After Saturday's thrilling two-point win for Virginia over Wake Forest, the Cavaliers (20-7, 11-5 ACC) headed to Cassell Coliseum to defeat the Hokies (15-0). 11 losses, 7-8 ACC). ) Second match of this year's Commonwealth Clash.
Coach Tony Bennett will use the same starting lineup from the weekend, with sophomore guard Andrew Rohde joining senior guard Reece Beekman, sophomore guard Ryan Dunn, sophomore guard Isaac McKneely and graduate forward Jordan.・He was nominated again along with Miner.
The game got off to a slow start for both teams, as the Hokies still only led 2-0 after three minutes of the first half. Beekman hit the Cavaliers' fourth shot to tie the score, but the next basket wasn't seen until nearly three more minutes of game time, when McKneely easily scored two points.
Minor then made a quick shot and returned to the bench in exchange for freshman forward Blake Buchanan, who didn't wait to make an impact. Buchanan had an impressive block and grabbed an offensive rebound in the first three minutes.
Unfortunately for Virginia, he couldn't keep up with senior center Lynn Kidd, who scored eight points to give the Hokies a 12-point lead. The Cavaliers dealt with a simultaneous call and missed their next eight attempts from the field. That was until redshirt freshman forward Leon Bond III took a breather with a dunk with 46 seconds left in the first half.
The Cavaliers trailed the Hokies by 20 points at halftime and had a long walk to the locker room, but the offensive line's poor performance (8-of-25 shooting) showed no signs of improving. In a key rivalry showdown, the Cavalier offense was basically nowhere to be found.
Virginia Tech quickly trailed by seven points to start the second half, but Beekman's step-back 3-pointer and Dunn's layup in quick succession made it seem like the Cavaliers were starting to find their groove. Ta.
Although there were some highlight moments for me personally, the team as a whole continued to slump. McNeely was the only Cavalier to score in the next seven minutes of the game, adding seven points to his stat line while his teammates took few shots.
Finally, Harris' pull-up jump shot snapped Virginia out of its funk. But by then it was too late and he realized the Hokies were holding onto his 26-point advantage. A few more points from Minor, Harris and McKneely and a late four-point spurt from freshman guard Elijah Gertrude were Virginia's only signs of life late, and the Hokies cruised to a 75-41 victory.
The loss is Virginia Tech's biggest loss since 1961, when the Cavaliers lost by 35 points. Bennett's team is in desperate need of a win as the University of Virginia approaches its final game of the regular season.
“We were bad in every way defensively, but they completely outplayed us,” Bennett said. “They were the invaders and certainly dominated us in almost every area.”
The Cavaliers will have to overcome a disappointing result in one of the biggest games of conference play when they face North Carolina on Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena. Tip-off for the high-stakes contest is at 4 p.m., and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.
