Virginia (10-1, NET: 29) faces American (7-5, NET: 245) on Monday at 6 p.m. ET (JPJ, ACCN), the final game for the ‘Hoos before the start of ACC play next week.
The ‘Hoos looked sluggish coming out of the gate on Saturday in what turned into an 80-72 win over Maryland, which led 19-11 at the under-four timeout before the UVA offense finally got into gear.
American has two non-D1 wins, a couple of respectable losses (88-74 at Wake Forest on Nov. 3; 80-71 at Rutgers on Nov. 18).
AU’s most recent game was a 105-83 loss at VCU this past Thursday.
Forecast
- KenPom: Virginia 89-67
- BartTorvik: Virginia 93-66
- ESPN BPI: Virginia +19.3
Pregame news/notes
- Jacari White is in sweats on the court with a brace on his left wrist. The Jacarmy is without its top lieutenant.
- Starting lineup: Dallin Hall, Sam Lewis, Malik Thomas, Thijs de Ridder, Johann Grunloh
Game coverage
Update: Virginia 12-6, 15:34/1st
The defense gave up two threes with bad closeouts.
The D has forced four American turnovers.
De Ridder has 10 points already: 4-of-5 FG, 1-of-1 3FG, 1-of-2 FT.
Update: Virginia 19-8, 11:12/1st
Went through a lull there: neither team scored for 3:05 until a Mallory driving layup.
American is 3-of-13 from the floor.
Dawn Staley is here tonight, in the front row sitting with Debbie Ryan.
Update: Virginia 22-11, 7:54/1st
Virginia is just 1-of-7 from three. Some ugly tosses among the misses.
Grunloh missed a pair of free throws. His shooting form is horrible. He just pushes the ball forward with no fish hook on the follow through. It’s either a line-drive make or a hard miss.
He’s 16-of-37 (43.2%) from the line this year.
That’s inexcusable.
It shouldn’t take more than an analyst with video and plenty of reps from Grunloh to fix that.
Update: Virginia 41-22, 59.4 seconds left
Long time without a media timeout there.
De Ridder has 19 now: 7-of-9 FG, 3-of-4 3FG.
The rest of the team: 22 points, 8-of-19 FG, 1-of-8 3FG.
American is 6-of-22 from three.
They average 28.1 3FGA per game, so, yes, this is much.
Half: Virginia 45, American 25
Thijs de Ridder has 21 points to key Virginia to a 45-25 lead over American at the half.
UVA shot 54.8 percent (17-of-31 FG) from the floor, but that was mostly de Ridder (8-of-10 FG).
The defense was good: American was 9-of-31 (29.0 percent) from the floor.
Virginia outrebounded American 26-12.
Update: Virginia 58-31, 15:41/2nd
The last time a Virginia kid scored 30 in a game was Kyle Guy in the win over Marshall on Dec. 31, 2018.
Flagging here because Thijs de Ridder has 25.
(Imagine Kyle Guy in this offense.)
Update: Virginia 65-33, 11:54/2nd
Here’s where this team usually starts playing with its food.
Update: Virginia 77-40, 7:40/2nd
No playing with the food yet.
Virginia’s 77 points have come on 51 possessions.
We’re on pace for a 63-possession night, and 95 points.
Update: Virginia 87-48, 3:25/2nd
Carter Lang and Martin Carrere have checked in.
Good minutes tonight for Elijah Gertrude: eight points (3-of-3 FG, 1-of-1 3FG) in 12 minutes.
Final: Virginia 95, American 51
Thijs de Ridder went for 27 to lead five Virginia players in double figures in a 95-51 win over American on Monday in JPJ.
Recap to come.
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