Through the first 10 or so minutes Friday night, Virginia struggled. There was never any real hope of an upset for Morgan State, but the Bears were hanging with the No. 6 Cavaliers.
Virginia (1-0) could not buy a basket to start the game, starting 1-13 from the floor. Coach Tony Bennett’s squad still was dominating the offensive and defensive glass, but with 9:12 remaining in the first half, Virginia had only two points in the paint. Save for two three-pointers from junior point guard London Perrantes, the Cavaliers had yet to make a jumper.
“I think guys were a little anxious,” coach Tony Bennett said. “We didn’t finish the way we should have.”
Maybe it was the influence of the new 30-second shot clock, or maybe Virginia had finally used its size to overpower the undermanned Bears (0-1). Regardless, the Cavaliers broke open the floor in transition to finish the first half, quickly jumping out to a 40-23 halftime lead and an eventual 86-48 season-opening victory.
Sophomore guards Darius Thompson and Devon Hall used their length and athleticism to break open the game, while senior center Mike Tobey found his groove in the second half, totaling 15 points and eight rebounds in 19 minutes.
“We just did a good job of figuring out what we wanted to run against their zone,” Tobey said. “I think we did a good job of executing in the second half.
After failing to hit open shots – both in the paint and beyond the arc – the Cavaliers finally went on an 8-0 run to stretch the lead to 24-14.
After hitting 14-18 first half free throws, the Cavaliers brought the 14,034-strong John Paul Jones crowd to life behind transition points from Hall and Thompson. The highlight came with nine seconds remaining in the first half, when a blocked shot by Perrantes led to a transition alley-oop from Hall to Thompson.
“[Hall] just decided to throw it up to me,” Thompson said. “I just had to go get it.”
Hall and Thompson’s energy carried over into the second half, where the Cavaliers jumped out to a 17-0 run.
Thompson continued to push the pace, getting a layup to go plus a foul. Meanwhile, Hall, who had a career-high 13 points, continued to stretch the floor both in transition and with his jumper.
Tobey, however, really kick-started Virginia’s run. Despite just scoring five first-half points, the New-York native put in ten points during the run. Against the undersized Bears, Tobey was able to use his size to his advantage in the second half.
Gill, too, found success inside against the Bears, finishing with 12 points and seven rebounds. Morgan State, which was missing multiple players due to a combination of injuries and suspensions, simply did not have the depth to match Virginia’s size and strength.
“[Tobey and Gill] could have their way just because of the size advantage,” Bennett said.
Whether it was a dunk by Gill, a three from Hall or Thompson, or even a jumper from sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins, Virginia could not be stopped in the second half. Despite just five points from senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, the Cavaliers scored their most points since putting up 86 against Longwood in 2011. Sophomore guard Marial Shayok was the only active Virginia scholarship player who did not score.
Freshman forward Jarred Reuter saw action in his first game as a Cavalier, collecting eight points and six boards in 10 minutes.
Redshirt freshman center Jack Salt also played his first eight minutes in a Virginia uniform. The Kiwi lived up to his billing as the team’s most physical player, picking up two quick fouls. Still, he brought the crowd to life when his first career points came on a dunk with 4:41 remaining. He finished with five points and three rebounds.
Virginia, which shot 34 percent from the floor in the first half, made 67 percent of its field goal attempts in the second half. The Cavaliers had a 42-12 advantage in points in the paint, while also out-rebounding the Bears 50-21.
“They’ll have a great season,” Morgan State coach Todd Bozeman said. “Obviously Tony is a great coach, and they’re a very, very disciplined ball club.”
Virginia will next travel to face George Washington. Tipoff is scheduled for Monday at 7:30 p.m.
Read More
How Morgan Schwab has helped continue the prestige of Virginia women’s lacrosse
By Peter Kratz | 3 hours agoAs the Cavaliers approach the NCAA enactment , they will be relying on Schwab to make a run at a national title.
Connor Shellenberger and Cole Kastner selected in the PLL Draft
By Xander Tilock | YesterdayConnor Shellenberger and Cole Kastner will proudly represent the Cavaliers through continued excellence in the PLL.
No. 6 women’s tennis breezes through first two rounds of NCAA Tournament
By Grace Gould | YesterdayNo. 6 Virginia women’s tennis hosted the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament over the weekend, competing against Long Island University and No. 41 Princeton.
