The Virginia Cavaliers won their third consecutive ACC contest on Saturday afternoon, handing the Stanford Cardinal a 15-point defeat with a 70-55 victory. Thijs de Ridder was UVA’s leading scorer against Stanford, putting up an efficient 22 points on just 11 field goal attempts (8-for-11, 5-5 from the line). He was a bully in the […]
The Virginia Cavaliers won their third consecutive ACC contest on Saturday afternoon, handing the Stanford Cardinal a 15-point defeat with a 70-55 victory.
Thijs de Ridder was UVA’s leading scorer against Stanford, putting up an efficient 22 points on just 11 field goal attempts (8-for-11, 5-5 from the line). He was a bully in the post and dominated thanks to his physical, yet polished approach on the low block.
Mallory (13 points, 4-for-8 from the field, 2-for-4 from three) and Malik Thomas (11, 5-for-15, 0-for-5) were Virginia’s two other double-digit scorers. Sam Lewis pitched in eight while hitting a pair of triples in the second half.
The offensive glass continues to provide relief for the Wahoo offense whenever it doesn’t hit threes at the 40% mark it became accustomed to in non-conference play. 12 offensive boards yielded 13 second chance points
After the ‘Hoos built a seven-point advantage entering halftime, they put the clamps on in the second half, allowing just 21 points and holding Stanford to 19.4% shooting from the field.
The Cavaliers had particular success against the Stanford backcourt in the second half. Electric freshman Ebuka Okorie (who averages 22.6 points per game) and senior Benny Gealer combined for 27 first half points. They scored two in the second, shooting 0-for-13 in the process.
While the elite shot-blocking that Ugonna Onyenso (five blocks versus Stanford) and Johann Gruenloh (two blocks) provide remains the backbone of the Wahoo defense, UVA’s perimeter defense has improved as ACC play has progressed. Chance Mallory was especially bothersome against fellow-freshman Okorie, registering two steals.
Stanford scored .85 points per possession on the afternoon. That number was .68 in the second half. That’s the Virginia defense’s fifth-consecutive game holding its opponent below 1.0 points per possession.
The Cavaliers are finding their stride defensively as the new pieces on this roster continue to mesh. The scheme has similarly become slightly more complex with UVA throwing a few hedges on ball screens and doubles in the post into the equation against the Cardinal.
On the other end, UVA didn’t shoot the ball well for the fourth consecutive game. And, yet, because of the defensive improvement, the Cavaliers have jumped all the way to the No. 15 ranking in KenPom and the No. 13 spot in BartTorvik’s. The defense now sits 24th and 21st in efficiency according to those two respective metrics.
Virginia – and its defense – will face the stiffest test of the season so far when the team travels to Kentucky to take on the Louisville Cardinals on Tuesday. While Pat Kelsey’s team has lost three of its last six including a road defeat against Stanford, Louisville remains one of the most-talented teams in the ACC and one of the most difficult offenses to contain in the country.
UVA has the opportunity to make a statement about its place in the conference on Tuesday night when they head to JPJ West, sorry, the KFC Yum! Center to take on Isaac McKneely and company.
Category: General Sports
