The Plus/Minus: UVA women’s basketball falls to UNC, 73-62

Feb 3, 2023 - 3:57 AM

Minus

This was an ugly loss. The Virginia Cavaliers kept the game close in the first quarter, and were down just 8-9 as the horn sounded, but that was largely the result of North Carolina missing their first six shots and turning the ball over six times in the game’s fist six minutes. UNC came out after the break on fire making nine of their first ten shots and going on a 15-2 run to effectively end the game.

Plus

London Clarkson had a monster outing tonight, scoring 23 points en route to her career high. She was 7-8 from the free throw line and she is now the player I would want with the ball in her hands late in the game. In the last five contests, Clarkson has gone 29-35 from the stripe, continuing one of the most singular turn-arounds I’ve ever seen in the sport.

Minus

Another game, another opponent having a career night. This time it was UNC’s Kayla McPherson who in just 18 minutes had 14 points and four assists. That’s a career high for her. She’s a bit of a special case in that it was only her second game in over two years as she’s battled back from injuries.

Minus

And, while we’re on the subject of injuries, Sam Brunelle did not dress and was on crutches as she is day-to-day. In her absence, the ‘Hoos shot 4-20 from deep. Virginia is usually a little more judicious about hoisting that number of shots, but the women were chasing the game.

Plus

McKenna Dale had a fine game. She made three of those four treys, and she started out pretty well, as she connected on all of her threes with her first shots. But she then went 0-6. Again, it was as the Cavaliers were chasing the game. Dale ended up with 15 points on the night and set her own career high with nine boards.

Plus

Camryn Taylor recorded her 500th career rebound. Two games ago she logged her 1000th point. They are significant milestones, but they are hard to celebrate when the team is mired on a 1-8 run.

Minus

Carole Miller’s minutes have cratered like Kadin Shedrick’s. For the third time in five games, she played fewer than five minutes. I don’t know if she’s in Coach Agugua-Hamilton’s doghouse, but with Brunelle out and Cady Pauley wired to the end of the bench Mox basically played this game with seven players. Fatigue has been an issue for the past several games.

Minus

Five games ago, Virginia was getting some love as an NCAA tournament bubble team. Well, that bubble has burst and the only way the Cavaliers are going to the Dance is if the women make some noise at the ACC tournament.

Minus

This team needs some athleticism at the wing and more overall team speed. Taylor Valladay is really fast and Alexia Smith has nice body control, but they are getting punished in transition.

Next Up: The women travel to Pittsburgh to play the worst team in the ACC on Sunday, February 5th. Game time is 2:00pm it’s on the ACC Network.