Reaction to Cavs' win over N.C. State

VIRGINIA BASKETBALL
Virginia 58, N.C. State 55

Sure, N.C. State's C.J. Leslie did not start because he was sick (he still had 20 points and 14 rebounds) and point guard Lorenzo Brown went down with a bum ankle with about 10 minutes left in the first half, BUT Virginia made some awfully good plays to upend the Wolfpack on Tuesday night at JPJ.

The first half was not a good half, offensively or defensively, for Virginia. The Cavs only scored 24 points (and it took a late push to get there) and gave up 31. Perhaps no play represented the first half better than Jontel Evans' three free throws at the end of the first half. He missed them all and the Wahoo faithful let out a collective groan, realizing once again how offensively challenged their point guard is. He would redeem himself later, though.

Here's a look at some of the plays that helped UVa pull off the big win and what they meant:

UVa center Mike Tobey

-Mike Tobey ripping a rebound away from Richard Howell and putting it back up for two points. That play actually came in the first half, I believe. This was probably the most memorable play among a lot of great ones for the freshman. He scored 13 points and had seven rebounds and a a pair of blocks but this play fired up the team and showed N.C. State that the 'Hoos weren't going to back down just because the Pack was being physical. After a miss, Tobey was battling for a rebound with Howell, all  257 pounds of him, and even though Howell appeared to mostly have the ball in his grasp, Tobey ended up with it and put the ball back up and through the hoop. Tobey is lots of things as a freshman. He is tall, almost seven-foot. He is skilled. He can use both his left and right hands around the rim. He can shoot the perimeter shot, too. But he is not strong. He very skinny and Howell is a beast of a man and an experienced senior. I'm not quite sure how Tobey ripped that ball out of Howell's grip, but it was a heckuva play and set the tone for the kind of game UVa needed to play to win.
-Akil Mitchell dunking on Leslie right after Leslie rebounded the ball and got a put-back dunk on Mitchell's head. This was another statement play and you could tell Mitchell was eager to celebrate afterwards and he even looked in Leslie's direction after the dunk. This play happened right after Leslie's put-back dunk and I bet Mitchell was none to thrilled to be dunked on so he returned the favor and made it a three-point play because Leslie fouled him.

UVa forward Evan Nolte

-Evan Nolte drawing offensive foul on Leslie. Nolte did not make many great plays in the game but two that he did make were big. With the game tied at 40, Leslie lowered his shoulder a bit into Nolte at the top of the paint, and Nolte went sprawling out on the floor. It was not a vicious hit by Leslie, and I would not have been mad had it not been called, but it was a really smart and heady play for a freshman like Nolte and he sold it well.
-3-pointer from Nolte with seven minutes left that cut State's lead to two. The game was going back-and-forth for awhile with no one really taking a big advantage until State extended its lead to 47-42 when Scott Wood made a 3-pointer. Nolte hit his only 3-pointer of the game on Virginia's next possession. It was a huge play because you could sense that State was trying to put us away and maybe the game was getting away from the 'Hoos a bit.
-Block by Justin Anderson. Another big play from a freshman. With a little over six minutes to play and N.C. State holding on to a 49-47 lead, equally impressive Wolfpack freshman T.J. Warren stole the ball and appeared to be cruising in for a lay-up to give N.C. State a four-point lead. Out of nowhere came Anderson, flying in to block the shot just before it got to the rim. An amazingly athletic play from Anderson. He is very adept at blocking shots and seems to mostly be able to avoid getting fouls called on him when he does.
-Joe Harris getting fouled on 3-pointer. I've gotten all the way to this point without mentioning Harris, Obviously, without his contributions (22 points), Virginia loses this game. He shot very well -- 7 of 15 from the field (3 of 8 from 3) -- but this savvy play helped Virginia get a little cushion as the game headed into the stretch run. Warren was guarding Harris throughout the game and was having a hard time keeping up with him. Harris received a pass beyond the 3-point line and gave a hard pump fake. Warren came flying in front of him and Harris launched himself into Warren and drew three free throws and sunk them all, giving Virginia a 52-49 lead with 5:13 left. It completed a 7-0 Virginia run.
-Mitchell makes jumper to put Virginia ahead for good. Mitchell received a pass from just inside the 3-point line and confidently sunk it to give UVa a 56-54 lead with just under four minutes left. It was a very Mike Scott-esque shot. Normally, I wouldn't want Mitchell to shoot that but he stepped and swished it. If he can add a little more shooting touch from 15-18 feet and still bang around down low, watch out.

UVa guard Jontel Evans

-Evans' final free throws. The second half came down to this. 56-55 UVa. Twenty-seven seconds left. And Evans at the line. Oh, no here we go Wahoo nation thought, including myself. Instead, Evans stepped up and nothing but netted the first free throw and got a friendly bounce on the second to convert the pair. The makes put Virginia up three points instead of two or one and changed the complexion of N.C. State's final possession. Huge play by Evans. Nerves of steel.
-Paul Jesperson's defense on Wood for final possession. I haven't mentioned Jesperson yet. He goes mostly overlooked and under appreciated in the UVa fan community. I think that's a fair assessment. But he is solid, especially on defense. He harassed Wood for much of the game, keeping him mostly in check. Jesperson missed all four of his shots and finished the game with one rebound, one assist, and one block. But that one block loomed large. According to coach Tony Bennett, Jesperson got a piece of Wood's final 3-point attempt to tie as time expired.

All of those great plays added up to a great win for the 'Hoos, their first over a ranked opponent. If you're thinking Wisconsin, the Badgers had actually just fallen out of the top 25 when UVa played them. Mitchell, Tobey, and Anderson all held their own against Howell (12 points, 11 rebounds) and Leslie. Warren and Rodney Purvis were held well below their season averages. The second half belonged to the Cavs. They outscored the Wolfpack 34-24 after being down 31-24 at halftime. Virginia has looked good recently at the beginning of second halves, a great sign that Bennett and his staff know what adjustments to make at the break. Evans was clutch with his free throws, and even though he only scored four points, he had seven assists. Tobey is really coming into his own as an offensive weapon. He could be really special once he gets better at defense and adds a little muscle.

Darion Atkins saw his first action since the Clemson game. He played six minutes. Bennett said after the game his shin flared up. Hopefully Atkins can find his way back to some meaningful minutes for the 'Hoos but it doesn't look good. If we can get him back playing like he was at the beginning of the year, things could get that much better. After playing their third game in six days, the Wahoos get a well-deserved break. They've won four in a row. They are now 15-5, and 5-2 in the ACC in second place, tied with Duke. The Cavs hit the road next and play at Georgia Tech at 3 p.m.