Live Blog: #7 UVA faces Iowa in Emerald Coast Classic

AFP editor Chris Graham leads our live blog as #7 UVA (4-0) faces Iowa (3-1) in the opening game of the Emerald Coast Classic Friday at 7 p.m.

Game Notes

• Virginia meets Iowa for the third time and first since the Hawkeyes posted a 75-64 win over Virginia in the NIT quarterfinals on March 27, 2013.
• UVA is 0-2 all-time against Iowa, with both games coming during tournament play, in the series that dates back to the 1996-97 season.
• In addition to the 2013 NIT quarterfinal contest, Iowa defeated Virginia 73-60 in the first round of the 1997 NCAA Tournament in Salt Lake City, Utah.
• The Cavaliers rank first in the nation in scoring defense at 38.8 points per game. • UVA is the first team in Division I to hold three straight opponents (St. Francis Brooklyn, Yale and Grambling State) to fewer than 40 points in the last 20 years.
• UVA is also the first team in ACC history (1953-present) to hold three straight opponents to fewer than 40 points.
• UVA is seeking its fourth straight regular-season tournament championships, posting titles in Corpus Christi (2013), Brooklyn (2014) and Charleston (2015).
• The Cavaliers have a two-game losing streak in the state of Florida and are 2-19 it their last 21 games in the Sunshine State.
• Kyle Guy tallied a career-high 20 points in only 13 minutes to lead No. 7 UVA to a 90-34 win over Grambling State on Tuesday, Nov. 22.
• The Cavaliers (4-0) made quick work of the undermanned Tigers, running off 26 consecutive points to end the first half leading 49-9.
• The final score marked the 17th time in Bennett’s career at Virginia that the Cavaliers held an opponent below 40 points – and the third game in a row.
• Marial Shayok and Darius Thompson added 12 points apiece and all 13 players who played scored for Virginia.
• Grambling’s nine halftime points were the lowest scored in a first half of any Division I game in 2016-17.