Women’s Basketball: Virginia holds off Minnesota, wins, 73-70, to improve to 7-0

Virginia had to hold off a late Minnesota charge to close out a 73-70 win in the opener of the 2022 Cavalier Classic on Saturday.

The ‘Hoos (7-0, 1-0 ACC) led 71-62, with 3:06 remaining, but the Gophers (3-2) mounted an 8-0 run, making it a one-point game, 71-70, with 51 seconds remaining.

Two key steals by the Cavaliers in the final 20 seconds of play helped the team secure the victory.

Camryn Taylor was one of three Cavaliers in double figures with 22 points. Mir McLean had her second double-double of the year with 11 points and a career-high 15 rebounds.

Mara Braun paced Minnesota with 24 points and 10 rebounds.

This is the first 7-0 start for Virginia since the 1992-93 season.

“That was a fun one,” UVA coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “Just proud of our group. I think we’re learning how to win in so many different ways, whether we’re down in some part of the game, or we are blowing somebody out, or it’s a tight game like today, where every possession matters down the stretch.”

It didn’t look like that was going to be the case when the second of a pair of three-pointers from Sam Brunelle, who had 17 points, pushed the Cavalier lead back to 10, 59-49, with 7:37 remaining in the fourth quarter.

Minnesota chipped away at the deficit, pulling to within two, 61-59, on back-to-back layups with just over five minutes remaining in the game. McLean hit an and-one to end Minnesota’s 10-2 run, making it 64-59 with 4:50 remaining. Brunelle hit her third three of the half, seemingly giving the Cavaliers breathing room with a 71-62 lead.

Minnesota went on an 8-0 run, pulling to within one, 71-70 on a three-pointer with 51 seconds remaining. After a Virginia miss, Minnesota had the ball with 19.3 seconds remaining.

Taylor grabbed a steal with 6.4 seconds remaining. She was fouled, missing both free-throw attempts, but the Cavaliers got the ball after it went out of bounds off a Gopher with 4.6 seconds remaining.

Valladay made a free throw to put UVA up 72-70. Kaydan Lawson stole the ball, giving the Cavaliers possession in the final seconds as they held on for the victory.

“I was happy to see that defense brought us over the hump there at the end,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “Kaydan Lawson made some really good plays, but everybody was locked into the defensive side. And that’s something that we’ve been getting better and better at. So, I’m really proud of our group.”

Virginia closes out the Cavalier Classic on Sunday, facing East Carolina (4-1) at 2 p.m.