Virginia (8-1, 1-0 ACC) hosts Northeastern (4-6) in the Cavaliers’ return from an 11-day exam break on Saturday at JPJ and on the ACC Network.
AFP editor Chris Graham is leading our live coverage: score updates, commentary, analysis and the like.
Virginia, ranked 22nd in the AP poll, is a 17-point favorite (per KenPom).
Slow start
Virginia looks like a team that is coming off a lengthy exam break, though to be fair, Northeastern hasn’t played since Dec. 6.
Northeastern leads 8-2 at the first media timeout. The Huskies have a couple of threes, and an 8-2 rebound advantage – 4-2 on the offensive boards.
Virginia is 1-of-5 from the floor – all contested shots.
Slow start persists
Virginia is down 16-6 at the 10:54 mark, the second media timeout.
The ‘Hoos are shooting 3-of-13, and nothing is coming easy.
Whereas on the other end, Northeastern is 7-of-14 from the floor, five of the makes being layups.
Virginia is 1-of-5 on shots at the rim.
Still not on track
It’s 18-11 Northeastern at the 7:03 mark, third media timeout.
Northeastern has cooled down a bit – 8-of-18 now from the floor.
Virginia still hasn’t got it going yet on offense – 5-of-19 from the floor, 1-of-7 at the rim.
Still nothing that I would say was a clean look, either a make or a miss.
Good adjustment opens some things up
It’s 20-20 at the 3:45 mark, the final media timeout of the first half.
Tony Bennett saw something to exploit in the under-eight timeout. The first two possessions after the timeout had Reece Beekman and Jake Groves working a two-man game, leading to an easy Groves layup and two Groves free throws.
Odd stats
Northeastern has six offensive boards, but just two second-chance points.
Virginia has forced 10 Northeastern turnovers, but has just three transition points.
Halftime
Northeastern closed on a 10-4 run to go into the break up six, 30-24.
Unusual first-half numbers for Virginia, to say the least.
Beekman has already put up 10 shots – he’s 5-of-10 from the floor for 10 points, just one assist.
UVA has four assists on its 10 made baskets. Coming in, the ‘Hoos ranked eighth nationally in assist percentage (65.2%).
Isaac McKneely is 1-of-5 from the floor, 0-of-2 from three – he was 16-of-22 from the field and 12-of-16 from three the past two.
That wasn’t going to continue, but still.
Northeastern has a 21-12 rebound edge, and despite a big discrepancy in turnovers – Northeastern 10, Virginia 3 – the Cavaliers haven’t been able to turn the TOs into points.
In their last two games, the ‘Hoos had scored 40 points in transition. Tonight, through one half: three.
One other note: Blake Buchanan is 1-of-4 from the line, and two of the misses were airballs.
I’ve seen this game before
Northeastern opens on a 7-0 run, leading to a Bennett timeout.
It’s 37-24 with 17:56 left.
This one feels like the (dare I say it … why the hell not) UMBC game in 2018.
Life
A modest 5-0 run has it at 37-29 Northeastern at the 15:49 media timeout.
Credit to Northeastern, which is 318th nationally in adjusted defense, per KenPom – they’re making everything hard.
Timeout: Northeastern
Virginia has outscored Northeastern 11-3 over the last 5:27 to get the deficit down to 40-35 with 12:29 left.
Beekman is having a Malcolm Brogdon moment: he has 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting. Basically, no one else is doing anything, so he’s doing it.
The rest of the team is 7-of-23 with three turnovers on their uses.
The mantra at this point: just win.
Next four minutes: crucial
Virginia has battled back from down 13 to get the deficit to two, 44-42, with 7:39 left.
But, damn, Northeastern is playing like a world-beater here today: 30-21 rebound advantage, shooting 47.5 percent (UVA: 39.5 percent), limiting Virginia in transition (just the one and-one in the first half from Elijah Gertrude).
It’s a two-point game, but this one feels like Northeastern’s. They’ve made every big play when it was needed.
Timeout: Northeastern
A McKneely three and a Ryan Dunn throwdown on a lob pass from Beekman has Virginia up 47-44 at the 5:41 mark.
Under-four timeout: One-point game
A couple of Northeastern buckets has it 48-47 Huskies at the 3:49 media timeout.
The switch on defense to put Dunn on Northeastern center Chris Doherty slowed the Huskies down in the second half.
Doherty only has eight points, but he has five assists. His passing out of the post reminds me of the way Wisconsin played Virginia last month.
Odd stat
Virginia has led for just 3:24 tonight.
Timeout: Virginia
A pair of Beekman free throws has tied the game at 54-54, 52.7 seconds left. Northeastern ball.
Possession arrow: Northeastern.
Timeout: Northeastern
A Beekman bucket with five seconds left has it 56-54, 3.1 seconds left.
Northeastern will set up a three, no doubt.
This is where two close calls that went Northeastern’s way come into play: giving Groves two instead of three on that jumper (that looked in the arena, at least, like a three), and the baseline ref handing the ball to the inbounder on a quick count that led to an easy two.
Escape
Virginia forces a turnover on the inbounds.
Whew.
Final: Virginia 56, Northeastern 54.
Game column to come.
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