WBB: UVA closes Puerto Rico trip with loss to Wyoming, 71-66

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The Discover Puerto Rico Shootout came to an end on Saturday, as Virginia fell to Wyoming by a score of 71-66. The Cavaliers closed the competition with a record of 1-2 in San Juan after back-to-back strong comeback efforts fell just short.

Kymora Johnson (26 pts, 8 for 19 FG, 9 reb, 4 ast) proved crucial to the Cavalier comeback effort scoring 20 of her 26 points in the second half while matching a career-high on the boards. Yonta Vaughn (11 pts, 4 for 10 FG, 4 reb) was also an important factor in the second half.

HOW IT HAPPENED

The Cavaliers (6-3) worked their way into an early three-point lead [5-2], but Wyoming used an 8-0 run to put the Cavaliers in a five-point hole [5-10].

Olivia McGhee knocked connected from beyond the arc on her first attempt of the game to kickstart a Cavalier run that trimmed the lead to just three [13-16] at the end of the quarter.

Wyoming (4-4) continued to pull ahead in the second, expanding their lead to as many as eight points [20-28] with 1:57 to play in the half. The Cavaliers closed the half strong cutting the lead down to just four [26-30] at the break.

In the third, the Cowgirls stretched their lead to nine [31-40]. The Cavaliers pulled within a pair [41-43] with 2:32 to play in the quarter but were ultimately faced with a six-point deficit entering the final 10 minutes. Johnson poured in seven of her 26 points in the quarter while going 2 for 4 from 3-point range.

The Wyoming lead grew to as many as 11 points [65-54] in the fourth, but the Cavaliers battled back. Seven points from Johnson fueled a 10-2 Virginia run to trim the deficit back to just three points [64-67], but Virginia was ultimately unable to close the gap completely.  

ADDITIONAL NOTES

• Double-figure scorers: Johnson (26), Vaughn (11)
• Johnson logged her second consecutive 20-point game and her fifth of the season
• Johnson’s 26 points and 4 3-pointers each mark a season-highs.
• Johnson led the team with nine rebounds to match a career high
• RyLee Grays matched a career-high with six rebounds for the second consecutive game
• Virginia’s 26 points at the half mark its lowest total of the season
• UVA was outscored in the painted area 38-28
• The Cavaliers fall to 0-1 in the all-time series against Wyoming
• UVA scored 15 fast-break points compared to Wyoming’s five
• Virginia closes the Discover Puerto Rico Shootout with a 1-2 record

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers are back in action on Thursday when they take on Auburn in the SEC/ACC Challenge. Tipoff from John Paul Jones arena is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network. The game has been designated as a white-out and fans are encouraged to wear white.