Jerome, Defense Sparks No. 4 UVA’s 57-49 Win over VCU
Postgame Notes | Postgame Quotes | Boxscore
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Ty Jerome (New Rochelle, N.Y.) hit two three-pointers and the Cavaliers made 10-of-10 free throws down the stretch as No. 4 Virginia topped VCU, 57-49 on a snowy Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena.
UVA held VCU to just one basket in the final 4:47 of the game to end it on a 13-4 run. Jerome had 10 of his 14 points in the final six minutes of the contest. UVA converted 26-of-30 free throws on the day.
Kyle Guy led the Cavaliers with 15 points and Jerome had 14. Jerome also added eight rebounds, three assists and two steals. Kihei Clark (Woodland Hills, Calif.) added nine points and four assists along with two steals.
HOW IT HAPPENED
UVA was down 43-38 with 6:48 to play when Jerome drove the lane for a layup then tied the game 43-43 with a long-distance 3-pointer with 5:39 on the clock. Kihei Clark (Woodland Hills, Calif.) then put pressure to force a 10-second violation on VCU.
VCU had a 45-44 edge, when Jerome stepped back for another three that was in motion as Kyle Guy (Indianapolis, Ind.) was fouled on the play. Jerome made the three and Guy converted the one-and-one to put UVA in the lead 49-45 with 4:17 to play. Fouls sent UVA to the line four more times as UVA didn’t miss in the final minutes.
THE GAME BALL GOES TO
Kihei Clark played with a broken wrist and spear-headed the UVA defense to holding its fifth opponent to under 50 points and held the Rams to under 30 percent shooting
NOTES
• Virginia has started 9-0 for the first time since starting 19-0 in 2014-15
• UVA is 5-0 when holding opponents to fewer than 50 points (81-2 all-time under Bennett)
• Jerome matched a career high with eight rebounds
• Bennett recorded his 297th career win (227th at Virginia)
• The Cavaliers drilled a season-high 26 free throws
QUOTES
“I thought that VCU did a terrific job of playing physical and making us shoot some contested shots. Their numbers are impressive, their field goal percentage defense. And that is what they have been doing to people, what we shot at about 29 percent. I thought we were a little impatient and that a couple of times we turned it over when the game was just who was going to outlast who. We needed to move hard and screen hard. Mamadi gave us a nice lift with some inside buckets and then you thought that with Ty [Jerome] and Kyle [Guy], if they got the looks and took them, I am okay with it, especially with the way the offense needs to work today when you needed to use the dribble because of how aggressive they were offensively. We just kind of stuck with what we did, a couple of little things here and there to try and toughen up offensively.”
UP NEXT
Virginia will have a week off for exams before traveling to play South Carolina on Wednesday, Dec. 19 at 7 p.m. in Columbia, S.C.