Three takeaways from UVA women’s basketball’s NCAA Tournament win over Georgia

Behind a career-high output from Sa’Myah Smith and another vintage Kymora Johnson performance, the tenth-seeded Virginia Cavaliers women’s basketball team survived an overtime thriller against the seventh-seeded Georgia Bulldogs, 82-72, in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 64. “Everybody counted us out, and we didn’t care because WE KNOW. 😤🔥” – @UVACoachMox #GoHoos 🔸⚔️🔹 #GNSL pic.

twitter. com/breMuQPOR1 — Virginia Women's Basketball (@UVAWomensHoops) March 21, 2026 Inside an air-conditioning-less Carver-Hawkeye Arena, the ’Hoos delivered their best offensive performance since their upset of then-No. 8 Louisville in late February, shooting 51.

7% from the field and knocking down 10 3-pointers to pull off the upset. With the win, Virginia advances to the Round of 32 for the first time since 2018, where it will look to keep its March Madness Cinderella story going against the second-seeded Iowa Hawkeyes at 2:00 PM EST on Monday afternoon. In the meantime, here are three takeaways from Saturday’s resilient upset win over Georgia: There’s no quit in these Cavaliers The regular season and ACC Tournament didn’t end the way Virginia wanted, but the selection committee gave the ’Hoos a chance to prove they belonged in the Big Dance, and Coach Mox’s squad is making the most of its opportunity.

Despite trailing 43-42 at halftime and by as many as eight points early in the fourth quarter, Virginia didn’t quit. Back-to-back clutch triples by Romi Levy and Johnson midway through the fourth gave the ’Hoos new life, and after trading buckets down the stretch, another Levy three evened the score at 71 to force overtime. Tonight’s 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙢𝙚!