win.

Johnson and Brunelle both made 4 out of 5 shots from beyond the arc, resulting in a total of eight 3-pointers for Virginia out of their 11 attempts. Johnson also contributed six rebounds, four assists, and three steals, while Brunelle had seven rebounds, two assists, and two steals. Paris Clark had 14 points, three assists, and five steals, while London Clarkson added 10 points for the Cavaliers (10-10, 2-7 ACC).

Although their ACC record may be poor, the Cavaliers have recently been on a winning streak. On January 18, they gave No. 15 Notre Dame a tough game and on Sunday, they beat then-No. 15 Florida State before also defeating North Carolina.

Reniya Kelly and Alyssa Ustby were the top scorers for North Carolina (15-6, 7-2), with 20 and 13 points respectively. Ustby also contributed eight rebounds and five assists. Deja Kelly struggled with 10 points on 2-for-13 shooting.

In the first quarter, Reniya Kelly earned nine points while Ustby contributed seven, leading North Carolina to a 25-16 advantage. However, the Cavaliers made a comeback in the second quarter, outscoring the Tar Heels 21-9 and taking a 37-34 lead at halftime. Brunelle scored eight points and Johnson had five points and three assists in the second quarter.

On a day of celebrating the 50th anniversary of UVA Women’s Basketball, the upset occurred and many former players and coaches were recognized at halftime.

On Thursday, North Carolina will face No. 7 North Carolina State in a nearby location.

On Thursday, Virginia will be visiting Virginia Tech.

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Source: wralsportsfan.com