With the pressure on, Virginia comes through for huge victory at Duke, gets Louisville back at home next
Louisville at No. 2 Virginia, 7 p.m. ESPN2
The Cavaliers picked up one of their biggest regular-season wins in recent memory Saturday, taking down No. 4 Duke in Durham, 65-63. It was the Wahoos' first victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 23 years, which had amounted to a 17-game losing streak. As expected, the Blue Devils didn't make it easy. UVa controlled the first half and then took a 35-22 lead early in the second half. But Duke, as it usually does, made a furious run at home. The poise UVa showed down the stretch was the most impressive part of the triumph.
It was a typical all-around team effort from Virginia, but one that was punctuated by a huge sequence from Ty Jerome. Kyle Guy missed a 3-pointer with a little over a minute left and UVa up 60-58. Trevon Duval grabbed the rebound and quickly tried to throw the ball downcourt. Jerome stepped in like a safety on defense and intercepted the pass. Then, with the shot clock winding down, Jerome faked a pass to no one, getting Duval to jump to the side to give himself an opening, and then sunk a cold-blooded 3-pointer straightaway but a few feet beyond the arc to put the Cavaliers up, 63-58, with 39 seconds left. It received a classic "Onions!" call from CBS color commentator Bill Raftery,
one his signature lines (the other being, aptly, "Send it in, Jerome!"), which means Jerome had ... um, a lot of courage in that moment to step up and take that shot.
Guy led with 17 points, making 2 of his 9 3-pointers. It wasn't a great shooting effort from him, but he came through in big moments as well, making his final 3 with 3:19 left, one that gave UVa a 60-55 lead. And after missing the front end of a one-and-one with 24 seconds left, he calmly sunk two free throws to give UVa a crucial four-point lead with six ticks remaining, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Blue Devils. Devon Hall had 14 points, two 3s, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and just one turnover. Jerome ended the game with 13 points and had seven assists, five rebounds, three steals, and just one turnover. UVa committed only five turnovers. De'Andre Hunter came off the bench and provided a spark again, finishing with 12 points. As he did against Syracuse's zone, when Duke went to zone, he did a good job of making a couple jumpers and driving to the basket to get the offense back on track once it had stagnated in the second half. In particular, he calmly hit a jumper with about 10 minutes left when Duke had rallied from 13 down to take a 46-42 lead. There is an injury concern with Hunter, who hurt his ankle twice in the game, the final time with 4:55 left after he made a layup to put Virginia ahead, 55-53. He didn't come back and is a game-time decision against Louisville.
As I mentioned earlier and touched on with a couple of examples, the cool and calm UVa showed in the game was very impressive. The Cavaliers were in position to win the past two games at Cameron, in 2014 and 2016, but just couldn't seal the deal. But nothing seemed to faze the guys Saturday. No panic seemed to be present when Duke made its big run and the Cameron Crazies got really wild. The refereeing was fairly consistent throughout the game but seemed to lean toward Duke in the second half. But the players never showed much frustration. Coach Tony Bennett was a different story. He was animated with the refs on a few occasions, which was good to see. He said after the game he just wanted to make it known to his players and the refs that he didn't agree with certain calls. Sometimes, Bennett is calm, maybe too nice. It was good to see him realize the gravity of the situation. Obviously, he said it was one ACC road win after the game. But he knows what a win at Duke can mean. It really shows the evolution of the program to be able to go into Duke, and pretty much control the game throughout, perform in the clutch, and win.
I thought a couple big moments stood out when I watched the game on replay: Duke had tied the game at 39 with 14:22 remaining, and UVa was struggling on offense. But the Cavaliers got some defensive stops to keep the game tied over a couple possessions. Jack Salt had a block, and Guy and Hall each had a steal. Eventually, Duke took a 41-39 lead. Jerome followed with a nice pass to Salt, who was fouled while putting up a layup that was counted because of a goaltend. He also made the free throw, a rare make for Salt from the line, to put UVa back up by one. Salt had a solid game with seven points, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, and he made all three of his field goals.
I'm sure there were several other crucial plays, but that was an important time in the game where Duke was trying to gain control and build a cushion. But the Blue Devils were never able to stretch their lead beyond four. Virginia did a very good job of remaining unflustered in the face of pressure and a loud arena. Previous Virginia teams might not have come back after blowing a big lead. In fact, UVa lost big leads last season against Villanova, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, and didn't win any of those games. The only time the players looked tight Saturday was when Guy and Jerome missed the front end of their one-and-ones late. But Jerome's big 3 and Guy's free throws after that put to rest any worries of a late collapse. Hopefully, that moxie the players displayed is something that will give them confidence as the games get bigger and the pressure more intense. They have a result to back that confidence.
