Coach Tony Bennett had a plan in mind when he created arguably the nation’s toughest non-conference schedule. It seemed daunting when the preseason rankings were released, and even more so after Virginia dropped its second game against then-unranked George Washington.
After Saturday’s contest, however, Bennett has to be feeling pretty good.
In a battle that clashed No. 8 Virginia’s meticulous style with No. 12 Villanova’s love of the long ball, the Cavaliers (9-1) used efficient offense and deadly shooting to pull past the Wildcats (8-2), 86-75. The outcome came of little surprise to Virginia’s players, who had been awaiting this stretch since the offseason.
“Coach Bennett asked us before the season when he was making the schedule,” junior guard London Perrantes said. “He was like, ‘Do you guys want to do this?’ We all smiled and were happy we had this opportunity to go out and play some good teams at the beginning of the year.”
Senior forward Anthony Gill embodied Virginia’s excitement Saturday, leading Virginia with 22 points on 8-9 shooting from the floor. The All-ACC player added seven rebounds, including three on the offensive end.
Against a four-guard Villanova lineup, the ferocious Gill exposed the lack of size in the Wildcats’ frontcourt. Gill showed his tenacity fighting for rebounds and loose balls while also routinely beating Villanova senior forward Daniel Ochefu to the basket for easy lay-ins.
“His shot-fake pivot — explosive moves — are as good as anybody’s I’ve seen in a while,” Villanova coach Jay Wright said.
With the interior threat of Gill, the Virginia guards had themselves a field day from the perimeter. After a back-and-forth first half that finished with the Cavaliers holding 33-29 lead, Virginia exploded for 53 second-half points.
Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, who said the matchup reflected a Sweet-16 game, showed the poise and aggression Virginia hopes to see come March. The All-American had 20 points, including a perfect 12-12 from the charity stripe, in his 38 minutes.
Fellow backcourt starter Perrantes added a season-high 19 points of his own, including several baskets in critical moments. The California native hit a three-pointer followed immediately by a layup with a foul to give Virginia a 50-43 lead early in the second half. Then with 4:04 to play, Perrantes hit the first of two consecutive threes to extend the Cavalier lead to 71-64.
In a contest in which Virginia surrendered an uncharacteristic 75 points — its most since Miami tallied 80 in double overtime last season — Bennett was pleased with the threat of his offense, which is now ranked No. 1 in basketball guru Ken Pomeroy’s efficiency ratings.
“The guys just played well offensively,” Bennett said. “[Villanova] got us rattled — we had 12 turnovers — but I thought in the second half, the big shots were made.”
The Cavaliers extended their lead to as large as 13 with 8:37 to play, but Villanova slowly chipped back to within three. As Virginia battled down the stretch, it found contributors all over the floor.
Making his first career start, sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins carried over his strong effort against West Virginia to a stout 30-minute performance Saturday.
“He’s mobile — he’s alert,” Bennett said. “He brings that glue-kind-of-guy to the defense that we need. Matchup-wise, it worked out.”
Sophomore guard Darius Thompson — who has seen increased action since fellow sophomore guard Marial Shayok sprained his wrist and then suffered a concussion over the exam break — converted all four of his field goal attempts, including two from beyond the arc, to notch 11 points.
Even a role player such as senior center Mike Tobey — who normally sees little action against smaller lineups — played well. After notching just a single minute in the first half due to two early fouls, the reigning ACC Sixth Man of the Year came in and played aggressive, fundamental defense against Ochefu.
Their cumulative efforts set the stage for Brogdon to bury a cold-blooded three-pointer with 1:56 to play, giving Virginia an ultimately insurmountable 10-point lead.
“I think that was a big shot,” Brogdon said. “I think it was a big moment for us.”
The Cavaliers finished 8-12 from beyond the arc after attempting just two three pointers in the first half. Virginia converted 26-30 free throws while out-rebounding the Wildcats, 31-19.
“It’s an exciting stretch leading into ACC play,” Gill said. “It’s really going to help us when we get to the ACC tournament and into the NCAA tournament.”
Virginia will next face preseason No. 14 California Tuesday at John Paul Jones Arena. Tipoff is scheduled for 9 p.m.
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