The UVA Basketball team, newly ranked in the AP Top 25, is clearly done with guarantee games.
The ‘Hoos got out to a 23-point lead 13 minutes in, then played with their food, allowing a completely overmatched Maryland Eastern Shore team to twice get the margin to 10 early in the second half, before going on to the 84-60 win on Tuesday.
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Exams start on Thursday, and this one was the last game before the finals break, with the next contest, at home against Maryland, not until Saturday, Dec. 20, 11 days from now.
It felt like the kids had their heads somewhere else after the game got to 38-15 at the 7:12 mark of the first half, and you can’t blame them.
Maryland Eastern Shore (4-9) shot 46.3 percent, but was only 3-of-12 from three.
Virginia (9-1) made 10 of its first 15 from long-range as the ‘Hoos built the big lead, but made just three of its last 16, and had issues at the rim all night – making just 15-of-26 from point-blank.
It’s hard to be too frustrated with the effort, though.
UVA was coming off back-to-back double-digit wins over name opponents, at Texas (88-69) and over Dayton (86-73) on a neutral court in Charlotte this past Saturday.
You can’t fault kids for not being able to maintain intensity against a team with two D1 wins coming in.
Game Notes
Virginia had three guys in double figures:
- Sam Lewis: 15 points, 5-of-8 FG, 3-of-5 3FG, 3-of-3 FT, five rebounds, two assists, 28 minutes
- Thijs de Ridder: 13 points, 5-of-9 FG, 2-of-4 3FG, 1-of-1 FT, six rebounds, two steals, 22 minutes
- Chance Mallory: 10 points, 4-of-8 FG, 2-of-4 3FG, five assists (one turnover), six steals, 22 minutes
Johann Grunloh also had a scoresheet-stuffing night: eight points, seven boards, four blocked shots, 23 minutes.
The four blocked shots gives Grunloh (29 blocks this season) the lead in the ACC again over teammate Ugonna Onyenso (28), who blocked three shots tonight.
Season Notes
I mentioned that this team feels like it’s done with guarantee games, but there is one left.
After the Dec. 20 game with Maryland (6-4, NET: 167), Virginia has American (7-4, NET: 227) on Monday, Dec. 22, before opening ACC play on Wednesday, Dec. 31, at Virginia Tech (8-2, NET: 54).
ACC Notes
Virginia and Virginia Tech are among 13 ACC schools in the current NET Top 75:
- Duke (2)
- Louisville (12)
- North Carolina (14)
- Virginia (17)
- Miami (25)
- Clemson (26)
- SMU (30)
- NC State (42)
- Virginia Tech (54)
- Cal (56)
- Wake Forest (63)
- Notre Dame (69)
- Syracuse (75)
Video: Chris Graham on UVA, ACC hoops
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