The Cavaliers' nightmarish season thus far just went from bad to worse.
From the time Virginia lost its 6-2 lead early in the first half to visiting Clemson, the Cavaliers showed no signs of life as the Tigers earned their largest margin of victory ever in an ACC road game, defeating Virginia 82-51.
Whether it was in the paint, on the perimeter or anywhere in between, the Cavaliers had no answer for Clemson's offense all night. The Tigers shot 32-60 from the floor, including 16-26 from the 3-point line in the 31-point rout, while assisting on 22 of 32 field goals. Junior K.C. Rivers exploded for 32 points on 12-19 shooting to lead Clemson.
Rivers "had a couple of very impressive shots at the end of the shot clock," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "That's a sign that he had it going."
Offensively, the Cavaliers were unable to surmount much resistance either, as they mustered just 19 field goals on a mere 49 field-goal attempts. Turnovers were a big part of Virginia's lack of production, particularly in the first half, as the team committed 18 turnovers on the game, 12 of them in the first 13 minutes.
"We turned it over a few times under pressure, and it affected us mentally," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "We didn't stay in the right frame of mind, and it just spread from there."
Senior Adrian Joseph was the lone offensive bright spot for Virginia, as he finished with 19 points on 8-12 shooting.
Virginia came out looking fired up after going into halftime with a 40-24 halftime deficit, but things only grew worse for the Cavaliers as the second half began. After the Tigers shot 48.5 percent from the field in the opening period, the Cavaliers continued to have no answer for Clemson's offense at the outset of the second half as the Tigers immediately embarked on a 5-0 run. Clemson continued to pour in points from all angles, slowly building their lead from 16 to as large as 38 with 5:06 remaining. This is the largest deficit the Cavaliers have suffered this season.
As Clemson continued to build its lead into the 20s, Cavalier fans waited, poised for the inevitable run that the home team always seems to make when faced with a second-half deficit. That run, however, never came, and as the Tigers' lead climbed into the 30s, frustrated Virginia fans began to trickle out of John Paul Jones Arena.
"It was our lack of energy that got us down like that," senior Sean Singletary said. "They were definitely on top of their game, but we just weren't into it."
The Tigers used a full-court zone press for much of the game, and it was effective in frustrating the Virginia attack. In a 2:12 span midway through the first half, the Cavaliers were forced into a timeout, two turnovers and an offensive foul as Clemson took its first lead of the game, which it never lost.
"I don't know if pressure is the right word [for what is wrong with the team], but if there is a right word then I don't have it," Leitao said. "I think that each individual has to search within himself to find a way out of a personal or collective situation and make things better."
Virginia now has a quick two-day turnaround before traveling to Winston-Salem for a matchup with Wake Forest. As Virginia tries to forget being embarrassed on its home court, the team hopes that getting back on the court quickly is exactly what the doctor ordered.
"The quick turnaround is either going to be a very good thing, because you get right back at it, and you get a chance to correct it -- or not, depending on what happens from tonight on out." Leitao said.
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