December 6, 2009
// For Immediate Release //
Contact: Jim Daves

UVa to Hold Press Conference Regarding Football Program Monday
Press Conference will be Webcast Live on VirginiaSports.com

Charlottesville, VA – The Virginia athletics department will hold a press conference regarding its football program Monday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. The press conference will be held in the dining hall at John Paul Jones Arena.

Due to the capacity of the facility, the press conference is not open to the public.

Media should park on the second level of the JPJA garage and use the suite holder entrance.

The press conference will be webcast live on VirginiaSports.com. The webcast is free.

The media room located on the event level of JPJA will be available following the press conference as a work area for media on site.
 

Mike London to be introduced Monday as next head football coach at University of Virginia
By Norm Wood Daily Press
10:04 p.m. EST, December 6, 2009

Bethel High graduate and Richmond coach Mike London will be introduced as the new head football coach at the University of Virginia at a 1 p.m. press conference today.

The announcement, confirmed by a source with knowledge of the search process, will come just two days after the 49-year-old London's Spiders lost to Appalachian State in the Football Championship Subdivision quarterfinals and a week after Al Groh's firing on Nov. 29.

London, a former U.Va. assistant coach under Groh, has been the coach at Richmond for the last two years, leading the Spiders to the FCS national championship last season. In his two seasons at Richmond, London compiled a 24-5 record. Prior to coming to Richmond, he was the defensive coordinator and defensive line coach in 2006 and '07 at U.Va.

London told his Richmond players Sunday afternoon that he'd been offered the vacant coaching job at U.Va. and that he was heavily considering taking it, according to Richmond linebacker Darius McMillan.

"(On Sunday), he spoke of the fact that he was offered the job and he's having a tough decision deciding whether he's going to take the job because he's grown close to the (Richmond) team," McMillan said. "We as players understand that this is a business. It's kind of one of those things that we realize that ultimately it comes down to us and how we prepare for our own future."

London will replace Groh, who was fired after his ninth season, which ended with a 3-9 record.

In '05, prior to his latest stint at Virginia, London was the defensive line coach for the Houston Texans in the National Football League.

London also coached the defensive line in '01 at U.Va., before adding recruiting coordinator to his resume for the '02 through '04 seasons in Charlottesville. He gained ample experience recruiting the Hampton Roads area during his days at U.Va., which finished with its worst record last season since 1982 when it went 2-9.

London graduated from Bethel in '79. He went on to play defensive back from '79-82 at Richmond, where he was team captain and had six interceptions during his '82 senior season.

His coaching career has taken him to three state colleges - U.Va., Richmond (where he also served in '88 and '89 as outside linebackers coach and '94-96 as outside linebackers coach and recruiting coordinator) and William and Mary (defensive line coach from '90-93). He has also had a stop at Boston College, where he was defensive line coach from '97-2000.

At U.Va., the Cavaliers finished 17th in the nation in '06 in total defense (giving up an average of 290 yards per game) under London's guidance, and 23rd in '07 (332.5 yards per game). U.Va. was tied for sixth in the nation in '07 in sacks (43), including 14 by defensive end Chris Long, who was drafted No. 2 overall in the '08 NFL Draft by the St. Louis Rams.

During his last stint at U.Va., London was responsible for recruiting the Hampton Roads area, including the Peninsula District. He gained commitments for the class of '07 from current U.Va. linebackers Jared Detrick of Woodside High and Aaron Taliaferro of Gloucester High.

After Richmond's loss to Appalachian State, London seemed to reflect on his time at Richmond. He didn't mention anything specifically about the U.Va. job.

"I've been really blessed to be the head coach of this football team," London said. "That's a hurt locker room in there, but I'll tell you what - 11-2, conference champions, had the year we had. I'm so proud of those guys - coaches, players, the fans that came out to this game, particularly the students. Words can't describe the gratitude I have for being a part of something like this and being a part of this team."

Cavs' search quick and painless

Rare is the coaching vacancy that's filled this quickly and predictably. Then again, this was hardly a typical search.

University of Virginia officials have known since Sept. 5 that Al Groh's days leading the football program were numbered. That's the afternoon the Cavaliers opened Groh's ninth season with a home loss to William and Mary.

Not to disparage the Tribe, which has subsequently advanced to the FCS national semifinals. But bowl subdivision teams that lose to FCS opponents historically are bad, and Groh could not afford bad.

