Virginia, coming off a second-half collapse that led to an 85-80 loss to North Carolina on Saturday, looks to get back on track on Tuesday, on the road at Notre Dame.
Game Details
Virginia (16-3, 5-2 ACC, NET: 14) at Notre Dame (11-9, 2-5 ACC, NET: 83)
Time: 7 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Forecast
KenPom: Virginia 74-67
BartTorvik: Virginia 74-65
ESPN BPI: Virginia +5.5
First half
Media timeout: Notre Dame 10-7, 15:32/1st
The Irish have three threes, all contested, tough shots.
Virginia is 2-of-4 from the floor with two turnovers (seven possessions).
Johann Grunloh picked up two of the cheapest fouls ever, and will be sitting for a bit.
Virginia timeout: Notre Dame 21-11, 12:30/1st
Notre Dame: 7-of-11 FG, 5-of-7 3FG.
They’re good from three, not that good.
Media timeout: Notre Dame 31-15, 7:49/1st
Notre Dame is 6-of-9 from three and 10-of-16 overall.
Virginia is 6-of-17, 1-of-10 from three, with four turnovers.
This is not a Notre Dame team known for its defense.
Or its offense.
Virginia is 5-of-7 in the paint. Just jacking up too many contested threes.
Media timeout: Notre Dame 41-28, 3:17/1st
Notre Dame is 8-of-12 from three, 14-of-22 overall.
The 41 points have come on 24 possessions.
Virginia is 10-of-22, 2-of-12 from three, with five turnovers.
Grunloh has five minutes because of the foul trouble, and Ugonna Onyenso, in nine minutes, is -14.
Half: Notre Dame 44, Virginia 35
Considering that Notre Dame led by as many as 19, and was 8-of-13 from three, nine isn’t bad.
What is bad: Virginia is not playing its game.
And what I mean by that: the two centers, Johann Grunloh and Ugonna Onyenso, play a total of 40 minutes per game in games without garbage time.
First half tonight: they combined for 14.
Notre Dame is going five-out on offense, and because Grunloh was in foul trouble, and Onyenso was just ineffective, Ryan Odom had to go with Devin Tillis at four, and Thijs de Ridder at five.
The centers are -16 in their 14 minutes.
The small-ball lineup was a modest +7.
The rest of the defense is off-kilter because you’re used to having a rim protector behind you.
With that, ND is just 7-of-13 in the paint, not bad, without the rim protector.
On offense, Virginia was 12-of-25 from the floor, 3-of-12 from three, 9-of-13 in the paint.
Let’s see what Odom schemes up at the half.
He’ll start Grunloh at the five, but if that doesn’t work, expect a lot of minutes for Tillis.
Second half
Media timeout: Notre Dame 50-40, 15:59/2nd
I’m not sensing any adjustments to the approach from that first four minutes.
Odom is back to shuffling his seven-footers back-and-forth.
Doing the same thing over and over and hoping it works out.
Notre Dame timeout: Notre Dame 52-46, 13:53/2nd
Back-to-back threes from Virginia. That’s it.
ND is 2-of-7 shooting in the second half.
Media timeout: Notre Dame 54-53, 10:44/2nd
Virginia is 3-of-7 from three in the second half, 3-of-5 in the paint.
The D has been better: Notre Dame is 3-of-13 from the floor, 0-of-4 from three, 3-of-9 in the paint.
Media timeout: Virginia 57-54, 7:46/2nd
Notre Dame is 3-of-15 from the floor in the second half.
Devin Tillis is giving good minutes: nine points, 3-of-5 FG, in 14 minutes (+9).
Media timeout: 64-all, 3:16/2nd
Virginia has gone stone cold: no points in the last 1:40, empty on its last three possessions – two turnovers, missed three.
Malik Thomas has not scored, and has four fouls.
Overtime: Game tied at 73
Should be happy that, down 19, Virginia forced the OT, but it felt like that one was there for the taking.
Virginia did have to rally again, from down six in the final 2:02.
Headed to a second OT: Game tied at 85
This has been excruciating to watch.
Notre Dame led for most of the first OT, and had a three-point lead after two free throws by Cole Certa with 19 seconds left.
Sam Lewis hit a leaner from three to send us to more free basketball.
Final: Virginia 100, Notre Dame 97
This is the definition of ugly win.
An ugly win is, of course, better than an ugly loss.
Thijs de Ridder had 32 points, and was 14-of-15 at the line.
Sam Lewis finished with 21; Chance Mallory had 17.
Cole Certa, averaging 9.2 points per game coming in, had 34 for the Irish, but missed a potential game-tying three in the final seconds.
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Chris Graham
