The Hoos heated up in the third game and got their first road win.
The Virginia Cavaliers started the ACC's first winning streak of 2024 with their first true road win of the season against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. After a slow start and an 11-point rut for UVA, the Hoos heated up, took a four-point lead into halftime, and extended their lead early in the second half. Georgia Tech made things interesting with some hot shooting late in the game, but strong offensive performances from Reece Beekman (19 points) and Isaac McNeely (6 threes) led the Cavaliers to a big ACC victory. .
The 3-point shot is finally starting
The Cavaliers are at their best with shooters aggressively coming off screens and going for open shots from beyond the arc. They got just three in the first 10 minutes of the first half and unsurprisingly fell behind 24-13. While the willingness to make it fly didn't account for all of Virginia's 20-5 halftime run, UVA's offense certainly benefited from the aggressiveness of its guards. The 'Hoos finished the game high, going 11-for-23 from beyond the arc (47.8%).
Isaac McNeely initially struggled to find space to take shots (a common problem in sophomore ACC play), but he started going for shots in transition and semi-transition. This is always a good thing for a Cavaliers roster that has struggled to produce great players. Stare at half court. McKneely finished a typically effective 6-9 from beyond the arc on the back of a very strong second half. Oh, and he also knocked down multiple kill shot threes. One from near half court as the shot clock expired gave UVA a 14-point lead, and the other extended Virginia's lead to seven points with less than a minute left.
Reece Beekman also stood out. Although attempting catch-and-shoot threes is not a point guard's natural playstyle, he effectively flattened some of the mover-blocker cuts and disrupted Georgia Tech's overly aggressive defensive scheme. He took advantage of it and ran into the corner to score. Wide open three. Beekman finished the game 2-for-6, with most of his attempts coming on key midfield runs. He didn't turn out the lights, but his willingness to let it fly bodes well for the 'Foos' going forward.
Reese Beekman continues to lead the attack
The University of Virginia's star senior point guard rose to the challenge on both ends of the floor against Georgia Tech. He had 19 points and 11 assists, and the Cavaliers needed everyone down the stretch to stave off a late run by the Yellow Jackets. Reese went for his shot more than usual, particularly from beyond the arc, attempting six three-threes, but also created a lot of open looks around the basket. And against full-court pressure late in the game, UVA relied on Beekman to break through the press and run the show in late situations.
Beekman also moved into second place all-time on the Virginia stolen base rankings, tying Sean Singletary with 200 stolen bases. He needs just 23 stolen bases to pass Osell Wilson for the school record. This is frankly a well-deserved record for a guy who has been an excellent defender against opposing ball handlers for years. While he may not have the postseason success of recent Virginia legends, Beekman deserves a place in the Cavalier Hall of Fame in his own right. Without his impact on both ends of the floor, Virginia would not have come close to qualifying for the NCAA Tournament.
Virginia finally out of road woes
The Cavaliers entered tonight's game having lost every road game this season by an average margin of 19 points. In the early days, things didn't look good. Eight of Virginia's first 16 attempts were from mid-range, and Georgia Tech hit tough shot after tough shot, so the Yellow Jackets' early 11-point lead felt like déjà vu to the Whos. It felt like.
Kudos to Virginia for settling in after that and putting together a great run to end the first half and enter halftime with four points. The Hoos tightened up defensively, exposing the offensive limitations of Georgia Tech's best players like Baye Ndongo, and made the home team uncomfortable all night.
After a strong start to the second half, the Cavaliers didn't let up on the gas, effectively handling the zone defense and full-court press thrown at them by Georgia Tech and keeping the crowd in the game. When the Yellow Jackets finally cut the deficit to four points on a late run, UVA calmly answered with a dagger three from Isaac McKneely. Holding a lead may be what this iteration of the Cavaliers does best. This is because they don't need to attack quickly and can crush teams systematically. After their recent lack of composure away from home, the Hoos deserve credit for holding on calmly even though things got tough in the closing stages.
Defense remains key to UVA's identity
After some ugly games on the road, with too many open threes and too few turnovers, Virginia returned to its typical pack line form against Georgia Tech. Ryan Dunn, who has been sluggish as a defensive playmaker recently, stood out with three vital blocks in Virginia's decisive run. The Hoos forced 13 turnovers and scored 21 points, but committed only nine turnovers.Georgia Tech struggled to get things going with consistency
Myles Kelly entered the game as Georgia Tech's leading scorer, averaging more than 15 points per game, but Virginia's effective defense forced Kelly to look hard off the dribble and hit threes from the field. He scored an inefficient 8 points against 11. As a team, the Yellow Jackets made a fair number of jump shots, including nine threes, but were unable to get to the basket with enough consistency to threaten the Cavaliers, scoring just 18 points in the paint.
Desperate to catch up, Georgia Tech's late conceding means Virginia's defensive efficiency numbers for this game will be middling, but these numbers for the entire game suggest that by the end of the first half will not be able to capture the importance of lockdown defense. The beginning of the second half proved crucial to Virginia's eventual victory. After all, this team needs to get solid defensively if it is to establish itself as one of the top teams in the ACC, and tonight's strong stretch was a key step in establishing that identity.
Frontcourt performance good enough for UVA to get by
Although no one had a standout game, Virginia's frontcourt held up well against Georgia Tech's young but talented big men. Jordan Minor will continue to provide productive minutes just by hustling, aggressively running the rim, and staying in position on both ends of the floor. He scored 11 points on 4-5 shooting and 3-6 from the line.
As the de facto fourth man in the starting five, Ryan Dunn played aggressive defense (as usual) and pulled down big offensive rebounds against the Tech zone. These are exactly the kinds of contributions needed from a player who doesn't bring much space on the court outside of the occasional late shot clock three. He finished with a game-best +15 plus-minus, which accurately reflected his contributions on the defensive end. Even Jake Groves, who struggled most of the game, allowed Georgia Tech's scoring thirst to inch back into the game before making a big 3 late in the game to push Virginia's lead to eight. Spread it out.
Virginia held serve on the glass, finishing with 29 boards for both teams and a dead-even rebound margin. They also scored 16 more points in the paint than Georgia Tech, which scored just 10 points on baskets in the first 35 minutes of the game. It took a team effort to hold up in the frontcourt — and it will likely continue for the rest of the season — but the Cavaliers were up to the task today.
read more