So athletic director Craig Littlepage and his staff began working contacts. Who might be a good fit? Who might be interested? Who was affordable?

The one name everyone knew made sense was Richmond coach and Bethel High graduate Mike London. He twice worked at U.Va. as an assistant to Groh. He coached at other academic powerhouses such as Boston College and William and Mary. He hailed from Hampton Roads' fertile recruiting turf.

Oh, and as a rookie head coach last season he guided the Spiders to the FCS national title. Richmond followed with a 10-1 regular season this year before losing Saturday to Appalachian State in the playoff quarterfinals.

Less than 24 hours later, and a week after Littlepage fired Groh following a 3-9 season, London and Virginia had agreed to terms.

No time for rampant media speculation, bogus Internet rumors and non-denial denials. Quick and painless.

Contrast this to March, when Littlepage unexpectedly fired basketball coach Dave Leitao and needed several weeks to ponder a replacement before settling on Washington State's Tony Bennett.

Is London an inspired hire? You never can tell.

What we can tell you is that London, 49, fits the U.Va. profile. He'll recruit relentlessly and effectively. He'll hire a first-rate staff and, unlike Groh, will not micromanage them.

Moreover, he's good people.

London will be introduced at 1 p.m. Monday. He'll win the press conference.

Then he faces a far more difficult challenge: winning games.

Posted by David Teel

Mike London likely pick for UVa head football coach
The Cavs call a press conference for today about the football team.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

Virginia has called a news conference for 1 p.m. today at which it is expected to announce the appointment of 49-year-old Mike London as its new head football coach.

London, the Cavaliers' defensive coordinator in his second of two stints as a UVa assistant, has been the head coach at the University of Richmond for the past two seasons.

London's 2008 Richmond team won the Division I-AA title, and the Spiders were ranked No. 1 in the country this year before losing to Appalachian State 35-31 in the I-AA quarterfinals Saturday night.

London's agent, Dennis Cordell, told The Associated Press on Sunday that Virginia had requested permission to speak to London earlier in the day.

Former UVa quarterback Shawn Moore, an analyst on the Cavaliers' pregame radio broadcasts, said it was his understanding that London had been on campus Sunday.

"I would be shocked if it wasn't him," said Moore, a school administrator and coach in the Washington, D.C., area. "I mean, who else could it be? Just look at the timing."

"I love it. I just love the hire. I think it will revive the program. He gives Virginia the best chance of narrowing the gap with Virginia Tech."

London will take the place of his former boss, Al Groh, who was dismissed Nov. 29 after nine seasons as the Cavaliers' head coach. Virginia had losing teams in three of Groh's last four seasons, including a 3-9 mark this year that represented the Cavaliers' first nine-loss season since 1982.

London was on Groh's original UVa staff in 2001, serving as defensive-line coach and recruiting coordinator. He left following the 2004 season to become defensive-line coach of the Houston Texans.

When Texans boss Dom Capers and his entire staff were let go after the 2005 season, London returned to UVa as defensive coordinator, replacing Al Golden after Golden was named head coach at Temple.

London was the Cavaliers' defensive coordinator for two seasons, including 2007, when the Cavs played in the Gator Bowl and won nine games.

UVa's yield of 289.5 yards per game in 2006 was the Cavaliers' lowest in 27 years.

London played in college at Richmond and was eager to begin his head-coaching career at his alma mater, but he also has enjoyed ties to UVa.

His younger brother, Paul, was a defensive back for the Cavaliers in the mid-1990s.

Mike London's daughter, Kristen, is a UVa graduate and former basketball player.

London, a graduate of Bethel High School in Hampton, was a police officer before entering coaching. He was at Boston College before coming to Virginia the first time.

Tight ends coach Bob Price and secondary coach Anthony Poindexter have been tending to recruiting in the 10-day period since UVa gave Groh his notice. Price has served as the Cavaliers' recruiting coordinator since 2005.

Three members of London's staff at Richmond were on UVa's staff with him. They are offensive-line coach Bill Polin, linebackers coach Vincent Brown and tight ends coach Byron Thweatt.

London's appointment will be well-received by the Black Coaches & Administrators organization, which has been lobbying for more diversity in college coaching and annually gives report cards to schools that have gone through the hiring process.

Of the 120 teams in Division I, only seven had black head coaches this season: Randy Shannon (Miami), Kevin Sumlin (Houston), Turner Gill (Buffalo), Mike Locksley (New Mexico). Ron English (Eastern Michigan), Mike Haywood (Miami of Ohio), and DeWayne Walker (New Mexico State).

Virginia to announce London as new coach
By Michael Phillips
Published: December 7, 2009
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U.Va.'s coaching search turned out to be more about waiting than hunting.

Virginia will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. today to announce Mike London as the Cavaliers' new football coach.

The courtship was a brief one.

Yesterday morning, following the Spiders' loss to Appalachian State, Virginia officials formally requested permission from Richmond to speak to the Spiders' head coach, a request that was granted. Prior to that, all discussions had gone through a third-party search firm that the Cavs hired to assist with the process.

That group, Neinas Sports Services, can discuss openings informally with coaches without first going through their employer.

For the Cavs, there was little that stood in their way. The Associated Press reported yesterday that Memphis, Western Kentucky and Akron were also interested in the coach, though it seemed unlikely that those schools could compete with a BCS-conference school in which London has family ties.

In addition to his time as defensive coordinator and defensive line coach, London's brother Paul was a defensive back under George Welsh, and his daughter Kristen played basketball for the Cavs. London's Spiders lost to Appalachian State on Saturday, ending their season.

Working at Richmond, London had to recruit under similar academic circumstances to those at Virginia. He has maintained strong relations with state high-school coaches, an area where Virginia has lost ground in recruiting.

Money also was unlikely to be an issue. At Virginia, London will receive a substantial raise, possibly as much as four times what he currently makes. Most FCS schools do not attach a buyout to their coach's contract if he leaves for an FBS program. As a private school, Richmond is under no obligation to release contract information. London's agent, Dennis Cordell, did not return a cell-phone message from the Times-Dispatch last night.

For the Cavs, London would likely start at a lower salary than departing coach Al Groh, who was making more than $2 million a year after receiving several years of annual increases.

The hire also sheds light on a decision U.Va. made last week to play VMI in Charlottesville in 2010. That would allow them to drop Richmond from the schedule, sparing London from having to coach against his old team in his Charlottesville opener.

London joins a rare crowd as there are fewer than 10 African-American head coaches at the FBS level.

London era begins at UVa
By Jay Jenkins and Jerry Ratcliffe jjenkins@dailyprogress.com jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
Published: December 6, 2009
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Time, apparently, was of the essence.

Just a day after coach Mike London’s second season at the University of Richmond ended with a playoff loss, the 49-year-old was offered and took little time to accept the vacant coaching position at the University of Virginia The Daily Progress learned.

London will be announced as the school’s 45th head coach at a press conference at the John Paul Jones Arena at 1 p.m today.

After Virginia asked Richmond officials for permission to speak formally with London, the Cavaliers’ former defensive coordinator, about the job, he called a players meeting.

At that time, sources confirmed, London delivered an emotional speech about the Virginia situation and how he was torn.

London, who compiled a 24-5 record at Richmond and won the 2008 Football Championship Subdvision title, replaces former coach Al Groh.

It was under Groh that London was first hired at Virginia in 2001 as the recruiting coordinator and the defensive line coach.

He left the Cavaliers’ program after the 2004 season to take a post as the defensive line coach with the Houston Texans in the National Football League, but returned to Charlottesville a year later as the defensive coordinator.

After two years at Virginia, London was hired as the head coach at the University of Richmond, where he played college football from 1979 to 1982.

London completed his second season at Richmond late Saturday evening, losing 35-31 to Appalachian State.

Following the contest, London spoke with the media about his time coaching the Spiders.

“I’ve been really blessed to be the head coach of this football team,” London said. “That’s a hurt locker room in there, but I’ll tell you what — 11-2, conference champions, had the year we had.

“I’m so proud of those guys. Coaches, players, the fans that came out to this game, particularly the students. Words can’t describe the gratitude I have for being a part of something like this and being a part of this team.”

Following his title-winning season in `08, London was named the Black Coaches Association Male Coach of the Year and was the AFCA National Coach of the Year.

He was also given a contract extension at Richmond, a deal that was extended through the 2014 campaign.

London will become the third African-American head coach in the Atlantic Coast Conference, joining Miami’s Randy Shannon and former Wake Forest coach Jim Caldwell.

The news was received in grand fashion amongst former players who were mentored by London at Virginia.

“It’s unreal,” former defensive end Brennan Schmidt said. ”That’s fantastic. He was the best coach that I ever came across. He was a player’s coach.

“He wants to see you grow as a man.”

Former safety Byron Glaspy added: “I don’t think you can say enough positive things about London. Everybody related to him. He sets a great example for players of being a man in general.”

Groh was fired on Nov. 29 after Virginia finished a 3-9 season, the program’s worst record since going 2-9 in 1982.

Under Groh, the Cavaliers went 59-53 and went to five bowl games.

In the release announcing today’s press conference, Virginia officials stated that the event is not open to the public. It will be televised live on the school’s Web site.
 

UVa in search of road win
By Whitey Reid
Published: December 7, 2009
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OPELIKA, Ala., — Some 30 minutes after Virginia’s loss to Penn State in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge last Monday, UVa guard Sammy Zeglinski had tears in his eyes as he took questions from a group of reporters.
Zeglinski, who had almost single-handedly shot Virginia back into the game, had badly wanted to beat Penn State. His pain from coming up short was palpable.
In the early going of his inaugural season, Virginia coach Tony Bennett hasn’t liked a lot of what he has seen from his team — UVa (4-3) hasn’t won more than two games in a row — but if there has been one thing that he has been relatively satisfied with, it has been his players’ competitiveness.
“I believe these guys desperately want to win in the heat of the battle,” Bennett said. “You want guys that care that much.
“Sammy had a flurry at the end, but he wanted to play better before that. He was disappointed in his earlier play. He cares deeply about that. I like that passion, but hopefully we can care that much in practice leading up to the game.”
Tonight, Virginia travels to Auburn to take on a Tigers team that has been a little difficult to get a handle on.
The Tigers (4-4), who defeated UVa in Charlottesville last season en route to a
24-12 record and NIT quarterfinal appearance, lost at home to Troy on Friday, but nearly upset N.C. State two games before.
However, the recent return of guard Tay Waller from a quadriceps injury, has, to a certain extent, transformed Auburn, according to Bennett.
“That really helps them out,” he said. “They have very good guard play, especially with him coming back.
“They kind of run some stuff like NBA teams in that they have very good early offense — they’ll spread you out with ball screens in transition and also use them in the half-court. They kick and shoot a lot of 3s. When they’re shooting it well, they’re very dangerous.”
Against Penn State, Virginia sleepwalked through the first few minutes of the second half as the Nittany Lions went on a 23-7 run. Bennett knows his team can’t have those kinds of stretches if it has any hopes of picking up its first road win of the season tonight.
“I sound like a broken record because I know every coach will say this,” Bennett said, “but it’s the ability to try and sustain longer and not have as many breakdowns and limit those.
“There were too many times where we tried to get it back too quick or didn’t execute the way we needed…it came too easy for them.”
Bennett said one thing he might consider is getting freshman Jontel Evans into the game sooner. Against Penn State, Evans did a good job in limited time on Talor Battle.
“It’s certainly something I have to take a look at it,” he said, “because Jontel on the ball defensively can really bother [people].”
Dunks
On Friday, Bennett said there was still no timetable on when Jamil Tucker would be available for games. Tucker, who took a leave of absence from the team before returning just after Thanksgiving, has only been practicing. ... Junior forward Mike Scott said on his Facebook page that he recently sustained a high-ankle sprain. No word on his status for tonight’s game. ... Virginia is visiting Auburn for the first time, and is playing at an SEC school for the first time in 15 years. The Cavaliers last trip to an SEC school was almost 15 years ago to the day, a 70-65 loss at Vanderbilt on Dec. 6, 1994.
 

White: College Cup Awaits 'Hoos
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/04/2009
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The students who help make Klöckner Stadium so raucous during men's soccer games -- you may know them as the Wahooligans -- surged forward at one end when the final second ticked off the clock Friday night.

UVa players joined the supporters' celebration. The party was on.

The 'Hoos are headed to the College Cup.

In a dominating performance, second-seeded Virginia eliminated defending national champion Maryland from the NCAA tournament. With Bruce Arena looking on in approval from the press box, the Cavaliers whipped the Terrapins 3-0 before a jubilant crowd of 4,900.

"It's a quarterfinal, it's the right to go to the College Cup," George Gelnovatch said. "I don't know how many fans were there, but the place was unbelievable, this atmosphere. And it was against our most heated rival.

"You couldn't put a better recipe together for us to come out with a win like this, for the players, the program, the school, everything about it."

This is Gelnovatch's 14th season as head coach at his alma mater, where he succeeded the legendary Arena, who guided UVa to five NCAA titles. The Cavaliers are making their third trip to the final four under Gelnovatch and second in four seasons.

In 2006, UVa lost 4-0 to UCLA in the semifinals. First-year players on that Virginia team included Neil Barlow, who had a goal and an assist Friday night.

"It feels awesome," Barlow said. "I still have a sour taste in my mouth from that semifinal against UCLA my freshman year. I remember walking off that field just feeling terrible. I'd love to see UCLA again and maybe get revenge on them."

Wake Forest hosts UCLA on Saturday night. UVa (17-3-3) will meet the winner in a Dec. 11 semifinal at Cary, N.C.

As the No. 2 seed, Virginia was awarded a first-round bye in the NCAAs. Three games at Klöckner followed -- against Bucknell, Portland and Maryland, respectively -- and the Cavaliers swept them by a combined score of 9-0.

The shutout Friday night surprised no one. The Cavaliers haven't allowed a goal since Oct. 17, when they beat Virginia Tech 3-1 in Blacksburg, and their string of shutouts has reached 13 games.

"We peaked at the right moment," goalkeeper Diego Restrepo said.

The Streak, Gelnovatch said, is the result of a superior keeper and a stellar defense, "but it's also our team mentality. Guys are blocking shots, guys are throwing their bodies in front of plays, guys are heading balls out, guys are getting behind the ball."

Restrepo, a redshirt junior, has not allowed a goal in 1,107 minutes and 34 seconds.

"It's been a remarkable feat," Maryland coach Sasha Cirovski said.

The Terrapins (15-6-2) had several opportunities to end Restrepo's streak. The most dramatic came in the 66th minute, when he dived to his right to save a penalty kick by Jason Herrick.

In an exhibition game last year, when Restrepo played for the University of South Florida, Herrick had gone the same way -- and scored -- against him on a penalty kick. Restrepo's save Friday night came with UVa leading 2-0.

"It was a crucial time," he said. "It's a completely different game if it's 2-1 with 25 minutes left."

Barlow was credited with the Cavaliers' first goal, but his shot, from 20 yards out, actually deflected off a Maryland defender and got past goalkeeper Zac MacMath in the sixth minute.

"It gave us some confidence," Gelnovatch said. "But to be honest with you, we scored that goal in the first five minutes, and the next 20 minutes or so we had a hard time kind of getting a hold of the ball and getting out.

"We had to make some adjustments. But the second half we made a couple of adjustments, and then it was lights out. Then we had control of the game."

In the 59th minute, Barlow, from the left corner, set up freshman forward Will Bates, who headed in his team-leading 12th goal.

"Bates is great in the air," Barlow said. "You put the ball near him, he'll go up and get it, and he'll finish it. So I just knew that if I put a decent ball in there, Bates would go and get it."

With 12:38 left, Bates departed to a warm ovation from the crowd. About 30 seconds later, his replacement, Jordan Evans, one-timed a through ball from Tony Tchani, and the Wahoos' College Cup dream became reality.

"Obviously, as the leader of the program, it's pretty satisfying," Gelnovatch said. He's especially proud that some of his seniors are headed to the final four for the second time.

"That's fantastic," Gelnovatch said.

 

UVa vs. Wake Forest: No Introductions Necessary
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 12/06/2009
Dec. 6, 2009
3:28 p.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- If UVa coach George Gelnovatch is experiencing déjà vu, it's understandable.

In the ACC men's soccer tournament last month, his team faced Maryland in the round of eight and Wake Forest in the semifinals. (The Cavaliers beat N.C. State in the title game.)

Fast forward to the NCAA tournament. The Wahoos faced -- and beat -- Maryland in the quarterfinals. Next up for second-seeded Virginia (17-3-3) is a semifinal date with third-seeded Wake (17-3-3) at Cary, N.C.

"So it's same road," Gelnovatch said Sunday afternoon. "We just gotta do it twice."

UVa and Wake will meet in the 5 p.m. semifinal Friday at WakeMed Soccer Park. Top-seeded Akron and No. 5 seed North Carolina will follow at 7:30 p.m.

The Demon Deacons beat UCLA on Saturday night to advance to the College Cup for the fourth straight season. For the Cavaliers, this is their first appearance in the final four since 2006.

In their regular-season matchup, UVa edged Wake 1-0 on Sept. 18 in Winston-Salem. Neither team scored in their ACC tourney meeting, but the 'Hoos advanced on penalty kicks.

