After going down to the wire against NC State and Wake Forest in its first two games without junior guard Justin Anderson, the Virginia men’s basketball team matched up with Pittsburgh Monday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
The Panthers had torched No. 15 North Carolina for 89 points just two days earlier at Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. And on Jan. 31 — the night the Cavaliers suffered their first loss of the season against No. 4 Duke — coach Jamie Dixon’s squad narrowly upset No. 10 Notre Dame.
Facing a substantial challenge, No. 2 Virginia (24-1, 12-1 ACC) answered the bell, taming the Panthers in a 61-49 win as snow fell hard in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers, boasting the nation’s top-ranked scoring defense, suffocated Pittsburgh (17-10, 6-7 ACC) for much of the first half, twice holding the Panthers without a point for more than five minutes.
“In that first half, I thought our defense was really good,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “Our guys were charged up, we were bothering shots and we just made them earn everything.”
After the break, Virginia bent without shattering, pushing back just as Pittsburgh threatened to climb out of its 10-point halftime hole. All told, the Cavaliers won their fifth consecutive game and matched their best 25-game start to a season. Victory just didn’t come easily.
“Our guys responded to the challenge,” Bennett said. “They knew they were going to have to scramble and fight and bring a little more awareness.”
Junior guard Malcolm Brogdon paced the Cavaliers with 18 points, with six coming on free throws in the last two minutes. He nailed both of his 3-pointers and grabbed four rebounds while reaching double figures for the 54th time in his collegiate career.
But Brogdon’s well-rounded performance added up to a much more significant milestone. With the first of two free throws with 66 seconds to play, Virginia’s leading scorer reached 1,000 points as a Cavalier. Brogdon is the 45th Virginia’s men’s basketball player to meet that threshold, joining a group that includes recent standouts Joe Harris and Mike Scott.
“It’s humbling,” Brogdon said. “I have to say thank you to all the people that have helped me along the way, because it’s not just me. It’s my family, my mom and my brothers, and my coaches and my teammates. They’ve all helped me along the way, and it’s a moment of gratitude.”
Coach Bennett said he congratulated Brogdon on his accomplishment, half-joking with the prime-time guard that he owes his big men — the guys who have set all the screens he’s run around — a couple of nice wrist watches.
“He’s just a complete player,” Bennett said. “He’s steady, he’s tough. He’s guarding a lot of times the best perimeter player, and [he’s] so even-keeled. What a great ambassador for this university and for our program. Obviously on the floor and how he plays, but in all ways.”
Brogdon scored his 996th and 997th points on a vicious slam dunk with 3:01 on the clock, beating his man off the dribble and skying to the basket. Bennett subbed him out to a roar of applause with 23 seconds to play.
Before Brogdon made his way to the bench, the good feeling inside the stadium was wound a little tight, after Pittsburgh senior guard Cameron Wright knocked down a free throw to cut Virginia’s lead to three with 7:54 remaining. Virginia, after all, led by 10 when senior forward Darion Atkins dunked off a deft bounce pass from sophomore guard London Perrantes with 18:26 to go.
The Cavaliers, however, did not let the game stay close for long. Junior forward Anthony Gill buried two free throws 19 seconds after Wright’s score, sparking an 8-0 Virginia surge. Freshman guard Marial Shayok, in a rut in recent weeks, drilled a 3-pointer from the left wing to cap the run and put his team ahead by 11.
“We have to stay ready and believe in each other and our team — just play with confidence,” Shayok said. “It’s was great that me and [freshman forward] Isaiah [Wilkins] came out with energy today and played well.”
Atkins blocked four shots, including a thunderous rejection of sophomore forward Sheldon Jeter with 5:42 on the clock. He and Gill combined for 21 points and 12 rebounds as the Cavaliers barely outrebounded the physical Panthers.
Perrantes, meanwhile, dished out six assists, with a couple — his flicked bounce pass to Wilkins for an easy slam dunk in the first half, for example — coming in highlight fashion.
Bennett thanked the fans for coming out and cheering heartily despite the snow.
“Those who came out, they were loud, they were active — they had fight just like I challenged our team to, and hopefully everyone’s getting back safe,” Bennett said.
Virginia will host its second-to-last home game this Sunday against Florida State at 6:30 p.m.
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