Virginia’s women’s basketball team went to Notre Dame, Indiana on Sunday and lost to No. 7 Fighting Irish (16-2, 7-1 ACC) 76-54.
It was the Cavaliers’ second straight loss (14-6, 3-6 ACC) and their sixth loss in their last eight games. The schedule hasn’t been convenient for Virginia lately — the game against Notre Dame marks his third road trip for the Cavaliers against top 10 opponents since the calendar flipped to his 2023 season. marked the game of 9 Virginia Tech January 5, then 10 North Carolina State University January 8.
Things got out of hand early on for the Cavaliers. But senior forward Camryn Taylor’s jumper followed by a three-point shot by freshman guard Cady Polley closed out the first quarter, and he cut the Fighting Irish’s lead to nine.
The Cavaliers continued to narrow their lead into the second quarter, coming close to 22-15 after junior guard Yonta Vaughan made a deep 3-pointer in the first half with 6:19. However, a flurry of Notre Dame three-pointers heading into the half hampered a comeback as the Fighting Irish took a 12-point lead into the break.
Notre Dame continued to build their lead from halftime. Fighting He extended his lead to 20 with his 10-for-2 quickness for the Irish, and after trading baskets for the rest of the quarter, Virginia went into the fourth quarter with his 64-for-42.
With the game in hand, Notre Dame coasted through the final quarter to a 22-point victory.
Taylor, who led the team with 13 points, was the only player on the Cavaliers to hit double digits. Virginia, fighting he struggled off the field against Irish—only he shot 29.6%—even more so than across the arc (3-15).
“It’s hard to lose in a row, but I thought the kids fought for part of the game,” said manager Amaka Agugua Hamilton. “But thanks to Notre Dame. They have a phenomenal team.”
The Cavaliers will try to make a comeback against Syracuse on Thursday. Tip-off is at 7pm and will be covered by ACC Network Extras.
