So much for what the experts had to say about UVa. letting teams stay in games. The top-seeded Cavaliers closed out the first half on a 16-2 run to open up a 15-point halftime lead, and #8 seed Memphis never mounted a serious threat thereafter as Virginia rolled to a 78-60 win Sunday night in Raleigh, N.C.
UVa. (30-6) took the lead for good at 17-16 on a jumper by Mike Tobey with 8:42 left. Back-to-back three-pointers by Joe Harris and London Perrantes three minutes later pushed the lead to 27-18, and Virginia closed out from there with layups by Malcolm Brogdon and Justin Anderson and tip-ins by Anderson and Anthony Gill to go into halftime leading 35-20.
Memphis (24-10) never got closer than 13 in the second half. A Mike Tobey three-point jumper gave Virginia its biggest lead of the night at 73-47 with 3:43 to go, prompting UVa. coach Tony Bennett to empty the bench.
Joe Harris led Virginia with 16 points. Gill scored 13, Tobey 11, and Brogdon and Anderson had 10 each for Virginia, which shot 55.6 percent from the field (30-for-54) for the game and outrebounded Memphis 40-28.
Austin Nichols scored 15 to lead Memphis, which shot 40.7 percent (24-for-59) from the floor and struggled from the free-throw line, making just 9-of-21 from the charity stripe.
UVa. advances to the Sweet 16 to face #4 seed Michigan State (28-8) Friday night in Madison Square Garden.
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Chris Graham
