Thijs de Ridder scored 24 points – 12 in the opening 2:20 – and Sam Lewis had 20 for a Virginia team that led 25-4 eight minutes in and coasted from there to an 89-60 win over Drexel on Tuesday night at JPJ.
There was a lot to like – the defense forcing 21 turnovers; the offense attacking the rim, getting 16 makes on layups and dunks.
Good rebounding numbers: 80.6 percent defensive rebound rate, 33.3 percent offensive rebound rate.
And a lot that was kinda … meh.
Three-point shooting: 10-of-29 (34.5 percent).
Fourteen turnovers.
Drexel was able to hang around the 20-point mark for a while, before the ninth-ranked ‘Hoos pulled away with a 17-1 run over a 4:25 stretch.
Preview
UVA Basketball hosts Drexel in its 2026-2027 season opener on Tuesday, otherwise known as Election Night for those of us who have two jobs – one involving covering UVA Athletics, the other involving covering local, state and national politics.
Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is slated for 7:30 p.m., which is right around the time the first early returns from the elections will start coming in.
They’re trying to make my life hard, is what they’re doing.
The game will be televised on the ACC Network Extra, with Mike Monaco and LaPhoso Ellis on the call.
UVA Basketball season previews
- Three guys to watch for in this week’s buy games
- What we can glean from two blowout preseason wins
- ‘Hoos ranked #9 in preseason AP Top 25 national poll
- Men picked to finish second in ACC, women picked sixth
- Odom, ‘Hoos look to build on success in Year 1, finish unfinished business
Live coverage
Update: 7:10 p.m. Waiting for the 7:30 p.m. tipoff
Update: 7:39 p.m. Somebody needs to guard #28
Thijs de Ridder already has 12 points – three baskets at the rim and two threes – to get Virginia to the early 14-2 lead, two minutes and 20 seconds into the game.
– Chris Graham
Update: 7:53 p.m. Virginia is coasting
Virginia is 11-of-19 from the floor, playing good D (Drexel is 3-of-10, with eight turnovers on its 16 possessions).
I love the D from this team.
(I sound like Tony Bennett texting Ty Jerome.)
Go to the AFP Facebook page for in-game posts from Crystal Graham. She has a reel up of the pregame intro.
– Chris Graham
Update: 8:03 p.m. Bigs having a field day
Thijs de Ridder has 16 points (7-of-9 FG), and Johann Grunloh has eight (4-of-5 FG) and five boards.
Drexel has 10 turnovers on 23 possessions.
Virginia leads 32-14, 7:44/1st
– Chris Graham
Update: 8:25 p.m. Disruptive on defense
Drexel has 13 turnovers. Having trouble getting the ball into the frontcourt.
Thijs de Ridder has 18 points.
Virginia 46-22, 2:45/1st
– Chris Graham
Update: 8:38 p.m. Virginia leads 51-27 at the break
Virginia got out to a 14-2 lead in the first 2:20, which tells you what you need to know.
The ‘Hoos are in control, as expected – shooting 52.8 percent from the floor, shooting 10-of-15 at the rim, and holding Drexel to 40 percent shooting and 4-of-10 at the rim.
Drexel also committed 14 turnovers on its 35 possessions – a ghastly 40 percent ratio.
Double-digit minutes for:
- Sam Lewis: 15
- Thijs de Ridder: 14
- Johann Grunloh: 13
- Chance Mallory: 13
- Nolan Adekunle: 10
- Elijah Gertrude: 10
– Chris Graham
Update: 8:58 p.m. It’s getting ragged
It’s human nature when you’ve already established dominance, but this team likes to play with its food the way last year’s group did.
It was a 20-point game about eight minutes in, and it’s still there.
Now kinda just scrimmaging with Drexel.
– Chris Graham
Update: 9:05 p.m. Need to wake the kids up
Drexel has outscored Virginia 15-7 in the 8:23 of action in the second half.
Virginia is 3-of-13 from the floor in the second half.
– Chris Graham
Update: 9:32 p.m. That’s better
A 15-1 Virginia run as the ‘Hoos get out of their doldrums; it’s now 83-49 with 4:17 left.
Thijs de Ridder has 24, Sam Lewis has 20.
The three-point shooting has been a concern: just 9-of-27.
– Chris Graham
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