Virginia Closes Out Paradise Jam With Game Against Drake On Monday
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ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands-The Virginia men’s basketball team closes out competition in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Monday (Nov. 21) when the Cavaliers play Drake at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time.
UVa is 1-1 in the tournament after losing to TCU 57-55 in the tournament’s opening round on Friday (Nov. 18) and then defeating Drexel 49-35 in a consolation bracket game on Saturday (Nov. 19). The Cavaliers are 3-1 overall and Drake is also 3-1 on the season.
Monday’s game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network.
Senior forward Mike Scott leads Virginia with scoring averages of 15.0 points and 10.3 rebounds a game. The 6-8 Scott had his first double-double of the season with 21 points and 10 rebounds in the Cavaliers’ win over Drexel. It was the 25th double-double of his UVa career and he is tied for fifth on the Cavaliers’ career list for double-doubles.
Scott, who scored the 1,000th point of his collegiate career in the loss to TCU, has led Virginia in rebounding in each of the Cavaliers’ four games. His 10 rebounds against Drexel marked the second time this season he has had double figure rebounds in a game and the 30th time in his career.
Sophomore guard Joe Harris is the only other Virginia player averaging in double figures in scoring with an average of 11.0 points a game. He is also averaging 3.8 rebounds a game.
Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski missed the first two games of the season with an ankle injury. He has played in both games in the U.S. Paradise Jam and has scored 14 points in the tournament. Zeglinski is 3-6 from three-point range this season and has moved into 10th place on Virginia’s career three-point field goals made list. He has made 144 career three-pointers for the Cavaliers.
Senior center Assane Sene had a season-high four blocked shots against Drexel and moved into seventh place on UVa’s career blocked shots list with 98. Sene is averaging 6.5 points and 4.3 rebounds a game.
Sophomore guard KT Harrell is averaging 8.0 points a game, junior guard Jontel Evans is averaging 7.0 points a game and freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon is averaging 6.3 points a game for Virginia.
As a team UVa is playing fine defense through the first four games of the season. The Cavaliers’ are allowing an average of 44.5 points a game and Virginia’s opponents are shooting a combined 33.2 percent (63-190) from the field, including 25.4 percent (16-63) from three-point range.
The 35 points scored by Drexel in Virginia’s win on Saturday are the fewest points allowed by a Tony Bennett coached Virginia team and the fewest points UVa has allowed since UMBC scored 34 points in a 57-34 victory by the Cavaliers on Dec. 21, 1996. It’s the 10th time under Bennett that Virginia has held an opponent under 50 points in a game.
Virginia is averaging 62.0 points a game and is out-rebounding its opponents by an average of five rebounds a game.
Drake and Virginia have not played previously in men’s basketball. Drake is a member of the Missouri Valley Conference.
At the Paradise Jam the Bulldogs have lost to Ole Miss (63-59) and defeated Winthrop (66-62).
Junior forward Ben Simons and sophomore guard Rayvonte Rice are Drake’s scoring leaders. The 6-8 Simons is averaging 19.3 points and 4.0 rebounds a game, while the 6-4 Rice is averaging 17.7 points a game. The Bulldogs’ leading rebounder is 6-8 junior forward Jordan Clarke who is averaging 8.3 rebounds a game.
Drake is scoring an average of 70.5 points a game and is shooting 48.2 percent from the field as a team.
The Bulldogs are coached by Mark Phelps who is in his fourth season as Drake’s head coach.
After the game with Drake, Virginia returns to action on Friday (Nov. 25) at John Paul Jones Arena against Green Bay. That game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.