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Virginia basketball blows by Louisville’s ‘white-out,’ 63-47 Virginia basketball blows by Louisville’s ‘white-out,’ 63-47
(about 2 hours later)
LOUISVILLE — Marial Shayok had just crashed to the ground after missing his second dunk attempt in a row, but as London Perrantes could only smile as he bent down to help his teammate to his feet. The missed shots didn’t matter at this point, with Virginia routing Louisville by 21 points late in the second half on Saturday afternoon, and the Cavaliers were allowing themselves to play with some flair. It’s a rare treat for Tony Bennett’s disciplined team, reserved for games like Saturday’s. LOUISVILLE — Marial Shayok had just crashed to the ground after missing his second dunk attempt in a row, but London Perrantes could only smile as he bent down to help his teammate to his feet. The missed shots didn’t matter at that point, with Virginia routing Louisville by 21 points late in the second half on Saturday afternoon, and the Cavaliers were allowing themselves to play with some flair. It was a rare treat for Tony Bennett’s disciplined team.
The 11th-ranked Cavaliers dominated the No. 16 Cardinals before a packed house of white-clad Louisville fans and Coach Rick Pitino, who donned a white suit for the occasion. Virginia led the whole way in the 63-47 victory, earning their second win over a ranked ACC team this season behind 57.8 percent shooting from an offense that clicked all game. The 11th-ranked Cavaliers dominated the No. 16 Cardinals before a packed house of white-clad Louisville fans and Coach Rick Pitino, who donned a white suit for the occasion. Virginia led the whole way in the 63-47 victory, Louisville’s worst ever at the KFC Yum! Center, and Virginia’s most decisive road win over a ranked opponent since 1995.
If the Cavaliers played with a rare lightness at certain points in the second half, it’s because in one week they’ve gone from being a team without an ACC win on the road to a team with consecutive conference victories away from Charlottesville. The Cavaliers shot 57.8 percent and forced 18 turnovers in a performance that Bennett said should be a blueprint for the rest of the season.
Louisville’s defense, which entered allowing the fewest points per game in the ACC, didn’t give Virginia many issues. Seniors Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill found solutions to heavy pressure all game and led a balanced score sheet with 13 points apiece, Perrantes and Mike Tobey chipped in nine each. Gill led the team with six rebounds. “It was our most complete game,” Bennett said. “The guys didn’t get stretched.”
Virginia (17-4, 6-3 ACC) held the Cardinals’ leading scorers, Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, to a combined 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. Ray Spalding and Deng Adel led Louisville with 12 points each. The Cardinals out-rebounded the Cavaliers 27-25 but hurt themselves with 18 turnovers to Virginia’s 15. [Maryland’s March, Part 4: Turgeon holds it all together]
The win felt like a sigh of relief for the Cavaliers, who yanked themselves out of a funk and gained some confidence with an improbable last-second win at Wake Forest on Tuesday. If they played with a rare lightness at certain points in the second half, it’s likely because in one week they’ve gone from being a team without an ACC win on the road to a team with consecutive conference victories away from Charlottesville.
“I just feel like we had to come out and make a statement to ourselves,” Perrantes said. “We just had to show it to ourselves, that we can do it. . . . It’s huge for our confidence, definitely, to be able to come in here and win like this. And it started with our defense, so hopefully that can travel and we keep playing well defensively.”
Virginia will next host Boston College on Wednesday before traveling to Pittsburgh on Saturday.
[Hall isn’t in highlights, but he’s cracked Cavs’ starting five]
The Cavaliers (17-4, 6-3 ACC) held Louisville to 32.7 percent shooting and limited the Cardinals’ leading scorers, Damion Lee and Trey Lewis, to a combined 10 points on 3-of-13 shooting. Ray Spalding and Deng Adel led Louisville with 12 points each.
With its defense jelling, Virginia was able to let fly on the other end of the court against Louisville’s defense, which entered the matchup allowing the fewest points per game in the ACC. Bennett started a small lineup, with 6-foot-7 sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins in place of 6-11 freshman Jack Salt, to get ball movement flowing early against the Cardinals’ zone. It sparked a balanced offense led by seniors Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill, who fought heavy pressure all game to share the team lead with 13 points apiece. Perrantes and Mike Tobey chipped in nine each, and Gill led the team with six rebounds.
“Defense is a hard one to figure out for us. It just takes such a commitment to it,” Bennett said. “So I said, ‘Be freed up to play offensively and use everything you got to play against this team.’ . . . We know what happens to teams in here.”
Louisville managed just 14 points on 4-of-19 shooting (21 percent) in the first half, the fewest the Cavaliers have allowed this season. The Cardinals had four turnovers in the first six minutes and a whopping 13 by halftime.Louisville managed just 14 points on 4-of-19 shooting (21 percent) in the first half, the fewest the Cavaliers have allowed this season. The Cardinals had four turnovers in the first six minutes and a whopping 13 by halftime.
Louisville (17-4, 6-2), which trailed by 15 at halftime, never got closer than 16 in the second half. The Cavaliers led by 23 three times, the last with 10 minutes left in the game thanks to a Tobey dunk. Louisville (17-4, 6-2), which trailed by 15 at intermission, never got closer than 16 in the second half. The Cavaliers led by 23 three times, the last with 10 minutes left in the game thanks to a Tobey dunk.
“Our guys did a good job. It wasn’t anything earth-shattering, it wasn’t this, ‘I out-strategized the zone.’ . . . There was good spacing, good ball movement, then our guys just played, and attacked,” Bennett said. “Sometimes you try to run this perfect pattern, but you can’t, not against that kind of defense. . . . We were just right today.”