If Virginia wanted revenge against the Hokies, it certainly got it.
Cavalier Coach Tony Bennett insisted Virginia wasn’t playing to spite Virginia Tech, which took down the Cavaliers 70-68 Jan. 4 in Blacksburg. And maybe Virginia was indeed continuing the crisp, clean Bennett-esque basketball fans had witnessed the past two weeks.
However, it was hard not to sense an extra chip on the team’s shoulder Tuesday night. Whether it was sophomore guard Darius Thompson converting an alley-oop, senior center Mike Tobey throwing down an and-one dunk in transition or just sophomore forward Isaiah Wilkins’ hustle end-over-end, Virginia played with an added sense of authority from start to finish.
The John Paul Jones Arena crowd was raucous as No. 7 Virginia (20-4, 9-3 ACC) turned a 32-20 halftime advantage into a 67-49 victory. Senior forward Anthony Gill led the Cavaliers with 16 points.
Meanwhile, Virginia Tech (13-12, 5-7 ACC) junior forward Zach LeDay, who had eight double-doubles entering Tuesday and 22 points against Virginia in their previous meeting, was held to just seven points after getting into early foul trouble and playing just 17 minutes.
“We all knew that we were a better team tonight than we were when we first played Virginia Tech,” Gill said. “We wanted to go out there and prove it.”
The Hokies never led, making it three opponents who have yet to jump out in front of the Cavaliers in the past four games. Only Pittsburgh managed to lead for 1:19. And like those previous three opponents, Virginia had a commanding jump out of the gate.
Senior forward Anthony Gill slammed home an and-one dunk to put Virginia up 3-0. It was a good sign of things to come.
The Cavaliers led by as many as 18 points in the first half. Virginia held a 32-20 halftime advantage, which shrunk from 32-14 after the Hokies ended the stanza on a 6-0 spurt.
“We understand that those slow starts that get us in a lot of trouble aren’t going to help us down the stretch,” Gill said.
Virginia’s first-half dominance was evident on both ends of the court. The Cavaliers forced Virginia Tech into 10 turnovers as Virginia committed just three. Gill, who was held to a season low four points Saturday against Pittsburgh, led the Cavaliers with seven first-half points.
“I liked his mindset,” Bennett said. “I liked his aggressiveness, but playing within himself. I want him to be aggressive, but I thought he still let it come to him. I think that’s a sign of maturity.”
Twelve of Virginia’s 13 first-half baskets were assisted as Virginia shot 48 percent from the floor. The Cavaliers got crowd-raising plays from an alley-oop to Darius Thompson and an and-one trey from junior guard London Perrantes. Eight different players scored for Virginia in the first half.
Not much changed in the second half, as Virginia again came out with a nose for the basket.
Wilkins scored the first six points for the Cavaliers on two free throws, a dunk and a jumper. Senior guard Malcolm Brogdon wasn’t the storyline he was against Pittsburgh after scoring 11 of the team’s first 18 points, but he didn’t need to be. Eight different Cavaliers scored against the Hokies, as Virginia got 17 points from its bench, including 10 from Tobey on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting effort.
“I think that balance we get from those other guys is very important,” Bennett said.
Virginia held its fourth-straight opponent to 50 points or less. The Cavaliers led by as many as 22 in the second half as four players — Gill, Wilkins, Brogdon and Tobey — scored in double figures.
“I think we did a really good job in practice of just trying to get back to the way we used to play defense,” Tobey said. “Really emphasizing the defensive end — that’s how this team has been successful in the past. We’re just trying to get back to that.”
The Cavaliers got a welcome spark from Wilkins Tuesday night. The sophomore, better known for his hustle plays while averaging just 4.2 points per game, chipped in 14 points, beating his career high of 10 he set against Clemson. His midrange jumper proved lethal, accounting for three of his five field goals. Wilkins also added several steals, four rebounds — including three on the offensive glass — and an assist.
“Everybody’s preaching me to be aggressive because it can’t just be [Gill], [Perrantes] and [Brogdon] scoring all the points,” Wilkins said. “I’m just trying to come in and take open shots. It worked out for me.”
Virginia will next face Duke Saturday at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m.
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