The Cavalier Daily
Serving the University Community Since 1890

One of those nights

Tony Bennett's men held the ACC's most potent offense to a paltry 56 points - 28 points below Duke's average. 2010 Final Four Most Outstanding Player Kyle Singler, who entered last night's contest with 23 straight games in double figures, came away with just two points. The same group that kicked the Cavaliers' butts to Timbuktu in the second half of last month's meeting totaled just 22 points during the final 20 minutes last night. But, as I have done several times this season, I am beginning this sentence with the word "but." I think you know where I'm going with this.

It was an all-too-familiar storyline: Virginia unleashes a lock-down defense that makes its opponent scream for daylight, only to throw the game away with an offensive display shakier than Charlie Sheen's reputation. The Cavaliers' three most reliable scoring threats combined for 21 points on 7-for-32 shooting. Even the rejuvenated Sammy Zeglinski, who was coming off a season-high 19 points and had scored in double digits during his last four games, failed to provide any kind of spark, as he walked away with just two points on 1-for-7 shooting.

You know your offense is bad when you shoot less than 30 percent from the field. You know it's bad when you walk away from John Paul Jones Arena with under 50 points for the third time in a row. You know it's bad when the most dominant player you face on defense is Ryan Kelly. The gangly, goofy-looking forward finished with four blocks and altered several more of Virginia's shots.

With 7:30 left to play, Virginia fans had to feel like their team was down by 30. With only 35 points to their name, the Cavs were throwing up brick after brick, desperately in search of something to get them going. They seemed to be waiting for somebody to turn it on, perhaps hoping that Coach K suddenly would pull out three of his players and see if he could win a two-on-five contest. Yet they were only down 12, as a combination of solid pack-line defense and cold three-point shooting by Duke kept the game within reach. Duke trailed Virginia during the second half of last month's game but ended up with a 16-point victory. Couldn't the Cavaliers catch some fire of their own?

Not this night. With two of Virginia's three seniors sidelined by injury, fatigue swallowed the young and undermanned Cavaliers whole. Deep into a long and brutal season in the ACC, it's difficult to rely on a seven-man rotation that features three freshmen. The frustrated fans in the stands wanted their 'Hoos to step up under the focus of ESPN cameras, but the effects of a grinding season combined with a 24-win Duke team formed too big a wall to overcome.

Maybe they can catch fire this weekend against a Virginia Tech team they defeated back in December. Until then, though, they'll have to chew on yet another woeful offensive performance on their home court.

"It was just one of those nights," freshman guard Joe Harris said.

Unfortunately for these 'Hoos, it was just another night at the office.

Comments

Latest Podcast

The University’s Associate Vice Provost for Enrollment and Undergraduate Admission, Greg Roberts, provides listeners with an insight into how the University conducts admissions and the legal subtleties regarding the possible end to the consideration of legacy status.



https://open.spotify.com/episode/02ZWcF1RlqBj7CXLfA49xt