For the first 20 minutes of Virginia’s season opener against Rider, it looked like a competitive game.
For the next 20 minutes, it did not. After a poor first half from the perimeter, with a handful of missed open shots, Coach Ryan Odom’s Cavaliers (1-0, 0-0 ACC) turned a 10-point lead into a 34-point one, cruising through the second half to a 87-53 win over the Broncs (0-1, 0-0 MAAC).
The first half, from an offensive standpoint at least, left a lot to be desired. Virginia shot a miserable 2-19 from three in the first half, as well as an underwhelming 12-19 from the free-throw line, leading 42-32 at halftime. It righted the ship in the second, taking half as many from distance but making double, still finding most of their success on the interior — with 42 paint points in the game.
Freshman forward Thijs De Ridder stole the show. Often defended by much smaller guards, the Belgian newcomer shot 10-14 from the field for 21 points. He grabbed 10 rebounds as well, six of which were offensive, and was an assertive presence on the interior through his 24 minutes of play.
“He did a really nice job when they didn’t double,” Odom said. “Scoring, getting fouled and when they did double, getting it out. We got some quality looks from that, so I was impressed with his overall game.”
De Ridder found himself in foul trouble about midway through the second half, something that he took accountability for on several possessions, while also pointing to adjustments he is still making.
“It’s not an excuse, but a couple of rules are different than in Europe,” De Ridder said. “But of course, I [made] a couple of mistakes, I was maybe lazy on my feet. I have to work on just being solid in defense and [being] physical without fouling.”
Freshman center Johann Grünloh scored 12 — the second most for the Cavaliers. Three guards followed with 11 — freshman Chance Mallory, graduate student Jacari White and junior Sam Lewis.
The team’s first half shooting woes were mitigated by a strong defensive showing. Forcing 14 turnovers, Virginia’s press-heavy defense created a number of transition opportunities, leading to 11 points and a number of free throw attempts. Grünloh and senior center Ugonna Onyenso, both listed at seven feet tall, combined for seven blocks, forcing the smaller Broncs to channel most of their offense into lower-percentage shots.
“Really proud of the way they responded in the second half,” Odom said. “Shots weren’t falling in the first. At halftime we talked a little bit about the decisions that we were making, [there were] probably some extra passes out there, maybe [the shots] weren’t completely contested but … had we made a different decision, maybe another guy gets an open look.”
As the Broncs’ hot hands cooled and more of them got in foul trouble, the Cavaliers’ lead steadily grew through the second half. Through the first 10 minutes of the second, Rider only made one field goal — a low-percentage midrange pull-up from sophomore guard Flash Burton.
Burton had led the first half in scoring with 15 of Rider’s 32 — playing high-usage hero ball and making a handful of tough shots inside the arc — but could only manage those two points after the half. The 6-foot-3 guard found himself guarding De Ridder on several possessions, and was also targeted by a Cavalier defense that forced six turnovers from him.
Odom pointed to Virginia’s strong rebounding and defense off the bench as having impressed him. Virginia tallied 49 rebounds to Rider’s 32, including an offensive rebounding differential of 22-13. Off the bench, Mallory and White combined for five steals and 22 points, instrumental in growing the lead through the second half.
“The starters did a really good job in that first half,” Odom said. “And when Chance and the other group subbed in they gave us an even bigger lift. That’s what you want to see.”
Absent from the team was graduate student forward Devin Tillis, who was on crutches on the sideline. Odom said Tillis received surgery on one of his knees after last week’s exhibition against Villanova, and is now beginning his recovery process.
“We’re not sure exactly how long [he’ll be out],” Odom said. “But it was the best path for us and for him to be able to have a season here with us. And [the surgery] went well.”
The Cavaliers will return to action Friday against North Carolina Central, which just lost 114-66 against NC State. They will then have two more home games against Marshall and Hampton, before a trip to White Sulfur Springs, WV, for the Greenbrier Tipoff against Northwestern and Butler.
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