UVA Basketball: Well, Virginia, looks like we have a Sweet 16 team after all

Virginia, literally the last team announced into the NCAA Tournament field, the second from the First Four to win its way into the second round, is now the first from the First Four to play its way into the Sweet 16.

The Cavaliers rallied from nine down in the fourth quarter to force OT, got a runner in the lane from Kymora Johnson with 13 seconds left to force a second OT, then dominated in that second OT, in a shocking 83-75 win over #2 seed Iowa, in Iowa’s home arena, on Monday.

The upcoming appearance will be the UVA program’s first in a Sweet 16 since all the way back in 2000.

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ICYMI

• UVA Basketball: Kymora Johnson, Coach Mox, finally going dancing
• UVA Basketball: Virginia holds off late charge from Arizona State
• UVA Basketball: Short turnaround for Virginia for Saturday NCAA game
• UVA Basketball: Virginia upsets #7 seed Georgia in OT, 82-73

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Iowa (27-7) had seemingly seized control with a huge third quarter, outscoring UVA (22-11) 25-11 to go into the final 10 minutes up nine.

An 8-0 blitz in an 80-second stretch – all Paris Clark: two threes and a jumper – got the margin to one, and Virginia, a #10 seed, would tie the score at 57 with 2:13 to go on a Johnson three.

That’s where the score would remain through the end of regulation.

UVA opened a four-point lead inside of two minutes to go of the first OT, but needed a pair of misses at the line from Chazadi Wright, an 85.9 percent free-throw shooter on the season coming in, and then a driving bucket from Johnson to get to the second OT.

The ’Hoos took the lead for good on a Clark and-one with 3:38 to go, igniting a 10-1 run capped by a pair of free throws from Johnson with 57 ticks on the clock.

Johnson finished with a game-high 28 points (7-of-20 FG, 4-of-12 3FG, 10-of-11 FT), and she played all 50 minutes.

Johnson was on the floor for 133 of the 135 minutes of action in Virginia’s three games this weekend – the 57-55 win over Arizona State in the First Four on Thursday, the 82-73 OT win over Georgia on Saturday, and then today.

Clark had 20 points (7-of-10 FG, 3-of-4 3FG, 3-of-5 FT) and seven rebounds.

Romi Levy had 13 points, Caitlin Weimar 12 points and eight boards, and Sa’Myah Smith had three points and a game-high 13 rebounds.

Next up for Virginia: a date with #3 seed TCU (31-5) on Saturday in Sacramento.