A somewhat dinged up and ill Virginia team now gets a tough assignment with Louisville coming to Charlottesville. Here's more on this year's Cardinals:
Record: 16-5, 6-2 ACC
Scorers in double digits: Junior forward Deng Adel (15.6), senior guard Quentin Snider (13.1), junior forward Ray Spalding (11)
Leading rebounders: Spalding (9.3), senior forward Anas Mahmoud (5.8), Adel (4.9)
Assist leaders: Snider (4), Adel (2.8)
Notable: Sophomore forward V.J. King averages 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds. Mahmoud averages 7.8 points and 3.5 blocks, and one steal. Sophomore guard Ryan McMahon averages 6.9 points and 1.1 steals, and freshman forward Jordan Nwora averages 5.2 points. Spalding averages 21. blocks and 1.7 steals.
Best win: at then-No. 23 Florida State, 73-69, on Jan. 11
Worst win: 70-68 over Albany on Dec. 21. The Great Danes 17-7 and 5-4 in the middle of the America East Conference.
Other wins: George Mason, Southern Illinois, Omaha, St. Francis (Pa.), Siena, Indiana, Bryant, Memphis, Grand Canyon, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Boston College, Wake Forest
Best loss: 66-57 at Purdue in early December. Purdue is now 21-2 and ranked No. 3.
Worst loss: at then-No. 6 Kentucky, 90-61, on Dec. 29
Other losses: Seton Hall, Clemson, Miami
What Louisville does well: Louisville holds teams to just 38.9 percent shooting (seventh) and 30.5 percent on 3-pointers (12th) while blocking 7.3 shots per game (second) and recording 7.8 steals per game (42nd). The Cardinals score 78.5 ppg (73rd) and shoot 74.4 percent from the free throw line (72nd). Their turnover margin is +2.7 (45th).
What Louisville doesn't do well: Louisville scores at a decent clip, but only shoots 45.4 percent from the field (146th) and 34.5 percent beyond the arc. The Cardinals' rebound margin is just fair at +.8 (187th), and they only average 13.4 assists (203rd).
Louisville first year-coach David Padgett, 32, has done a pretty good job this season under trying circumstances. Longtime coach Rick Pitino was fired after a pay-for-play scheme was uncovered by
the FBI late in the summer. Padgett was the only member of the coaching staff retained, so he had to gather together a skeleton crew of assistants. Plus, top recruit Brian Bowen was deemed ineligible, and he is now headed to South Carolina. Padgett, with zero head-coaching experience, has put together a team that has spent some time in the top 25 and looks to be headed toward an NCAA tournament bid.
Louisville has not done well against Virginia since it entered the ACC. Pitino was 1-5 against the Cavaliers, with the average score being 62-51.5. The Cardinals have struggled mightily offensively vs. the Pack Line, so it'll be interesting to see if Padgett tries to add a few wrinkles to the game plan. Earlier this week, Mahmoud said the players had been studying past losses to know what not to do. We will see if that translates to the floor. One of the issues has been Louisville's inability to shoot. That is usually a poor formula against UVa, since the Cavaliers are good at defending drives, the post, and make teams shoot contested shots. This year's Cardinals, mostly weak from beyond the 3-point line, are led by Snider at 37 percent, King at 36.7, McMahon at 38.7, and Adel at 34.9.
Maybe the biggest headline and question surrounding UVa is who will play? Isaiah Wilkins got hurt against Clemson, but still started against Duke. He was ineffective and in foul trouble, but I think his back is OK. Hunter is a game-time decision. I think he should be held out if there's any question. He has come on as such a valuable piece for this team. Virginia is 20-1 and not in desperate need of a win. If he is the difference between winning and losing, so be it. He needs to be healthy. And the team won plenty earlier this season when he didn't play much. Finally, a flu bug has made its presence felt, and the players it reportedly is affecting the most are Hall and Mamadi Diakite. So even if they play, they might not be 100 percent.
