Virginia 78, Memphis 60
The Wahoos cruised to a victory over the Tigers on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., moving on to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995. The score doesn't even really show how badly Virginia beat Memphis. The score was 75-48 with three minutes left so the Tigers had to go on a 12-3 run to get within shouting distance of a respectable score.
Joe Harris led UVa with 16 points and added five assists. He went 2 for 5 from beyond the arc. Mike Tobey scored 11 points on 5 of 8 shooting, including one 3-pointer late in the game. The big man can shoot well from out there but rarely does. He is just 1 of 3 on the year. He said after the game he just really wanted to shoot a 3. It was that kind of night for the 'Hoos. Everything was working on offense and defense.
Anthony Gill had another monster game with 13 points and eight boards off the bench -- that's now six straight double digit games from the sophomore transfer -- and Justin Anderson scored 10 points, his first double digit effort since March 1 against Syracuse when he had 11. Evan Nolte had six points for his second straight solid game and even made a dunk near the end that surprised everyone -- I guess he was trying to top Tobey's 3, which happened a couple minutes earlier. I did not mention Nolte's contributions to the win over Coastal Carolina and that was an oversight on my part. The sophomore ended up with eight points on 3 of 4 shooting, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. It was Nolte's best game since scoring nine vs. BC on Feb. 5. His 3s gave UVa some much-needed breathing room against the Chanticleers.
After sticking with the Cavaliers and even trading leads with them for a few minutes, the Tigers lost their grip on the game Sunday with about five minutes left in the first half when a Harris 3 gave Virginia a 24-18 lead. UVa ended the half on a 16-2 run that broke the Tigers' will. Virginia led 35-20 at halftime and Memphis never got closer than 13 in the second half.
Early on, Memphis was dictating pace and doing a good job of getting some transition looks and shots around the rim. The game could have taken on a different tone in those opening minutes but the Tigers missed lots of easy shots that could have given them around a 10-point lead. Instead, the biggest lead Memphis had was just 11-8.
Eventually, Virginia's defense settled down and limited Memphis' good looks and transition buckets. Once the game was played in the half court, Memphis folded and the Tigers didn't have an answer. I respect what Tigers coach Josh Pastner has done at Memphis, but like I thought he would, he got schooled by UVa coach Tony Bennett. Once the pack line 'D' got a hold of the Tigers, Pastner didn't have many answers but to hope that the Tigers made more 3s than usual and they didn't, just 3 of 13. On the night, Memphis shot just 40.7 percent and UVa blocked six shots.
Friday night's upcoming matchup provides more of a challenge for the Cavaliers. Tom Izzo's Michigan State team will be ready for the Wahoos. I think it is going to be a superb contest and a great battle between a Hall of Fame coach and coach on the rise. I'll write more about the game as it gets closer.
The Wahoos cruised to a victory over the Tigers on Sunday in Raleigh, N.C., moving on to their first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995. The score doesn't even really show how badly Virginia beat Memphis. The score was 75-48 with three minutes left so the Tigers had to go on a 12-3 run to get within shouting distance of a respectable score.
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| Mike Tobey |
Anthony Gill had another monster game with 13 points and eight boards off the bench -- that's now six straight double digit games from the sophomore transfer -- and Justin Anderson scored 10 points, his first double digit effort since March 1 against Syracuse when he had 11. Evan Nolte had six points for his second straight solid game and even made a dunk near the end that surprised everyone -- I guess he was trying to top Tobey's 3, which happened a couple minutes earlier. I did not mention Nolte's contributions to the win over Coastal Carolina and that was an oversight on my part. The sophomore ended up with eight points on 3 of 4 shooting, 2 of 3 from beyond the arc. It was Nolte's best game since scoring nine vs. BC on Feb. 5. His 3s gave UVa some much-needed breathing room against the Chanticleers.
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| Anthony Gill |
After sticking with the Cavaliers and even trading leads with them for a few minutes, the Tigers lost their grip on the game Sunday with about five minutes left in the first half when a Harris 3 gave Virginia a 24-18 lead. UVa ended the half on a 16-2 run that broke the Tigers' will. Virginia led 35-20 at halftime and Memphis never got closer than 13 in the second half.
Early on, Memphis was dictating pace and doing a good job of getting some transition looks and shots around the rim. The game could have taken on a different tone in those opening minutes but the Tigers missed lots of easy shots that could have given them around a 10-point lead. Instead, the biggest lead Memphis had was just 11-8.
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| Evan Nolte |
Eventually, Virginia's defense settled down and limited Memphis' good looks and transition buckets. Once the game was played in the half court, Memphis folded and the Tigers didn't have an answer. I respect what Tigers coach Josh Pastner has done at Memphis, but like I thought he would, he got schooled by UVa coach Tony Bennett. Once the pack line 'D' got a hold of the Tigers, Pastner didn't have many answers but to hope that the Tigers made more 3s than usual and they didn't, just 3 of 13. On the night, Memphis shot just 40.7 percent and UVa blocked six shots.
Friday night's upcoming matchup provides more of a challenge for the Cavaliers. Tom Izzo's Michigan State team will be ready for the Wahoos. I think it is going to be a superb contest and a great battle between a Hall of Fame coach and coach on the rise. I'll write more about the game as it gets closer.
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