Virginia embraces Cinderella role after double-overtime upset in women’s NCAA Tournament
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Ice chunks littered the floor and water soaked the black leather seats followinga celebration inside Virginia’s designated meeting area at Carver-Hawkeye Arena. Cavaliers coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton walked through room pulling her luggage, stopped and was handed a bright orange Wilson basketball. “Is this the game ball?
” she asked one of her staff members. “Yes, do you want me to pack it? ” the staffer asked.
Agugua-Hamilton held it, stared for a few seconds, then quietly agreed. The staff member took away the ball and said, “Sweet! ” For the Cavaliers, “sweet” was the appropriate response at the perfect time.
They’re headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000 with an 83-75 double overtime win at Iowa on Monday afternoon. In the process, Virginia became this tournament’s Cinderella story and the first women’s basketball team to advance out of the First Four to the Sweet 16. In just its second NCAA tournament trip in 16 years, 10th-seeded Virginia won three postseason games, all in resilient fashion.
The Cavaliers edged Arizona State 57-55 in a First Four matchup on Thursday and followed it with an 82-73 overtime win against seventh-seeded Georgia on Saturday. Facing second-seeded Iowa was the most difficult test for multiple reasons. For one, Virginia (22-11) traveled to Iowa nearly a week ago and dealt with extreme cold early in their stay, oppressive heat in the middle and then back to normal, chilly mid-March weather for its final game.
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