Despite struggles for Virginia with their long-range shooting, aggressive defense and rebounding led the Cavaliers to an 81-46 rout of Longwood University.
Virginia (4-0) started the game with the pedal to the floor on both sides of the ball, and Longwood (0-3) could not keep up. A steal and one made jumper from sophomore point guard Mikayla Venson in the first three minutes of the game gave the Cavaliers an early lead, which they would hold for the duration of the game.
The advantages of the Cavaliers' length were on full display throughout the game. Early on, it was evident that the Lancers wanted no part of Virginia’s defense in the paint. This forced Longwood's offense to focus on fast perimeter passing, mixed with some screens to try and get spacing for three-point shots. This strategy was rendered ineffective by Virginia defenders' well-timed switches. Longwood finished the game shooting just 20 percent from three point range and 32.1 percent overall.
Defense was not the only aspect of Virginia's game where their length advantage was apparent. The Cavaliers dominated the boards in this game. Sophomore forward Lauren Moses led the team in rebounds with nine boards. In total, Virginia outrebounded Longwood 51-27, with 21 of Virginia's rebounds coming off the offensive glass. Virginia's offensive rebounding efforts played a large role in this win, as the Cavaliers scored 21 second-chance points in the game.
While the Cavaliers' defensive and rebounding performances were arguably their best so far this season, the shooting struggles they have faced in their previous three games were present once again against Longwood. The good news for Virginia fans is the team's overall field goal percentage of 48.8 was noticeably higher than the 34.9 percent performance against Auburn earlier in the week. However, Virginia went just 2-15 from beyond the arc, leaving a lot to be desired.
The Cavaliers have been able to win games with their defense and rebounding so far this season. However, with significantly tougher games against Rutgers and Tulane in the near future, Virginia needs to find its deep shooting stroke if it wants to extend its undefeated streak.
Another interesting takeaway from this game is the Cavaliers have some serious depth. Nine of the players on the eleven-person roster received double-digit minutes of playing time and all made important contributions on the floor.
"We've got five guards that can all score in different ways," sophomore forward Aliyah Huland El said. "We're all very skilled and I think we're almost interchangeable to some degree."
Virginia's guards put up strong numbers during the game, with their three starting guards scoring a combined 40 points.
"I think we're better balanced," coach Joanne Boyle said. "I think we're harder to scout, I think it takes a little bit more prep time when you have multiple people averaging double figures so I'm just really pleased at the balance of our scoring lately.
Overall, Virginia put up a strong performance with a few shooting issues to fix in the coming days. The Cavaliers will next compete in the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands where they will face Green Bay, Rutgers and Tulane over a span of three days.
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