Virginia opened its exhibition against Richmond with a little offensive rust, then settled in and let the defense take over in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers shook off that slow start and put together a convincing win, leaning on a second-half surge and a defense that steadily squeezed the Spiders out of rhythm. Virginia scored 43 points in the first half, then looked even cleaner after the break.
The shooting from deep came from all over the floor. UVA finished 8-19 from three, with Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Johann Grunloh, Martin Carrere, Nolan Adekunle and Elijah Gertrude all connecting from long range. Carrere hit 2-3 from beyond the arc, and once the first 10 or so minutes passed, the offense found a groove.
Mallory and Thijs De Ridder were Virginia’s leading scorers, both finishing with 12 points. Mallory did all of his damage in the first half, while De Ridder scored nine of his 12 after halftime. Grunloh’s night wasn’t the most efficient from the field - he went 3-9 - but he still made a real impact on the glass with nine rebounds.
Adekunle added nine points and three rebounds, giving Virginia another useful piece in a game that highlighted the depth of the roster.
That depth matters because this group is expected to be built around one of the best starting fives in the ACC and in the country, and the Cavaliers showed plenty of that promise against Richmond.
The Spiders had a decent opening stretch on offense, but Virginia’s defense tightened up and took over from there. Richmond shot just 25% for the game and finished 5-23 from three. The Cavaliers also forced 11 turnovers and turned those mistakes into 24 points.
Elijah Gertrude gave Virginia another strong bench showing. He finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting and 3-5 from three, while also grabbing four rebounds. The one blemish was foul trouble, as he picked up five personal fouls.
Gertrude is expected to play a major bench role this season, and he backed that up with a performance that suggested he could be one of the breakout candidates in the ACC.
In Other News...
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The intrigue for Virginia starts with how Syracuse can affect the edges and limit clean throws in space. Johnson, Adeleye and Peal each bring a different kind of problem to solve, from pressure up front to coverage in the back end, and the Cavaliers will have to account for all of it if they want any rhythm. Virginias passing game already has a shaky recent film to answer for, and the Orange defense seems built to make every small mistake feel bigger. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Faces A Syracuse Test That Could Steady Or Shake This Season
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The Orange have also been sorting through their own quarterback situation, with a recent switch from Steve Angeli to Amari Odom adding another layer of uncertainty to the matchup. For Virginia, the focus will be on matching up with Syracuse playmakers like wide receiver Umari Hatcher and linebacker Keyshawn Johnson while keeping the game from tilting in a direction that exposes the Cavaliers even more. [Read more 🡒]