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Cavaliers Return Home to Play Maryland on Saturday
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CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia men’s basketball team returns to John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday (Feb. 18) for an Atlantic Coast Conference game with Maryland. The game is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. and is sold out.
UVa enters the game with an overall record of 19-6 and a 6-5 record in the ACC and is coming off consecutive losses for the first time this season. The Cavaliers lost 70-52 at North Carolina on Jan. 11 and 60-48 at Clemson on Tuesday (Jan. 14).
In this week’s national rankings, Virginia is ranked 22nd in both The Associated Press poll and the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.
Maryland enters the game with an overall record of 15-10 and a 5-6 record in the ACC.
Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. It will also be televised by the ACC Network and carried on ESPN3. In areas where the ACC Network telecast is being carried ESPN3 may be blacked out.
Junior guard Jontel Evans tied his career high for the Cavaliers with 17 points in the loss at Clemson on Tuesday. Evans has scored in double figures the last three games. It’s the first time in his Virginia career he has scored in double figures in three consecutive games.
Senior forward Mike Scott had 13 points and eight rebounds for UVa against the Tigers.
Scott leads Virginia in scoring and rebounding. He is averaging 16.9 points and 8.2 rebounds a game, while shooting 59.6 percent (158-265) from the field and 81.0 percent (102-126) from the free-throw line. Scott is one of two players nationally with the NCAA minimum of attempts in both categories to be shooting over 59 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line. The other is Doug McDermott of Creighton.
Scott ranks first among ACC players in field goal percentage, third in scoring, sixth in rebounding and ninth in free throw percentage.
Sophomore guard Joe Harris is also averaging in double figures in scoring for the Cavaliers with an average of 12.0 points a game and senior guard Sammy Zeglinski is averaging 8.0 points a game.
Evans leads Virginia in assists (93) and steals (41). He ranks fifth among ACC players in both assists (3.7 apg.) and steals (1.6 spg.).
As a team, UVa ranks first in the ACC in scoring defense (52.2), three-point field goal percentage defense (27.3 percent), rebounding defense (28.4) and defensive rebounding percentage (75.1 percent).
Nationally the Cavaliers rank second in scoring defense, points allowed per possession (0.86), three-point percentage defense and assists allowed per game (8.0), fifth in defensive rebounding percentage, seventh in assist percentage (41.5 percent), 13th in opponents’ assist-to-turnover ratio (0.62) and 22nd in field goal percentage defense (39.2 percent). Virginia has allowed points on just 44.1 percent of its opponents’ possessions this season and ranks third nationally in that department.
Maryland leads the series with Virginia 106-69, but UVa leads 43-41 in games played in Charlottesville and 3-2 in games played at JPJA. The teams split two games last season with each team winning on the road.
Sophomore guard Terrell Stoglin leads Maryland and the ACC in scoring with an average of 21.7 points a game. Senior guard Sean Mosley is also averaging in double figures in scoring for the Terrapins with an average of 10.3 points a game.
Mark Turgeon is in his first season as the head coach at Maryland. Turgeon was previously the head coach at Texas A&M for four years, at Wichita State for seven years and at Jacksonville State for two years. His four Texas A&M teams compiled an overall record of 97-40 and participated in the NCAA Tournament each season. He has an overall record of 265-169 as a collegiate head coach.
After the game with Maryland the Cavaliers play at Virginia Tech on Tuesday (Feb. 21). That game is scheduled to begin at 9 p.m. and will be televised by ESPNU.