It's easy to imagine a scenario in which UVa drops this game. Louisville normally plays good defense, and the 'Hoos might not have their usual assortment of offensive weapons at 100 percent. And it is tough to come off such a huge road victory and focus. But the game is at home, and perhaps an unexpected savior will come to the rescue if the team is indeed shorthanded. I'll take UVa in a close one.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
The Cavaliers picked up one of their biggest regular-season wins in recent memory Saturday, taking down No. 4 Duke in Durham, 65-63. It was the Wahoos' first victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 23 years, which had amounted to a 17-game losing streak. As expected, the Blue Devils didn't make it easy. UVa controlled the first half and then took a 35-22 lead early in the second half. But Duke, as it usually does, made a furious run at home. The poise UVa showed down the stretch was the most impressive part of the triumph.
It was a typical all-around team effort from Virginia, but one that was punctuated by a huge sequence from Ty Jerome. Kyle Guy missed a 3-pointer with a little over a minute left and UVa up 60-58. Trevon Duval grabbed the rebound and quickly tried to throw the ball downcourt. Jerome stepped in like a safety on defense and intercepted the pass. Then, with the shot clock winding down, Jerome faked a pass to no one, getting Duval to jump to the side to give himself an opening, and then sunk a cold-blooded 3-pointer straightaway but a few feet beyond the arc to put the Cavaliers up, 63-58, with 39 seconds left. It received a classic "Onions!" call from CBS color commentator Bill Raftery,
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| Ty Jerome had ice water in his veins at the end of the Duke game. |
Guy led with 17 points, making 2 of his 9 3-pointers. It wasn't a great shooting effort from him, but he came through in big moments as well, making his final 3 with 3:19 left, one that gave UVa a 60-55 lead. And after missing the front end of a one-and-one with 24 seconds left, he calmly sunk two free throws to give UVa a crucial four-point lead with six ticks remaining, essentially putting the game out of reach for the Blue Devils. Devon Hall had 14 points, two 3s, eight rebounds, three assists, two steals, and just one turnover. Jerome ended the game with 13 points and had seven assists, five rebounds, three steals, and just one turnover. UVa committed only five turnovers. De'Andre Hunter came off the bench and provided a spark again, finishing with 12 points. As he did against Syracuse's zone, when Duke went to zone, he did a good job of making a couple jumpers and driving to the basket to get the offense back on track once it had stagnated in the second half. In particular, he calmly hit a jumper with about 10 minutes left when Duke had rallied from 13 down to take a 46-42 lead. There is an injury concern with Hunter, who hurt his ankle twice in the game, the final time with 4:55 left after he made a layup to put Virginia ahead, 55-53. He didn't come back and is a game-time decision against Louisville.
As I mentioned earlier and touched on with a couple of examples, the cool and calm UVa showed in the game was very impressive. The Cavaliers were in position to win the past two games at Cameron, in 2014 and 2016, but just couldn't seal the deal. But nothing seemed to faze the guys Saturday. No panic seemed to be present when Duke made its big run and the Cameron Crazies got really wild. The refereeing was fairly consistent throughout the game but seemed to lean toward Duke in the second half. But the players never showed much frustration. Coach Tony Bennett was a different story. He was animated with the refs on a few occasions, which was good to see. He said after the game he just wanted to make it known to his players and the refs that he didn't agree with certain calls. Sometimes, Bennett is calm, maybe too nice. It was good to see him realize the gravity of the situation. Obviously, he said it was one ACC road win after the game. But he knows what a win at Duke can mean. It really shows the evolution of the program to be able to go into Duke, and pretty much control the game throughout, perform in the clutch, and win.
I thought a couple big moments stood out when I watched the game on replay: Duke had tied the game at 39 with 14:22 remaining, and UVa was struggling on offense. But the Cavaliers got some defensive stops to keep the game tied over a couple possessions. Jack Salt had a block, and Guy and Hall each had a steal. Eventually, Duke took a 41-39 lead. Jerome followed with a nice pass to Salt, who was fouled while putting up a layup that was counted because of a goaltend. He also made the free throw, a rare make for Salt from the line, to put UVa back up by one. Salt had a solid game with seven points, three rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, and he made all three of his field goals.
