Virginia wasted no time making sure Bucknell’s trip to John Paul Jones Arena turned into a long night.
The sixth-ranked Cavaliers opened Tuesday’s 9 p.m. game with the first 11 points and never let the Bison breathe, rolling to a 95-61 win in front of an announced crowd of 11,832. Virginia was already coming off a 91-72 win over then-No. 12 Arkansas in Washington, N.C., just 54 hours earlier, but there was no sign of a letdown in Charlottesville.
For Thijs De Ridder, the approach was simple.
“We have to face every game the same,” said forward Thijs De Ridder. “If it's Arkansas, if it's Duke, Bucknell, we want to win those games. And if you take care of business, you can see how much fun we have putting the guys on the bench on the court, and it’s always an amazing feeling when you let those guys play.”
Virginia (4-0) kept its foot down from the start, led 53-21 midway through the game, and finished the night with four players in double figures. Chance Mallory paced the group with 16 points, while also handing out six assists and coming up with three steals.
Ryan Odom said the challenge was about more than just the opponent.
“We challenged our guys to be ready,” UVA head coach Ryan Odom said, “and we talked a lot about how [when] people turn the TV on, or they choose to come to the game to watch us, are they going to get the same Virginia? Are they going to get Virginia in the way that we play?
And I think for the most part we did tonight. That's a big challenge.
You can have ups and downs throughout the season, but it can't be because you're not ready to roll, or you're tired, physically tired, mentally tired, whatever it is. You've got to answer.”
Bucknell (0-3) tried a 1-3-1 zone, a look Virginia had not spent much time on in practice this fall. The Cavaliers handled it anyway, shooting 37 of 73 from the field and piling up 30 assists on those made baskets.
De Ridder said the ball movement has become part of the team’s identity.
“It’s amazing,” De Ridder said of their unselfishness. “We have this saying: Your pass matters. Every time we give a pass, we're just so confident that our teammates are going to give an extra pass.”
Elijah Gertrude, a fourth-year guard, dished out seven assists, topping his previous career best by four. Virginia’s 30 assists were its most in a game since a 1995 win over George Mason.
“That's incredible,” Odom said. “I don't think I've ever coached a team that's had 30 assists in a game.”
Johann Grünloh made his presence felt inside with 13 points, a game-high nine rebounds and three blocks in just 21 minutes. De Ridder matched that kind of all-around impact in his own way, finishing with 15 points, eight rebounds, four assists and four steals.
Nolan Adekunle also stayed hot after his strong showing against Arkansas. The 6-foot-7 newcomer scored 14 points, going 5 of 6 from the floor and 3 of 4 from 3-point range.
“It’s a process,” said Adekunle, who scored 13 points against Arkansas. “It's a big adjustment for me, or was a big adjustment for me, but now I can really tell that I feel more comfortable from day to day.
It's just a nice experience so far. The team fits perfect and I really love it out here.”
Adekunle had totaled eight points across Virginia’s first two games, wins over Drexel and Northeastern, but he said he never let that slow him down.
“I knew it was going to take time,” he said. “I'm not too hard on myself. For sure, the Arkansas game was a little bit like an icebreaker for me.”
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