Coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton’s new-look UVA Basketball team will host an exhibition contest against NCAA II Pitt-Johnstown on Thursday at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.
Admission and parking are free for the event. Concessions stands will be open and selling a limited menu
A clear bag policy is in place for the arena. Click here for details
Agugua-Hamilton, aka Coach Mox, has taken over as the head coach of the UVA program after leading Missouri State for the last three seasons. She was an assistant coach at Michigan State for six years prior to taking over at Missouri State.
Coach Mox is a native of Virginia, growing up in Herndon, who earned her master’s degree at VCU, where she began her coaching career as an assistant coach. She also served as an assistant at ODU from 2011-13
During Agugua-Hamilton’s three years heading up the Lady Bears program, Missouri State went 74-15, including a 46-6 record in Missouri Valley Conference play. Her teams won two MVC regular-season titles (2020, 2021) and played in the past two NCAA Tournaments (2021, 2022), including a Sweet 16 trip in 2020-21.
The 2021-22 Missouri State team went 25-8 and was a No. 11 seed in the NCAA Championships. The Lady Bears defeated Florida State 61-50 in the tournament’s inaugural First Four before bowing out against No. 6 Ohio State in the first round of the tournament
The Cavaliers return four of five members of their starting lineup and their first two off the bench from last year’s team, and added two transfers: junior guard Alexia Smith from Minnesota (a 2022-23 Virginia opponent) and grad student Samantha Brunelle from Notre Dame.
Junior forward Mir McLean, a mid-season transfer last year from UConn, made an immediate impact on the team, averaging 11.4 points and 8.3 rebounds per game.
Pitt-Johnstown is picked to finish sixth in the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Western Division.
The Mountain Cats return all five starters and 12 letter-winners from a year ago, including three players who averaged in double figures in scoring (Ashley Norling-10.8 ppg., 5.6 rpg., Peyton Alazaus-10.4 ppg., and Olivia Fasick-10.2 ppg.), and Makalyn Clapper, the team’s defensive leader, who also averaged 9.7 points per game.
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Chris Graham
