Elite Eight Redux: UVA plays Purdue in 2019 B1G/ACC Challenge

We can hope it won’t take another miracle play from Kihei Clark and Mamadi Diakite for the Dec. 4 rematch of UVA and Purdue set for the 2019 B1G/ACC Challenge.

The Elite Eight rematch was announced today as part of the rollout of matchups for the annual event.

All 14 Big Ten teams and 14 of the 15 ACC teams will participate in the 2019 Challenge. Virginia Tech will not play in the 2019 event.

Defending national champion Virginia earned its way to the Final Four in Minneapolis with an 80-75 overtime win over Purdue in the South Regional final in Louisville.

The game went to overtime after Clark tracked down a Ty Jerome missed free throw that Diakite had tapped into the backcourt, then connected with Diakite on a halfcourt pass that Diakite then turned into a 10-foot jumper at the buzzer to tie the game.

Chills still tingle the spine thinking of the moment, which we should go ahead and totally relive through the magic of video embed.

Virginia and Purdue battle for the third time in the Challenge and fourth time overall. Virginia defeated the Boilermakers 98-79 in the 2000 Challenge at University Hall in Charlottesville, while Purdue beat the Cavaliers 61-59 in the 2006 Challenge at Mackey Arena in West Lafayette, Ind.

UVA has a 13-6 record, including a five-game winning streak, in the Challenge. UVA defeated former ACC rival Maryland 76-71 in last season’s Challenge. The Cavaliers have defeated Maryland (2014 and 2018), Wisconsin (2017) and Ohio State (2015 and 2016) during their five-game Challenge winning streak. The Cavaliers have won eight of their last nine Challenge games and Virginia is 6-4 all-time on the road in the event.

In 2018-19, Virginia captured its first NCAA National Championship, claimed a share of its ninth ACC regular-season title and won a school-record 35 games. Purdue advanced to its fifth NCAA Elite Eight and posted a 26-10 record under NABC Coach of the Year Matt Painter.

ESPN, ESPN2 and ESPNU will combine to televise all 14 games of the event, matching top college basketball programs playing for conference supremacy and the Commissioner’s Cup. All games will also be available to stream via the ESPN app.

The ACC and Big Ten each tallied seven wins in last year’s Challenge. The ACC took home the Commissioner’s Cup with 11 wins in 2017 and nine wins in 2016. The Big Ten won eight of the 14 matchups in 2014 and 2015, while 2012 and 2013 were also ties. Since the event’s inception, the ACC has won 12 Challenges, while the Big Ten has won five.