CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — Kymora Johnson scored a career-high 41 points to lead Virginia to a dominant 88-53 victory over Winthrop in a nonconference women’s basketball game Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers, improving to 9-3, used a massive second-half surge to pull away from the Eagles, who fell to 7-7. Johnson, a sophomore guard from Charlottesville, was the catalyst, shooting 14 of 24 from the field and hitting 8 of 15 from three-point range. She added six rebounds and five assists in 37 minutes.

The most important stretch of the game came in the third quarter, when Virginia transformed a modest 32-22 halftime lead into a commanding advantage. After a relatively slow first half offensively, the Cavaliers erupted for 27 points in the period. Johnson scored 12 points in the quarter, including two three-pointers, as part of a 16-4 run that pushed Virginia’s lead to 48-26. The Eagles could not mount a response, as the Cavaliers’ defense held them to 34.8% shooting for the game.

Virginia’s offense operated with high efficiency, posting an offensive rating of 122.7 points per 100 possessions. The Cavaliers shot 52.3% from the field and 46.2% from beyond the arc. Paris Clark nearly recorded a triple-double for Virginia, finishing with 11 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds. Caitlin Weimar added 13 points and six rebounds.

Winthrop was led by Amourie Porter’s 22 points. Mya Pierfax contributed 12 points and Cori Lard added 10. The Eagles struggled from deep, making only 5 of 21 three-point attempts, and were outrebounded 44-30.

Virginia established control early, leading 17-6 after the first quarter as Winthrop made only two field goals in the opening period. The Eagles found some rhythm in the second quarter, outscoring Virginia 16-15, but the Cavaliers’ overwhelming third-quarter performance ended any doubt about the outcome. Virginia continued to extend its lead in the fourth, scoring 29 points to reach its highest point total of the season.

The game drew an attendance of 4,077. Virginia entered as a heavy favorite, with statistical models giving the Cavaliers a 99.1% probability to win.

Johnson’s 41-point outburst surpassed her previous season high of 13 points. In her last two games, she had 13 points and nine assists in a win at Boston College and eight points and seven assists in a victory over Howard.

Winthrop was coming off a 58-81 loss at Charlotte. Virginia has now won three consecutive games since a loss at Vanderbilt on Dec. 3.

Virginia will next host SMU on Monday, Dec. 29. Winthrop returns to action on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at home against Gardner-Webb to open Big South Conference play.