Virginia, fighting to keep pace in the ACC’s highest echelon, had won its previous two games by just seven points total. In those games against Florida State and Ohio State, the Cavaliers (23-3, 11-2 ACC) struggled to separate and build comfortable leads against teams they were favored to beat.
“We've certainly had our fair share of tight games recently, and you have to try to find ways to get easy baskets in conference play,” Coach Ryan Odom said.
Virginia wasted no time building a colossal lead Wednesday night at Georgia Tech. The lead later grew to 64-27 shortly after halftime, building off the program’s highest first-half scoring output in ACC play in 43 years. Emulating a gaudy blowout from Virginia baseball Saturday, the Cavaliers got off to a 42-9 lead in the first 13 minutes of action.
“The goal is to play 40 minutes,” Odom said. “You always want to start well. And I thought our guys did a nice job of putting the pressure on pretty quickly. And it helps when you make shots.”
But while the offense was certainly dominant, Virginia’s defense was just as stellar, if not even better. The Yellow Jackets (11-16, 2-12 ACC) were held to paltry shooting marks of 21.4 percent in the first 12 and a half minutes of play. The humongous 36-7 Cavalier lead marked Georgia Tech’s largest deficit at any point this season.
“Our defense is where our identity sits and where we want it to sit,” Odom said. “It's really important to us. I think the guys understand they have to play with a sense of urgency on that side of the ball.”
In those first 12 and a half minutes, Virginia recorded three runs of at least 9-0. Just about everything that could have gone right did go right for the Cavaliers — the Yellow Jackets faced the inverse. In the first 14 minutes, Virginia netted seven of 12 three-point attempts while Georgia Tech went 0-6. By evening’s end, the Cavaliers extended their single-season school record of games with 10-plus three-pointers to 16 games.
The Yellow Jackets finally drained their first three-pointer 16 minutes into the game. Georgia Tech eventually strung together some buckets, but by the time it built some offensive momentum, the Cavaliers had sprinted ahead to a 59-27 lead at halftime — the most points Virginia has scored in a first half of a conference game since 1983.
That giant lead is the largest in any ACC game this season.
In the first half, six Cavaliers made at least half of their field goal attempts. Thomas, De Ridder and graduate guard Dallin Hall each scored 10-plus points. Combined, that trio outscored the entire Yellow Jackets squad by seven points in the first half of play.
Early in the second half, Virginia’s lead reached 64-27 — a situation that usually only exists in basketball video games. The 37-point difference was shocking for a battle between two Power Four teams, especially considering the victims of the blowout played host to the visiting Cavaliers.
Georgia Tech ended up outscoring Virginia in the second half, but the game’s result was never in doubt. The only question was regarding the final score, a deficit which Yellow Jackets whittled down in a 94-68 victory for Coach Ryan Odom’s squad.
In the game, Hall recorded his first career double-double with 12 points and 10 assists. Thomas contributed 17 points fueled by draining five of his eight attempts from long distance.
De Ridder finished with 22 points in just under 22 minutes, also adding five rebounds and three steals. He was the only player in the game to log 10-plus minutes without a personal foul or turnover.
“We did our game plan,” De Ridder said.
It is worth noting that the Cavaliers do reside in second place on the ACC leaderboard and Georgia Tech ranks 16th — rocking an eight-game losing streak — but blowouts of this margin are extremely rare nonetheless.
With historic momentum in hand, Virginia will return home for four of the final five regular season games. Up first, the Cavaliers prepare for a Saturday afternoon clash with Miami, which will be broadcast on ESPN2. The court at John Paul Jones Arena will be renamed in honor of former Coach Tony Bennett in a pregame ceremony.
“By no means can we relax now, because we're going to have four of however many at home,” Odom said. “We've got to play well regardless of where we're playing, whether it's home or on the road, and we have some tough ones coming.”
Those tough games could be played without graduate forward Devin Tillis, who suffered an injury in the second half. Odom did not provide a specific diagnosis or timetable for Tillis’ return.
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