Cavaliers Open Maui Invitational Against Washington On Monday
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MAUI, Hawaii-The Virginia men’s basketball team plays its second consecutive Pacific-10 Conference opponent on Monday (Nov. 22) when the Cavaliers meet nationally-ranked Washington in the opening round of the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. The game is scheduled to begin at approximately 11:59 p.m. Eastern time and will be televised by ESPN2.
The Virginia-Washington game is the last of four games on the opening day of the three-day tournament. The tournament continues through Nov. 24.
Other opening round games feature Wichita State against Connecticut, Michigan State vs. Chaminade and Oklahoma against Kentucky. UVa will play either Oklahoma or Kentucky on the second day of the tournament (Nov. 23).
Virginia is making its fourth appearance in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational. The Cavaliers are 5-3 in the tournament and finished second in both 2002 and 1996.
UVa is coming off its first loss of the season at Stanford, another Pacific-10 member, on Thursday night (Nov. 18). The Cardinal broke open a close game in the second half and defeated Virginia 81-60. The Cavaliers are now 2-1 on the season.
Virginia trailed Stanford 37-34 at halftime and the Cavaliers were down 47-45 with 14:49 to play before the Cardinal took control of the game with a 22-5 run. That run expanded Stanford’s lead to 69-50 with 6:14 left to play in the game.
Senior guard Mustapha Farrakhan led three Virginia players in double figures in scoring with a season-high 14 points against Stanford. Freshman guard Joe Harris scored a season-high 12 points on 4-7 shooting from three-point range and sophomore guard Jontel Evans scored a career-high 11 points and had a game-high five assists. Senior forward Mike Scott had eight points and a game-high six rebounds, and senior forward Will Sherrill scored eight points and had five rebounds against the Cardinal.
Five players scored in double figures for Stanford led by Jeremy Green’s 21 points. The Cardinal shot 54.4 percent (31-57) from the field for the game, including 56.5 percent (13-23) from three-point range, and out-rebounded the Cavaliers 33-25.
After shooting 60 percent (12-20) from the field in the first half, the Cavaliers shot 29.6 percent (8-27) in the second half and finished the game with a shooting percentage of 42.6 percent (20-47) from the field, including 37.5 percent (9-24) from three-point range. UVa also turned the ball over 18 times.
Virginia made all 11 of its free throw attempts against Stanford, the first time the Cavaliers made all of their free throws since going 8-8 against Wake Forest on Feb. 28, 2009
Scott continues to lead UVa in scoring and rebounding with averages of 15.0 points and 9.0 rebounds a game after three games. Other players averaging in double figures for the Cavaliers are Farrakhan and freshman guard Billy Baron with averages of 11.7 points a game. Evans is averaging 9.0 points a game and leads the team in assists with 13 (4.3 apg.).
As a team Virginia is averaging 70.0 points a game and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field, including 41.9 percent from three-point range, and 80.9 percent from the free throw line.
Washington enters the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational with a record of 2-0 after home victories over McNeese State (118-64) and Eastern Washington (98-72). The Huskies are ranked 15th in the ESPN/USA Today poll and tied for 17th in The Associated Press poll.
Washington is the first ranked opponent for the Cavaliers this season. Virginia was 3-3 against ranked opponents last season.
Senior Matt Bryan-Amaning, a 6-9 forward, leads the Huskies in both scoring and rebounding with averages of 21.0 points and 11.5 rebounds a game. He is shooting 61.5 percent (16-26) from the field.
Five other players are also averaging in double figures in scoring for Washington including 6-6 senior forward Justin Holiday (14.5 ppg., 8.0 rpg.), 5-9 junior guard Isaiah Thomas (13.0 ppg., 3.5 apg.), 6-3 sophomore guard Abdul Gaddy (11.5 ppg., 5.5 apg.), 6-5 red-shirt freshman guard C.J. Wilcox (10.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg.) and 6-6 junior guard Scott Suggs (10.0 ppg., 3.0 apg.).
As a team Washington is averaging 108.0 points a game and is shooting 47.6 percent from the field, including 39.7 percent from three-point range. The Huskies are also out-rebounding their opponents by an average of 16 rebounds a game (52.0 – 36.0).
Washington finished the 2009-10 season with an overall record of 26-10, 11-7 in the Pacific-10, and reached the Sweet 16 of the 2010 NCAA Tournament.
Lorenzo Romar is in his ninth season as head coach at Washington. His Washington teams have compiled an overall record of 173-91 (.655). The Huskies have participated in the NCAA Tournament five times under Romar’s direction.
Virginia leads the series with Washington 1-0. The Cavaliers beat the Huskies 65-61 in the Cabrillo Classic in San Diego, Calif., during the 1983-84 season.