Virginia earned a statement road victory Sunday afternoon, defeating No. 8 Louisville 74-72 at the KFC Yum! Center after Romi Levy knocked down a go-ahead three-pointer with 13 seconds remaining. The Cavaliers improved to 19-8 overall and 11-5 in ACC play, reaching their highest conference win total since the 1999-00 season.
Levy finished with 15 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Johnson led all Virginia scorers with 16 points and added three assists and two rebounds. Paris Clark delivered a well-rounded performance with 14 points, eight assists and six rebounds.
Sa’Myah Smith and Tabitha Amanze each contributed nine points. Amanze recorded three blocked shots as Virginia totaled four as a team. The Cavaliers established control inside, outscoring the Cardinals 38-22 in the paint.
Louisville jumped out to a 10-3 lead in the opening minutes, but Virginia answered with an 11-0 run to take control. The Cavaliers closed the first quarter on a 15-4 stretch over the final seven minutes to move ahead 18-14. Levy and Smith each scored five points in the opening period.
Virginia continued its momentum in the second quarter, beginning with a 9-2 run to stretch the lead to double digits at 27-16. The Cavaliers built their advantage to 13 points before halftime and entered the break with a 41-30 lead. Virginia shot 56 percent from the field in the first half and connected on four of eight three-point attempts while limiting Louisville to 26 percent shooting. Levy led the team with 10 first-half points, and Clark added nine points along with six assists and four rebounds.
Louisville responded to open the third quarter, scoring the first eight points to cut the deficit to three. The Cardinals trimmed the margin to two later in the period and outscored Virginia 19-15 in the quarter. Despite the surge, the Cavaliers held a 56-49 advantage heading into the fourth.
The final quarter featured multiple lead changes. Louisville used an 8-2 run to draw even and later moved in front for the first time since early in the game, taking a 69-68 lead with just over a minute remaining. Johnson answered with a three-pointer to put Virginia back on top. After Louisville regained a one-point edge with 31 seconds left, Levy delivered the decisive three-pointer to seal the win in the closing seconds.