CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — Kymora Johnson scored 41 points to power Virginia to an 88-53 victory over Winthrop in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers (9-3) pulled away decisively after halftime, outscoring the Eagles 56-31 in the second half. Johnson, a Charlottesville native, added six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes. Paris Clark narrowly missed a triple-double for Virginia with 11 points, nine rebounds and 12 assists. Winthrop (7-7) struggled offensively, shooting just 30.5% from the floor. The Eagles were led by Marissa Gasaway’s 12 points. Virginia shot 52.3% overall and made 12 3-pointers. Attendance was 4,077.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — Kymora Johnson scored a career-high 41 points to lead Virginia to a dominant 88-53 victory over Winthrop in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers, improving to 9-3, used a massive second-half surge to pull away from the Eagles, who fell to 7-7. Johnson, a sophomore guard from Charlottesville, was the catalyst, shooting 14 of 24 from the field and hitting 8 of 15 from three-point range. She added six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes. The most important stretch of the game came in the third quarter, when Virginia transformed a modest 32-22 halftime lead into a commanding advantage. After a relatively slow first half offensively, the Cavaliers erupted for 27 points in the period. Johnson scored 12 points in the quarter, including two three-pointers, as part of a 16-4 run that pushed Virginia’s lead to 48-26. The Eagles could not mount a response, as the Cavaliers’ defense held them to 34.8% shooting for the game. Virginia’s offense operated with high efficiency, posting an offensive rating of 122.7 points per 100 possessions. The Cavaliers shot 52.3% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. Paris Clark nearly recorded a triple-double for Virginia, finishing with 11 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Caitlin Weimar added 13 points and six rebounds. Winthrop was led by Amourie Porter’s 22 points. Mya Pierfax contributed 12 points and Cori Lard added 10. The Eagles struggled from deep, making only 5 of 21 three-point attempts, and were outrebounded 44-30. Virginia established control early, leading 17-6 after the first quarter as Winthrop made only two field goals in the opening period. The Eagles found some rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Virginia 16-15, but the Cavaliers’ overwhelming third-quarter performance ended any doubt about the outcome. Virginia continued to extend its lead in the fourth, scoring 29 points to reach its highest point total of the season. The game drew an attendance of 4,077. Virginia entered as a heavy favorite, with statistical models giving the Cavaliers a 99.1% probability to win. Johnson’s 41-point outburst surpassed her previous season high of 13 points. In her last two games, she had 13 points and nine assists in a win at Boston College and eight points and seven assists in a victory over Howard. Winthrop was coming off a 58-81 loss at Charlotte. Virginia has now won three consecutive games since a loss at Vanderbilt on Dec. 3. Virginia will next host SMU on Monday, Dec. 29. Winthrop returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at home against Gardner-Webb to open Big South Conference play.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — The Virginia women’s basketball team looks to continue its strong non-conference play when it hosts Winthrop on Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers (8-3) enter the matchup on a five-day break following a 76-50 victory over Howard on Dec. 10. Virginia has won three of its last four games, with the lone loss in that stretch coming on the road against Vanderbilt. Forward Tabitha Amanze has been a key contributor for Virginia. She posted a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds in a win at Boston College on Dec. 7 and scored 17 points against Maryland-Eastern Shore on Nov. 30. Against Howard, she added 13 points and two blocks. Winthrop (7-6) seeks to rebound from a 58-81 loss at Charlotte on Wednesday. The Eagles have faced a challenging schedule, including a 40-112 defeat at then-Tennessee on Dec. 14. Guard Ryiah Wilson leads the Eagles, coming off a 16-point performance in 20 minutes against Charlotte. She has scored in double figures in four of her last six games, including a 14-point outing in a win over JWU Charlotte on Dec. 3. Virginia holds a distinct advantage in recent performance and schedule strength. The Cavaliers’ losses have come against Vanderbilt, Nebraska and UMBC, while their defense has held opponents to an average of 55.4 points in their eight wins. Winthrop, which begins Big South Conference play on Dec. 31, will need to contain Virginia’s interior presence and find consistent scoring beyond Wilson to challenge the Cavaliers on the road. This marks the first meeting between the programs. Tipoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. EST on Saturday. Virginia will host SMU on Dec. 29 in its final game before ACC play begins. Winthrop’s next game is at home against Gardner-Webb on Dec. 31.