Eighth-ranked UVA shot just 32.7 percent from the floor, but the Cavs did more than enough on defense to power past Rutgers, 45-26, to win the Barclays Center Classic Saturday night in Brooklyn, N.Y.
Virginia (7-0) led 11-3 seven minutes in, but could only muster three field goals in the final 12:35 of the first half and trailed at the break, 18-17. Then it was Rutgers’ turn to go a long stretch without much offense, that stretch being the entirety of the second half.
As punchless as UVA was on its end, Rutgers had little in its tank a night after upsetting Vanderbilt to reach the Barclays final, as the Scarlet Knights (3-3) scored just eight points on 4-of-26 shooting in the final 20 minutes.
Anthony Gill and Justin Anderson each had 13 points for Virginia, which shot 18-of-55 from the floor and made just two of its 16 three-point attempts.
Rutgers was led by Kadeem Jack’s eight points. The Knights missed all 13 of their attempts from long range.
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Chris Graham
