Virginia Returns to Action Against Northern Iowa
Story Links
| Northern Iowa at Virginia | |
| Date & Time | Saturday, Dec. 21, 2013 | 4 p.m. |
| Location | Charlottesville, Va. | John Paul Jones Arena |
| Coverage | ESPN3 | Listen on Cavaliers Live | Gametracker |
| Additional Information | 2013-14 Ticket Information | Twitter | Facebook | Game Notes | Watch Coach Bennett’s Postgame Press Conference |
Dec. 20, 2013
CHARLOTTESVILLE – Virginia (7-3) looks to end a two-game losing streak when Northern Iowa (5-5) comes to Charlottesville for a non-conference game on Saturday, Dec. 21. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena (14,593) is set for 4 p.m. ET.
Broadcast Information
The Virginia-Northern Iowa game will be streamed online at ESPN3.com and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. Live statistics (GameTracker) are located on VirginiaSports.com, as well as the Virginia Sports app, which is available free of charge through iTunes. Fans can also follow the game via Twitter at @UVaMensHoops.
Ticket Information
Tickets for the Virginia-Northern Iowa game may be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com/tickets. Fans may also purchase tickets through the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office by telephone and in person. The ticket office is located in Bryant Hall at Scott Stadium and open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Telephone purchases can be made by calling 1-800-542-8821. Tickets may also be purchased on game day at the JPJ box office starting at 2:30 p.m.
For Openers
• Virginia (7-3) meets Northern Iowa (5-5) for the first time.
• Virginia is 7-0, including a 4-0 mark under Tony Bennett, in the first game following the finals break in December in the last seven years.
• The matchup will be the second this season for the Cavaliers against a Missouri Valley Conference team. UVa defeated Missouri State 83-63 in the championship game of the Corpus Christi Challenge on Nov. 30.
• The Cavaliers haven’t lost three straight games since Jan. 8-19, 2011.
• UVa is 50-21 against non-conference opponents during Bennett’s five seasons.
• The Cavaliers rank fourth in the nation in scoring defense at 55.1 points per game.
The Head Coaches
Virginia: Tony Bennett (Green Bay, 1992), 83-56 in five seasons at UVa and 152-89 in eight seasons overall. Northern Iowa: Ben Jacobson (North Dakota, 1994), 155-91 in eight seasons at UNI.
Virginia in the Polls
Virginia received votes in the latest USA Today Coaches poll. The Cavaliers were ranked No. 24 in the AP preseason poll, marking their first preseason AP top 25 ranking since being ranked No. 11 to start the 2001-02 season.
About the Cavaliers
Virginia returns to action after a 13-day layoff following its 75-72 loss at Green Bay on Dec. 7. The Cavaliers’ season has been highlighted by their Corpus Christi Challenge title and a neutral site win over Davidson in Charlotte. Virginia’s strengths include its fourth-ranked defense, rebounding and balanced scoring. The Cavaliers are yielding 55.1 points per game and grabbing 57 percent of the rebounds, ruling the glass in eight of 10 games and enjoying a +10.4 average rebound margin per game. UVa also ranks 14th in the nation in field goal percentage defense at 37.7 percent.
The Cavaliers are averaging 66.7 points per game, marking their highest total under head coach Tony Bennett. Virginia is averaging 27.9 bench points and has outscored its opponents 296-192 in the paint. UVa sports a balanced scoring attack, led by All-ACC performer Joe Harris at 11.3 points per game. Malcolm Brogdon is second at 10.8 points and has added a team-leading 5.2 rebounds and 1.2 steals per game. Anthony Gill, who has led the team in scoring in four games, has registered 10.1 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Mike Tobey has chipped in 7.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game, while Akil Mitchell has added 6.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Freshman London Perrantes leads the Cavaliers with 3.2 assists per game.
Last Time Out
Virginia suffered a 75-72 loss at Green Bay on Dec. 7. Malcolm Brogdon matched a career high with 17 points, while Joe Harris (12), Anthony Gill (12), Justin Anderson (10) and Akil Mitchell (10) joined Brogdon in double figures. Greg Mays led Green Bay with 24 points, while Keifer Sykes added 21 points and a game-high 10 assists. Virginia allowed season highs in points (75), field goal percentage (51%) and fast break points (11) in the loss.
Up Next
Virginia hosts Norfolk State of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference on Monday, Dec. 23. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET.