Virginia outlasts Georgia in overtime, 82-73, to advance to second round of March Madness

IOWA CITY, Iowa — Kymora Johnson scored 28 points and Sa’Myah Smith added a career-high 23 to go with 11 rebounds as 10th seed Virginia beat seventh seed Georgia 82-73 in an NCAA Tournament first-round game on Saturday.

The Cavaliers (21-11) became the first lower seed to win in March Madness this season. Virginia will play either second seed Iowa or 15th seed Fairleigh Dickinson in Monday’s second round.

“There was a lot of adversity in that game and we had to fight to push it to overtime and then also to do what we did in overtime,” Virginia coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton said. “Once we got to overtime, we knew it was our game. We came out with a lot of urgency.”

Virginia, which became the second team ever that played in the first four to win a game, outscored Georgia (22-10) 11-2 in overtime.

“I know that going into (overtime), a lot of us were tired,” Johnson said. “And we had a long stretch of trying to come back and getting back in the game. But once we did, all we were talking about in the huddle before overtime was fight. Fight. Nothing is promised, so fight for tomorrow.”

Smith, who was held scoreless in the second half, scored five of the Cavaliers’ points.

“I didn't want to lose,” Smith said.

Smith had just two points on 1 of 5 shooting in Thursday's First Four win over Arizona State, and Agugua-Hamilton talked to her in the pre-game meal about putting that game behind her.

“Sa'Myah's a winner,” Agugua-Hamilton said. “She was like, ‘I got you.’ Once she said that, I knew she would be fine.”

If it was my best game, then I saved it for the right time," Smith said. “No better time to do it than now.”

Georgia had two chances to win the game in the final seconds of regulation. Trinity Turner’s shot with four seconds left missed, and Savannah Henderson grabbed the offensive rebound before being tied up by Smith. The possession arrow favored Georgia with seven-tenths of a second remaining, giving the Bulldogs a final shot. But Mia Woolfolk’s 10-foot jumper hit off the left rim as the buzzer sounded.

It was warm inside the building with temperatures in the 80s as the arena doesn't have air conditioning.

Woolfolk led Georgia with 27 points. Rylie Theuerkauf had 22 points, all but two points coming in the first half. Henderson had 11 points.

Romi Levy added 14 points for Virginia.

Virginia led 26-16 with 9:16 left in the second quarter before the Bulldogs rallied to lead 43-42 at halftime. Theuerkauf, who was 5 of 5 in 3-point shooting in the quarter, scored 17 points in the final 9:03 of the half.

Cavaliers' defensive switch worked

Virginia switched to a man-to-man defense in the second half to try to slow the Bulldogs.

“They were doing a good job of getting to places in our zone where it was hard to guard,” Agugua-Hamilton said.

Georgia had just one 3-pointer in the second half and overtime.

“They were definitely denying me a little harder,” Theuerkauf said.

Woolfolk out in overtime

Georgia was without Woolfolk in overtime after she took three hard falls in the second half.

Woolfolk drew nine fouls in the game.

“I think it’s just the whole year, just getting beat up and beat up and slammed and beat up and beat up,” Georgia coach Katie Abrahamson-Henderson said. “It doesn’t end for her. She really went to work. She did a great job.”

Woolfolk was 9 of 13 from the field, and was 9 of 16 in free throws.

“I mean, she could’ve had 34 points if she made some of those free throws,” Abrahamson-Henderson said. “It really hurt us in the overtime not having her out there.”

Up next

The Cavaliers will be playing their third game in five days on Monday. They defeated Arizona State 57-55 in Thursday’s First Four game.