Cavaliers Close Challenge on High Note

AUSTIN, Texas — On a forgettable night for the six other ACC men’s basketball teams that were in action, the Virginia Cavaliers salvaged some pride for the conference with a resounding road win.

In the final game of the ACC/SEC Challenge, UVA led for the final 35:07 in an 88-69 rout of Texas late Wednesday night before a crowd of 10,802 at the Moody Center.

“Just really proud of our guys and the effort all around, the preparation going into this game,” Virginia head coach Ryan Odom told Virginia Sports Radio network analyst Jim Miller.

This was the first time these schools have met in this sport, and a close game was expected. Instead, the Wahoos (6-1) stunned the Longhorns (6-3) with a first-half barrage of 3-pointers and never were seriously threatened thereafter. UVA built its lead to 28 points before Texas rallied late.

“We had the energy, we had the fight, and we were ready to battle,” freshman center Johann Grünloh told Miller in a postgame interview.

For the game, Virginia made 12 of 24 shots from 3-point range and shot 53.8% overall. Eight Cavaliers hit at least one trey each, led by reserve guard Jacari White, who was 3 for 3 from beyond the arc.

White wasn’t the only standout off the bench for the Hoos. Freshman guard Chance Mallory finished with 16 points in only 20 minutes. He made all three of his shots from the floor, including two 3-pointers, and went 8 for 9 from the line.

The 5-foot-10 Mallory also had three rebounds, three assists, one blocked shot and no turnovers.

“He’s just a great player,” Odom said. “His ability to impact the team in a positive way every time he comes in is just something to behold, and he’s just tough. He has no fear.”

Also scoring in double figures for Virginia were Grünloh (15 points), forward Thijs De Ridder (13), guard Malik Thomas (11) and White (10).

Virginia has scored at least 81 points in seven of its eight games this season, so Odom knows his team is capable of putting up big numbers. He was probably more pleased with the Cavaliers’ effort at the other end of the court against Texas.

“It was the first complete defensive game that we’ve played,” Odom said.

The Longhorns shot 40.7% percent from the floor overall and made only 4 of 19 shots from long range. Only two players scored in double figures for Texas: Dailyn Swain (15 points) and Jordan Pope (10).

At the end of a first half in which they made 9 of 18 shots from 3-point range, the Cavaliers led 46-27. They took command of the game with a 12-0 run that gave them a 20-9 lead. All 12 points came on treys: the first by Mallory, the second by 7-foot center Ugonna Onyenso and the final two by White, who once again provided a significant spark off the bench.

After Virginia went up 17 points on two free throws by De Ridder with 5:28 to play in the first half, Texas answered with a 6-0 run. The Longhorns’ rally proved short-lived.

UVA guard Dallin Hall fed Grünloh for a dunk that made it 36-23. Then, after the 7-foot Grünloh swatted away a shot at the other end, an offensive rebound by Hall led to a four-point play by White.

This was easily the most impressive win of Odom’s first season at Virginia. Afterward, he said, he reminded his players that “these games in November really matter later on, and certainly this is a big one for us on the road.”

With a roster dominated by players who were elsewhere last season, the Cavaliers are still meshing, but “they’re giving of themselves and their own egos,” Odom said. “They all want well to play well, but they want to win more, and that’s the mark of a true team.”

UP NEXT: At noon Saturday, in a neutral-site game to air on ESPN2, Virginia meets Dayton (7-2) at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, N.C.

The Cavaliers are 3-0 all-time against the Flyers, who are in their ninth season under head coach Anthony Grant.

In the teams’ most recent meeting, Virginia defeated Dayton 66-59 on Nov. 22, 2018, in the semifinals of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in Nassau, Bahamas.