After a crushing win Monday night over the Rider Broncs, the Hoos were looking to keep their momentum Friday night against the North Carolina Central Eagles (NC Central), and they did not disappoint. Aggressive offense mixed with defensive dominance, the Cavaliers showed impressive consistency on Friday, retaining their lockdown defense and improving with their offensive efficiency. Virginia took an early 10 point lead in the first half and extended it into an 81-62 victory, improving to 2-0, remaining undefeated at home.
As the game started, the Cavaliers were already showing improvement in the first half from their performance against Rider, not taking the slow start to efficiency seen on Monday. In terms of overall shot percentage, the Cavaliers stayed similar from the field with 40% accuracy, however, our shots beyond the arc were falling much better. Against Rider, the Cavaliers made 10.5% in the first 20 minutes. In contrast, on Friday, the Cavaliers shot 36% from three off of 22 attempts. Malik Thomas and Thijs De Ridder were the stars of the offensive first half, putting up ten and nine points respectively, aided by Dallin Hall with four assists. Compared to NC Central’s nine-for-thirty field ratio and only six three-point-attempts, Virginia looked phenomenal.
As always, the Cavaliers’ defense gave North Carolina a great deal of trouble. With five blocks, three steals, and 15 defensive rebounds, Virginia let up no pressure when guarding the Eagles. The great defensive pressure led to tough shots from NC and, all of a sudden, in five minutes, Virginia had built a 15-2 lead. Continuing the heavy pressure and offensive output, the Hoos took a commanding 42-25 lead going into halftime.
The Hoos continued their dominating playstyle after half with a 13-4 run in the first five minutes. De Ridder put up another dominating offensive performance with 11 points, as well as two rebounds and two assists. The Cavaliers showed phenomenal offensive prowess, shooting 14 for 27 from the field with six of the 13 coming from downtown, an even better statline than that of the Rider second-half. Virginia continued to attack the rim, recovering eight of the missed shots in offensive rebounds. Throughout the game, the Cavs showed a relentless pace and fantastic shot efficiency.
The second half proved no relief for the Eagles on the defensive side either. The Hoos recorded 13 offensive rebounds, six blocks, and a steal to top it off. At the end of the second, the Eagles put up more successful free throws than shots from the field, putting up 14 successful free throws and only 10 live baskets. The combination of Virginia’s dynamic offense and relentless defense paints a scary sight for future teams.
This first week has been a fantastic showcase for the Hoos. After a dominating win in the home opener, the Cavaliers continue to be successful in the second. With De Ridder putting up 20 points and Johann Grunloh recording seven blocks and two steals, the Cavaliers prove to be dominant from both sides of the court. Our stat lines look great, shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three, along with 48 rebounds, 22 assists, and a wild 11 blocks. Along with that, the Cavaliers looked great beyond the starting five as well, with Ugonna Onyenso, Jacari White, and Chance Mallory scoring a combined 28 points, 16 rebounds, and 6 assists. From all aspects of the game, the Hoos are on fire.
The Cavaliers will look forward to continuing their undefeated streak at home next week against Hapmton on Tuesday, November 11th at 9 p.m. at John Paul Jones. As always, be there, be loud, and Go Hoos!
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