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Virginia starts fast and cruises to Elite Eight with 84-71 win over Iowa St. Virginia starts fast and cruises to Elite Eight with 84-71 win over Iowa St.
(about 1 hour later)
CHICAGO — Anthony Gill headed to the foul line in the final minute of Virginia’s 84-71 win over Iowa State in the East Region semifinals at the United Center as his teammates met behind him at mid-court and exchanged high-fives and giddy smiles. Malcolm Brogdon couldn’t stop grinning. The Cavaliers were making their first trip to the Elite Eight since 1995. CHICAGO — The thought running through the Virginia men’s basketball team’s heads going into the Midwest Region semifinals, its third Sweet 16 appearance in four years, was a message passed down from Cavaliers Coach Tony Bennett’s father.
Virginia had long claimed it was playing its best basketball heading into the postseason and Friday’s dismantling of one of the country’s most efficient offensive teams was the latest example. “Don’t tip-toe into this one,” Dick Bennett, the venerated former Wisconsin coach, advised his son the day before Virginia’s matchup with No. 4 seed Iowa State. Tony Bennett passed the sentiment along to his team, who took Dick’s words to heart: A dominant first half on Friday in the United Center gave way to an 84-71 win that launched Virginia into its first Elite Eight since 1995.
The Cavaliers will play the Gonzaga-Syracuse winner in Sunday’s region final, with the winner heading to Houston for the Final Four.
“Thankful,” Tony Bennett said of making his first Elite Eight appearance at Virginia. “To get to a Sweet 16 is no small thing to. To get into the NCAA tournament, our program is still establishing itself. We’re not where Carolina and Duke and some of these teams are. We’re scratching and clawing and thankful for everything that comes our way, and you just show up and you keep knocking.”
Virginia had long claimed it was playing its best basketball heading into the postseason and this dismantling of one of the country’s most efficient offensive teams was the latest example.
Top-seeded Virginia (29-7) checked off all the boxes that mattered most to Bennett, and the only Cyclones player in double-figure scoring until the closing moments was star forward Georges Niang, who had a game-high 30 points.
Virginia’s big men, Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey, were impressive paired together: Gill scored a team-leading 23 points and Tobey scored 18 in just 20 minutes .
The Cavaliers’ guards were just as efficient, and playing at Iowa State’s zipper pace, to boot. Malcolm Brogdon, London Perrantes and Devon Hall combined for 21 assists without committing a turnover, and Perrantes’s nine assists was the most he’s had since a win over George Mason in November.
After the game, Bennett had his nits to pick — Virginia had eight missed free throws, a few too many turnovers, its shot selection was at times “okay” when it could have been great — but ultimately, he couldn’t find major fault with his Cavaliers.
He pointed out Gill, who held Iowa State’s Jameel McKay to four points, and Isaiah Wilkins, who had two big blocks and four rebounds. Virginia’s bench outscored the Cyclones reserves 26-11. The Cavaliers had a 33-24 rebounding edge while shooting 56.1 percent from the floor.
[Bennett doesn’t care if he’s the “George Clooney of March Madness”][Bennett doesn’t care if he’s the “George Clooney of March Madness”]
The top-seeded Cavaliers (29-7) checked off all the boxes that matter most to Coach Tony Bennett — the only Cyclone in double-figure scoring until the game’s closing moments was star forward Georges Niang, who had a game-high 30 points. Virginia’s bench outscored the Cyclones’ reserves, 26-11. The Cavaliers had a 33-24 rebounding edge while shooting 56 percent from the floor. “Overall it was a well-played game, and we needed the offense,” Bennett said, “even breaking the press and getting some of those buckets kept it in a good spot for us.”
Virginia will play the Gonzaga-Syracuse winner in Sunday’s region final, with the winner heading to Houston for the Final Four. Virginia dominated from the start, opening a 20-5 lead before seven minutes had elapsed and quieting the heavily Iowa State-leaning crowd at the United Center. The Cavaliers took a 14-point lead into intermission and the margin never got below seven in the second half.
The Cavaliers dominated from the start on Friday. They opened a 20-5 lead before seven minutes had elapsed. They took a 14-point lead into intermission and the margin never got below seven in the second half. Virginia finished the game with a series of flashy dunks and alley-oops as Niang, on Iowa State’s bench with four fouls, thwacked his towel against the floor out of frustration. Virginia finished the game with a series of flashy dunks and alley-oops as Niang, on Iowa State’s bench with four fouls, thwacked his towel against the floor out of frustration.
The Cavaliers had a 10-point lead including two three-pointers within the first four minutes and were shooting around 60 percent throughout the first half. Virginia needed just six points from Brogdon in the first half while the Cyclones’ leaned on Niang, whose 15 points kept Iowa State in the game.
[Brewer: Terrapins shrank from spotlight][Brewer: Terrapins shrank from spotlight]
Gill led Virginia with 23 points, 14 of which were in the second half, and Mike Tobey added 18 in just 20 minutes . London Perrantes dished out nine assists, the most he’s had since a November win over George Mason. Brogdon and Isaiah Wilkins had 12 points each . “If you want to break the game down, our first-half defense wasn’t good enough to win this level game,” Iowa State Coach Steve Prohm said. “Our second-half defense was, but our first-half defense wasn’t.”
Virginia, for its reputation as a second-half team, decided from tip-off the Sweet Sixteen was no time to be timid. The Cavaliers had a 10-point lead including two three-pointers within the first four minutes and were shooting around 60 percent throughout the first half. Virginia needed just six points from Brogdon in the first half while the Cyclones’ leaned on Niang, whose 15 points kept Iowa State in the game. Niang’s foul trouble further handcuffed Iowa State toward the end of the game — the Cyclones made just four field goals in the final four minutes — and when Gill headed to the foul line in the final seconds, his teammates met behind him at mid-court and exchanged high-fives and giddy smiles. Brogdon couldn’t stop grinning
“We’ve had a long season, and I feel like we’ve just gotten better and better,” Brogdon said. “We’ve battled through our ups and downs, and it’s a huge accomplishment. We’re not done, but we do have to take it one game at a time, and we need to enjoy this for a few hours but we need to refocus because this game is the day after tomorrow.”