Five players scored in double-figures and three finished with double-doubles to give the UVA women’s basketball team a 103-40 win over Coppin State on Sunday afternoon in John Paul Jones Arena.
It was the most points for Virginia since scoring 103 in double overtime against Georgia Tech in 2008, and the most in regulation since scoring 116 versus St. Francis on Nov. 27, 2000.
“It was a great game for us today and a really great team win,” head coach Joanne Boyle said. “I was excited for the girls, we had good rotations and I felt like everybody got to contribute. We will enjoy it today and will start preparing for Richmond tomorrow.”
Virginia (2-0) shot 55.6 percent (40-of-72) from the field, while holding Coppin State (0-2) to just 21.4 percent (12-of-56). The Cavaliers scored 50 points in the paint and had 35 points off 24 turnovers by the Eagles. UVA won the battle on the boards, 50-35, and finished with 25 assists, 10 blocks and 10 steals.
“Our defense generated a lot of our offense by causing Coppin State to turn the ball over,” Boyle said. “I thought we did a really great job of sharing the basketball when they went to the zone. We tried our best to play inside and outside and we had really good ball movement today.”
The last time Virginia had five players score in double figures was on Jan. 3, 2015 against Miami. Freshman Felicia Aiyeotan (Lagos, Nigeria) led the game with a career-high 23 points, making 10-of-12 shots and going 3-of-4 from the free throw line. Aiyeotan had a double-double with a game-high 12 rebounds and added six blocked shots. Her six blocks are the most for a UVA individual since Jocelyn Logan-Friend recorded five at North Carolina in 2005.
Fellow freshman Jocelyn Willoughby (East Orange, N.J.) scored 21 points, all in the first half. Willoughby was 8-of-10 from the floor and 2-for-2 from three-point range. Junior J’Kyra Brown (Rocky Mount, N.C.) added a career-high 18 points, all in the second half.
Junior Lauren Moses (Mount Holly, N.J.) had a double-double with 15 points and 10 boards and fellow junior Aliyah Huland El (Randolph, N.J.) had a double-double with 12 points and a career-high 10 assists. The last time a UVA player finished with 10 or more assists was Sharneé Zoll with 11 in 2008.
Virginia was hot from the beginning, scoring the first 13 points of the game as Willoughby accounted for eight of those points, including the first two baskets of the game. Coppin State scored its first basket of the game at the 7:09 mark in the first period to make it 13-2. UVA continued to extend its lead and held a 31-10 advantage after the first period.
A scoreless three minutes to open the second period allowed Coppin State to cut the lead to 31-14, but Virginia found its rhythm again as Aiyeotan hit a layup and Willoughby nailed a three to put the Cavaliers ahead 36-14. With a 40-20 lead at the 3:28 mark, UVA scored the 12 of the final 13 points to lead 53-21 at the half.
Virginia out-scored Coppin State 21-14 in the third and had a 74-35 lead heading into the final period. After a free throw by Coppin State to begin the fourth, the Cavaliers scored 18-straight points, with 10 of those coming from Brown. Virginia closed the game on a 10-0 run.
Virginia will make its first road-trip of the season Wednesday (Nov. 16), traveling just down the road to Richmond. The teams are set to tip off at 7 p.m. at the Robins Center.
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Chris Graham
