Home UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos get Top 25 road win, defeating #19 Louisville, 79-70
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UVA Basketball: ‘Hoos get Top 25 road win, defeating #19 Louisville, 79-70

Chris Graham

Virginia, fresh off a dominant week – double-digit home wins over Cal and Stanford – gets its biggest test to date, on the road at #19 Louisville, on Tuesday.

Game Details


Virginia (14-2, 3-1 ACC, NET: 16) at Louisville (12-4, 2-2 ACC, NET: 19)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2 (Dave O’Brien/Cory Alexander)

Forecast


  • KenPom: Louisville 80-77
  • BartTorvik: Louisville 79-76
  • ESPN BPI: Louisville +8.2

Live Coverage


Louisville timeout: Virginia 14-0, 16:23/1st

Wow.

Virginia’s seven-footers have combined for three made threes – two by Johann Grunloh, one by Ugonna Onyenso.

Grunloh also has two blocked shots.


Media timeout: Virginia 16-8, 11:24/1st

Virginia hasn’t scored from the floor since the early flurry – nine straight missed shots.

Still getting the open looks they were getting, just not getting them down.

Louisville is 3-of-13 from the floor with four turnovers on its 14 possessions.


Media timeout: Virginia 24-11, 7:52/1st

Virginia went 7:35 without a made bucket, but back-to-back made threes, and the lead is back to double-digits.

Louisville is 4-of-20 from the floor with four turnovers on its 19 possessions.

Six of Virginia’s seven makes are threes.


Media timeout: Virginia 29-21, 3:31/1st

Isaac McKneely has 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting, 3-of-7 from three.

We’ve got a game. Pretty much evened out since the early burst.

Both teams playing elite D.


Half: Virginia 33, Louisville 28

Virginia led 14-0 four minutes in, but Louisville fought back to get the deficit down to five.

The story for both teams was defense: Virginia is 10-of-33 (30.3%) from the field; Louisville is 10-of-31 (32.3%).

Shot chart:

  • At the rim: Virginia 1-of-2, Louisville 2-of-7
  • In the paint (including rim): Virginia 2-of-9, Louisville 3-of-11
  • Midrange: Virginia 1-of-3, Louisville 1-of-1
  • Three: Virginia 7-of-21, Louisville 6-of-19
  • Free throws: Virginia 6-of-7, Louisville 2-of-3

Rebound rates:

  • Offense: Virginia 43.5%, Louisville 28.6%
  • Defense: Virginia 71.4%, Louisville 56.5%

Odom Ball:

  • Points off turnovers: Virginia -1 (Louisville 8-7)
  • Second-chance points: Virginia +4 (Virginia 6-2)
  • Threes: Virginia +3 (Virginia 7-of-21, Louisville 6-of-19)
  • Points in the paint: Virginia -2 (Louisville 6-4)

Louisville timeout: Virginia 43-32, 16:30/2nd

Pat Kelsey called a timeout at 16:23 of the first half with Virginia up 14, remember, and fixed the issues on D in that timeout.

Malik Thomas has three made threes in the second half.

Wide open on all three.


Media timeout: Virginia 56-41, 11:47/2nd

Thomas has four made threes in the second half.

Louisville is 5-of-12 from the floor in the second half; Virginia is 6-of-8.

The difference: the threes (Virginia 4-of-6, Louisville 1-of-6), and FTs (Virginia 7-of-10, Louisville 2-of-4).


Media timeout: Virginia 61-49, 7:43/2nd

Pat Kelsey will be telling his team that they want it in the six- to eight-point range by the under-four timeout.

Virginia has five turnovers in the second half.

That’s been the reason the ‘Hoos haven’t been able to put this one to bed.


Virginia timeout: Virginia 71-64, 3:17/2nd

Well, here we are: the margin is seven.

McKneely has 21 points (a season high) on 7-of-14 shooting (5-of-12 from three).

There are about 6-7 possessions left for each team in this one.

Virginia is up two possessions.

Comes down to execution.


Final: Virginia 79, Louisville 70

Recap to come.

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Chris Graham

Chris Graham

Chris Graham is the founder and editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1994 alum of the University of Virginia, Chris is the author and co-author of seven books, including Poverty of Imagination, a memoir published in 2019. For his commentaries on news, sports and politics, go to his YouTube page, TikTok, BlueSky, or subscribe to Substack or his Street Knowledge podcast. Email Chris at [email protected].