IOWA CITY, Iowa — Kymora Johnson scored 28 factors as Tenth-seeded Virginia grew to become the primary First 4 to succeed in the regional semifinals after an 83-75 double-overtime win over No. 2 seed Iowa on Monday in a girls’s NCAA Event second-round sport.

The Cavaliers (22-11) received three video games in 5 days, defeating Arizona State 57-55 in Thursday’s First 4 sport, following that with an 82-73 time beyond regulation win over Georgia in Saturday’s first-round sport, after which the Hawkeyes (27-7), who have been taking part in in entrance of a sellout house crowd of 14,332.

“We have been simply so resilient on this sport,” Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton stated. “Iowa is a very good group. They’re a 2 seed for a cause. It doesn’t matter what they threw at us, we simply didn’t get rattled. We simply believed that we have been going to win this sport earlier than it even began. Each time they punched, we punched again, stayed poised.”

It’s the primary time Virginia has superior to the second weekend of the match since 2000. It is also the primary time a 10-seed has reached the Candy 16 since Creighton did it in 2022. The Bluejays additionally beat Iowa within the second spherical that yr to advance.

“We needed to do quite a lot of rebuilding once we bought right here in all sides of this system, even simply rebuilding the neighborhood, the power,” stated Agugua-Hamilton, in her fourth season because the Cavaliers’ coach. “However sources, gamers, tradition, all the pieces. I knew it was going to be a big activity, and it was no small feat. However on the similar time, I knew we have been going to get it carried out.”

“Simply coming into March, we’re a assured group, and I believe we consider in all of the work that we’ve put in,” Johnson stated. “Not lots of people have. They’ve written us off. We got here into March making an attempt to indicate what Virginia is about.”

Iowa had possibilities to win the sport in regulation and on the finish of the primary time beyond regulation. Chazadi Wright’s turnaround jumper with one second left in regulation missed, then the Hawkeyes missed two pictures on the finish of the primary time beyond regulation, a 3-pointer by Taylor Stremlow and a putback try by Ava Heiden.

“They made some massive performs,” Iowa coach Jan Jensen stated of the Cavaliers. “Once you win in March, you make massive performs.”

Johnson had 14 of her factors within the two overtimes. She performed all 50 minutes.

“Hungry and drained,” Johnson stated when she was requested about how she felt. “However blessed and glad to have the ability to get the dub and have the ability to play 50 minutes.”

Paris Clark had 20 factors for the Cavaliers. Romi Levy had 13 factors. Caitlin Weimar had 12.

Heiden led Iowa with 26 factors. Wright had 21 factors. Hannah Stuelke had 15 factors and 19 rebounds for her Tenth double-double of the season.

Virginia led 28-23 at halftime. The Cavaliers shot simply 39.3% within the half, however took benefit of Heiden choosing up two fouls within the first 4 ½ minutes in addition to Iowa’s poor 3-point capturing. The Hawkeyes have been 10 of 32 from the sector within the half, however just one of 12 in 3-pointers.

Johnson, a junior, grew up two miles from Virginia’s campus in Charlottesville, and it took her some convincing to play for the Cavaliers.

“It took in all probability two months, my first two months there to even get her to return and speak to us,” Agugua-Johnson stated. “I actually handed her home on the best way house daily. As soon as she did and as soon as we clicked, we knew we had a particular child.”

“When she first referred to as me, I’m going to be trustworthy, I used to be not coming to Virginia, however I gave it a pair rings and eventually picked up,” Johnson stated. “As quickly as the primary dialog occurred, I knew this was the place I destined to be. I adopted my coronary heart and it led me to Virginia.”

Johnson led the Cavaliers in scoring at 19.3 factors per sport this season.

Iowa took 84 pictures within the sport, 21 greater than the Cavaliers. However Virginia shot 44.4% for the sport, whereas the Hawkeyes made simply 36.9% of their pictures.

“They hit some clutch pictures,” Iowa guard Kylie Feuerbach stated.

The Cavaliers transfer on to the Sacramento Regional 4 semifinals, the place they may play third seed TCU.

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AP March Insanity bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and protection: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness