Johnson, Brunelle lead surprising Virginia women to 81-66 upset of No. 20 North Carolina

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Kymora Johnson scored 25 points, Sam Brunelle added 15, and Virginia beat a ranked team for the second time in eight days, knocking off No. 20 North Carolina 81-66. Virginia led by three points at halftime and an 8-2 run to open the third quarter gave the Cavaliers a 45-36 lead. North Carolina fought back and cut the margin to three points heading to the fourth. A 3-pointer from Brunelle gave the Cavaliers a five-point lead a couple of minutes into the fourth quarter. She made another 3 to give Virginia a 70-61 lead with about seven minutes left. A layup by Lexi Donarski got the Tar Heels within eight points with 3:29 to go, but they missed their next six shots and Virginia went on a 7-0 run to finish the game.