"I haven't seen Wake since we played them, but I feel like we are better than we were," Gelnovatch said. "We actually made progress in the ACC tournament. Ari Dimas was not starting in the first round of the ACC tournament, and by the end he became a starter.

"You can get development in your team this late in the season, where guys are still emerging and becoming part of your team, and we got two or three of those kind of guys," including Dimas and Jordan Evans.

"We've gotten better all year, but even since the ACC tournament we've gotten better," Gelnovatch said. "From a coaching standpoint, we're better than the last time we played Wake. From the first time to the second time we were better, and from the second time to the third time we're better. I feel good about that."

-- Jeff White

 

Dukes shock Cavaliers
By Jay Jenkins
Published: December 7, 2009
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With every ounce of muscle that she had, Monica Wright lofted a heave from near half court as the final horn sounded.
The thud off the top-right corner of the backboard and the feverish clapping that ensued from a large contingent of James Madison fans told the story: Virginia had lost to an in-state rival.
Behind 38 points from junior guard Dawn Evans, the Dukes stunned No. 14 Virginia 75-73 inside John Paul Jones Arena.
Virginia (6-2) had a great chance to tie the contest before Wright’s desperate attempt, but rookie guard China Crosby missed an off-balance layup with 5 seconds left that led to a jump ball and rewarded the Dukes (5-0) with possession.
In the end, Evans’ record-setting performance at JPJ and the Cavaliers’ inability to make shots from the field sealed the contest’s fate.
“It was obviously a really difficult game. I think all the credit goes to JMU,” Virginia coach Debbie Ryan said. “I thought they out-hustled us and out-played us in many aspects of the game, but by the same token we got 87 shots.
“I don’t how you lose a game that you get 87 shots in.”
For the game, Virginia shot 32.2 percent from the field, missing 59 of its 87 attempts.
“I don’t know how you lose. You would have to try to lose that,” Ryan said. “We got 87 shots, we got 51 rebounds … I don’t know how you lose that game.”
In the final two minutes of the game, Virginia attempted to inch back into the contest.
Trailing by six, at 73-67, Wright connected on a fading jumper with 1:49 remaining.
After Evans did not get the roll on a layup on the Dukes’ ensuing possession, Virginia rookie Telia McCall made a pair of free throws with 1:17 remaining to trim the JMU lead to 73-71.
Then Evans took over.
After dribbling in the backcourt until 12 seconds remained on the shot clock, the junior guard drove right, went back to her left and banked in a floater, putting the Dukes up 75-71 with 52 seconds left.
“She is so hard to guard,” JMU coach Kenny Brooks said. “I am very close to [former Maryland All-American guard] Kristi Toliver … and Kristi Toliver is not as elusive as Dawn is.
“We have a male practice squad that I will put the most athletic male on her and I have seen her make them fall because she is so elusive. She is so quick. She can stop on a dime.”
Virginia answered Evans’ basket quickly as junior Paulisha Kellum hit a left-handed layup with 44 seconds left and after Evans turned the ball over with 16 seconds to play, Ryan pleaded for Wright to race the ball up.
Wright complied, but tried to squeeze in a pass to McCall under the basket that bounced to Crosby.
After taking the game’s final inbounds pass, Evans was fouled but missed the front end of a one-on-one that could have given the Tennessee native her career-best scoring line.
“I knew that could have won the game,” said Evans, who finished 13 of 14 from the free-throw line.
In the first half, Evans hit nine free throws and scored 20 points. It helped the Dukes race out to a 33-21 lead, but the Cavaliers finished the half on a 13-6 run.
Virginia kept the momentum early in the second half and took a 56-50 lead with 11:18 left on a lay up from Kellum, who scored nine points.
“I knew we wouldn’t quit,” Ryan said. “We are a tough group of people. We just have to have some people play a little better. That is the bottom line for us.”
Wright, dejected by the loss to an in-state foe, grabbed 16 rebounds and scored 31 points, but missed 20 of her 32 shots from the field.
“It is very tough,” she said. “When you look back at how UVa has done against JMU in the past, it is just tough to accept this loss. I just think that we need to realize what kind of reputation that we carry here at UVa with in-state rivalries and in-state teams.
“It is very unacceptable.”
JMU now trails 13-5 in the series and won for the first time since 1986.
Virginia hosts Furman on Tuesday at 7 p.m.