I'm sure there were several other crucial plays, but that was an important time in the game where Duke was trying to gain control and build a cushion. But the Blue Devils were never able to stretch their lead beyond four. Virginia did a very good job of remaining unflustered in the face of pressure and a loud arena. Previous Virginia teams might not have come back after blowing a big lead. In fact, UVa lost big leads last season against Villanova, Syracuse, and Virginia Tech, and didn't win any of those games. The only time the players looked tight Saturday was when Guy and Jerome missed the front end of their one-and-ones late. But Jerome's big 3 and Guy's free throws after that put to rest any worries of a late collapse. Hopefully, that moxie the players displayed is something that will give them confidence as the games get bigger and the pressure more intense. They have a result to back that confidence.
A somewhat dinged up and ill Virginia team now gets a tough assignment with Louisville coming to Charlottesville. Here's more on this year's Cardinals:
Record: 16-5, 6-2 ACC
Scorers in double digits: Junior forward Deng Adel (15.6), senior guard Quentin Snider (13.1), junior forward Ray Spalding (11)
Leading rebounders: Spalding (9.3), senior forward Anas Mahmoud (5.8), Adel (4.9)
Assist leaders: Snider (4), Adel (2.8)
Notable: Sophomore forward V.J. King averages 9.3 points and 3.5 rebounds. Mahmoud averages 7.8 points and 3.5 blocks, and one steal. Sophomore guard Ryan McMahon averages 6.9 points and 1.1 steals, and freshman forward Jordan Nwora averages 5.2 points. Spalding averages 21. blocks and 1.7 steals.
Best win: at then-No. 23 Florida State, 73-69, on Jan. 11
Worst win: 70-68 over Albany on Dec. 21. The Great Danes 17-7 and 5-4 in the middle of the America East Conference.
Other wins: George Mason, Southern Illinois, Omaha, St. Francis (Pa.), Siena, Indiana, Bryant, Memphis, Grand Canyon, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Boston College, Wake Forest
Best loss: 66-57 at Purdue in early December. Purdue is now 21-2 and ranked No. 3.
Worst loss: at then-No. 6 Kentucky, 90-61, on Dec. 29
Other losses: Seton Hall, Clemson, Miami
What Louisville does well: Louisville holds teams to just 38.9 percent shooting (seventh) and 30.5 percent on 3-pointers (12th) while blocking 7.3 shots per game (second) and recording 7.8 steals per game (42nd). The Cardinals score 78.5 ppg (73rd) and shoot 74.4 percent from the free throw line (72nd). Their turnover margin is +2.7 (45th).
What Louisville doesn't do well: Louisville scores at a decent clip, but only shoots 45.4 percent from the field (146th) and 34.5 percent beyond the arc. The Cardinals' rebound margin is just fair at +.8 (187th), and they only average 13.4 assists (203rd).
Louisville first year-coach David Padgett, 32, has done a pretty good job this season under trying circumstances. Longtime coach Rick Pitino was fired after a pay-for-play scheme was uncovered by
Louisville has not done well against Virginia since it entered the ACC. Pitino was 1-5 against the Cavaliers, with the average score being 62-51.5. The Cardinals have struggled mightily offensively vs. the Pack Line, so it'll be interesting to see if Padgett tries to add a few wrinkles to the game plan. Earlier this week, Mahmoud said the players had been studying past losses to know what not to do. We will see if that translates to the floor. One of the issues has been Louisville's inability to shoot. That is usually a poor formula against UVa, since the Cavaliers are good at defending drives, the post, and make teams shoot contested shots. This year's Cardinals, mostly weak from beyond the 3-point line, are led by Snider at 37 percent, King at 36.7, McMahon at 38.7, and Adel at 34.9.
Maybe the biggest headline and question surrounding UVa is who will play? Isaiah Wilkins got hurt against Clemson, but still started against Duke. He was ineffective and in foul trouble, but I think his back is OK. Hunter is a game-time decision. I think he should be held out if there's any question. He has come on as such a valuable piece for this team. Virginia is 20-1 and not in desperate need of a win. If he is the difference between winning and losing, so be it. He needs to be healthy. And the team won plenty earlier this season when he didn't play much. Finally, a flu bug has made its presence felt, and the players it reportedly is affecting the most are Hall and Mamadi Diakite. So even if they play, they might not be 100 percent.
It's easy to imagine a scenario in which UVa drops this game. Louisville normally plays good defense, and the 'Hoos might not have their usual assortment of offensive weapons at 100 percent. And it is tough to come off such a huge road victory and focus. But the game is at home, and perhaps an unexpected savior will come to the rescue if the team is indeed shorthanded. I'll take UVa in a close one.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
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