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Virginia rights itself, stops streaking Clemson with 69-62 win at home Virginia rights itself, stops streaking Clemson with 69-62 win at home
(35 minutes later)
CHARLOTTESVILLE — A nervous buzz dominated the atmosphere at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday night. The Virginia basketball team, ranked No. 13, entered having lost three of its past four. The Cavaliers were hosting red-hot Clemson, a team on a five-game ACC winning streak — with three of those wins having been over ranked opponents. CHARLOTTESVILLE — An anxious buzz dominated the atmosphere at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday night. Virginia is ranked No. 13 but had lost three of its past four. It was hosting red-hot Clemson, a team on a five-game ACC winning streak. Three of those wins had come over ranked opponents.
Virginia did not become ranked opponent No. 4. Instead, the Cavaliers halted the Tigers’ streak with a 69-62 win before 14,398. Virginia did not become the fourth. Instead, the Cavaliers halted the run with a 69-62 win that returned some confidence to the home team.
The Cavaliers hovered around 50 percent shooting for the majority of the night and finished at 54.3 percent in front of a boisterous home crowd that applauded defensive effort and exploded for big offensive plays. “It felt like we were playing as a team again, we were gelling,” sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins said. “They hit a lot of tough shots, they have really good players, but in my opinion we just had this vibe that we were going to get it done today, and it paid off.”
Senior Malcolm Brogdon had a team-high 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting; that performance included going 4 for 4 at the foul line and 2 for 2 on three-pointers. Redshirt senior Anthony Gill added 12 points; redshirt sophomore Devon Hall (11) and sophomore Isaiah Wilkins (10) also reached double figures in scoring. The Cavaliers (14-4, 3-3) hovered around 50 percent shooting for the majority of the night, finishing at 54.3 percent in front of a boisterous home crowd that applauded defensive effort and exploded for big offensive plays.
The Tigers were coming off home wins over Louisville, Duke and Miami. Yet on Tuesday they struggled on the road and in the face of the Cavaliers defense, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and just 33 percent from beyond the arc. [Clemson is more than just a football school]
Junior Jaron Blossomgame had been named ACC player of the week after scoring a season-high 25 points in a victory over Miami; against the Cavaliers (14-4, 3-3 ACC) he had a game-high 23 points . Senior Malcolm Brogdon had a team-high 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting; he finished 4 for 4 from the foul line and 2 for 2 on three-pointers. Fifth-year senior Anthony Gill added 12 points, Wilkins added 10 and Devon Hall added 11, an ACC career high for the sophomore.
A tight first half ended with Virginia leading 31-28. The Tigers were coming off home wins over Louisville, Duke and Miami. Yet on Tuesday they wavered; they shot 45 percent from the field and just 33 percent from beyond the arc in the face of a defense that had Virginia Coach Tony Bennett in the lightest postgame mood in weeks. Junior Jaron Blossomgame, named ACC player of the week after scoring a season-high 25 points in a win over Miami, had a game-high 23 points.
A 16-4 run early in the second half — anchored by the lockdown defese Virginia fans have become accustomed to — put the Cavaliers up 51-39 with less than nine minutes remaining. “I thought we were better defensively,” Bennett said. “We were not good against Miami, and we were fortunate they missed shots. Today, maybe they missed some, but we had a little more staying power defensively — hard to win if you can’t get stops.
Clemson (12-7, 5-2) did not go away. Blossomgame, sophomore Donte Grantham and senior Jordan Roper all made three-pointers to bring the Tigers within a possession, but the Cavaliers made six of seven free throws down the stretch to stifle the comeback. “I don’t know what our potential is, but I just want us to get to that line. Whatever that is for us, we’ve got to get to that line, and I thought we took a step.”
Starting point guard London Perrantes had an off night, shooting just 2 of 6 from the field and 2 of 7 from the free throw line. But Mike Tobey came off the bench to contribute six points and a team-high six rebounds. A tight first half ended with Virginia up 31-28. Anchored by the lockdown defense Virginia fans have become accustomed to, a 16-4 run early in the second half put the Cavaliers up 51-39 with less than nine minutes remaining.
Virginia faces Syracuse at home on Saturday. The Orange upset defending national champion Duke on Monday in Durham, N.C. Clemson refused to fade.
Blossomgame,sophomore Donte Grantham and senior Jordan Roper made three-pointers to bring the Tigers within a possession before the Cavaliers made six of seven free throws down the stretch to stifle the comeback.
Virginia clearly enjoyed its return to form in front of a friendly arena — smiles came easier post-game and both Wilkins and Gill enjoyed crowd-pleasing dunks late in the second half. Gill’s, on a breakaway, had Brogdon chiding his fellow senior for cherry-picking.
“It was a lot of fun to get that fast-break dunk,” Gill said. “For us to get easy points like that was awesome, and then for the fans to get behind it, that was great. [Malcolm] asked me in the locker room why I was so far out, but I wasn’t. I was at the three-point line, boxing out my man, and I saw he got the rebound, so I just sprinted the other way. If you want to call that cherry-picking — I just call it Usain Bolt speed. That’s all it is.”
Brogdon echoed Benett in that the win felt like a sigh of relief after Virginia’s road struggles, especially as the Cavaliers face Syracuse at home Saturday. The Orange upset Duke on Monday.
“Every season’s going to be different, we have to realize that,” Brogdon said. “This season’s different, we had more roller coasters at the beginning with high expectations, but we’re not a team that listens to expectations from the outside. . . . We’re righting the ship and we’re getting back on track now.”