Though the Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team ultimately fell to the then No. 14 Duke Blue Devils, 60-55, on Sunday afternoon, UVA’s performance was the latest in a string of games that inspire plenty of optimism in a potential midseason turnaround.
The ’Hoos led Duke for over 30 minutes of Sunday’s matchup inside John Paul Jones Arena, holding one of the nation’s most talented teams to just 20 first-half points. Overall, it was the third-straight game in which Virginia has held its opponent to 60 or fewer points, continuing a streak of stellar defensive efforts that the ’Hoos have put on tape since switching to a primarily zone defense in late December.