CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (Interstat) — The Virginia women’s basketball team opened its season with a commanding performance Tuesday night, cruising to an 86-36 victory over Morgan State at John Paul Jones Arena.

A dominant first half set the tone for the Cavaliers, who led by 36 points at halftime and never looked back in front of a crowd of 3,597. The win gives Virginia a 1-0 record to start the campaign, while Morgan State begins its season at 0-1.

Virginia’s offense was firing on all cylinders from the opening tip, outscoring the Bears 27-8 in the first quarter. The onslaught continued in the second period as the Cavaliers added another 26 points, holding Morgan State to just nine, to take a 53-17 lead into the break. The Bears showed a slight offensive improvement after halftime, scoring 13 points in the third quarter, but Virginia maintained its firm control, putting up 20 points to extend its advantage. The Cavaliers outscored Morgan State 13-6 in the final frame to seal the 50-point victory.

The offensive engine for Virginia was guard Kymora Johnson, who led all scorers with 24 points in just 25 minutes of action. Johnson was efficient and disruptive, also contributing six rebounds, five assists and one block in a comprehensive performance.

She was complemented by a strong outing from Paris Clark, who added 18 points and a team-high eight rebounds in 28 minutes. The Cavaliers’ frontcourt also made a significant impact, particularly on the defensive end. Romi Levy nearly recorded a double-double, pulling down 11 rebounds to go with eight points and four assists. Tabitha Amanze was a force protecting the rim, swatting away five Morgan State shot attempts while also scoring eight points and securing eight rebounds.

The Cavaliers’ depth was on full display, with Gabby White providing a well-rounded line of six points, six rebounds and three assists. Caitlin Weimar contributed six points and five rebounds in just 11 minutes, and Breona Hurd added four points, five rebounds and two blocks.

For Morgan State, the season opener proved to be a difficult challenge against a superior opponent from a major conference. Kailyn Nash led the Bears with eight points and eight rebounds in a team-high 29 minutes. Gabrielle Johnson was the team’s leading scorer, putting up nine points, while Mihjae Hayes added six points and three assists.

The game’s outcome was largely anticipated, as the Interstat ELO system had projected Virginia with a 99.5 percent probability to win.

Virginia will look to build on its opening-night success when it returns to John Paul Jones Arena to host Bucknell on Sunday. The Cavaliers’ non-conference schedule continues with home games against Maryland-Baltimore County, Radford and Longwood before a neutral-site contest against Northwestern State in Niceville, Florida, on Nov. 24. Atlantic Coast Conference play begins on the road at Vanderbilt on Dec. 3.

Morgan State, meanwhile, will seek its first win of the season when it plays its home opener against Stetson on Sunday. The Bears’ upcoming schedule is arduous, featuring a three-game trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico, for games against Wake Forest, Rice and Kentucky over Thanksgiving weekend. A particularly daunting road test awaits on Dec. 16, when Morgan State travels to face national powerhouse LSU.