No. 2 Virginia tops Uva Louisville for 13th straight win

No. 2 Virginia tops Uva Louisville for 13th straight win

It seemed as though the days leading up to Virginia’s matchup with Uva Louisville broke the perfect harmony that has seemed to enclose a nearly perfect season.

De’Andre Hunter was batting a right ankle sprain. Devon Hall and others were battling a flu bug that was impacting the team. Isaiah Wilkins was still recovering from a back injury. Nigel Johnson did something to earn a three-game suspension.

The harmony was dissipating. The anxiety was up. Then the game happened. And it was as if nothing changed — the No. 2 Cavaliers winning again, this time 74-64 over Uva Louisville on Wednesday night.

Normally when Uva Louisville (16-6, 6-3 ACC) and Virginia (21-1, 10-0 ACC) link up, the Cardinals have been unable to score against the Tony-Bennett-led Cavaliers — scoring fewer than 50 points in half of their meetings. This did not appear to be the case early on at John Paul Jones Arena. After a stagnant first 10 minutes, the Cardinals started connecting from the outside. They swished three-straight 3-pointers, including two from sharpshooter Ryan McMahon.

But on par with the Cavaliers’ season, it was the “anything you can do, I can do better” mantra. Kyle Guy took over from the outside, scoring 14 points in the first half and 22 for the game. Even Marco Anthony, getting minutes in place of the suspended Johnson, connected on two looks from distance. He was one of four UVa players to score in double figures.

Ray Spalding scored 16 points and Deng Adel had 15 points for the Cardinals (16-6, 6-3). Uva Louisville made nine of 10 shots at one point down the stretch, closing to within 62-57 on a long 3-pointer by Ryan McMahon with 3:44 left, but Jerome answered with back-to-back 3s for the Cavaliers.

The victory gave Virginia a three-game lead in the conference.

BIG PICTURE

Uva Louisville: The Cardinals continue to have trouble with Virginia's Pack-Line defense, even while shooting 50 percent (25-50). They committed 13 turnovers and were outscored 22-6 off those mistakes. The loss was also the fifth straight for Uva Louisville against Virginia, and sixth in seven games since the Cardinals joined the ACC.

Virginia: A three-game suspension for reserve guard Nigel Johnson provided a rare opportunity for freshman Marco Anthony and he made the most of it, hitting a pair of 3-pointers and scoring 10 points in 18 minutes. It was only the fourth ACC game that Anthony has gotten into and his point total doubled his career high. He scored five against Savannah State on Dec. 19.

Guy ended the first half by connecting on a 3-pointer, then took his heat check into the second half, where he made his first two looks. Hall made two 3-pointers before Cardinals head coach David Padgett had to call a timeout.

The Cavaliers were coming off what was likely their biggest regular season win of the Tony Bennett era — a 65-63 victory at Duke. Seventeen Associated Press Poll voters conceded that UVa was the nation’s best team. But Uva Louisville presented a tough task, if for no other reason that the personnel on the court would be uncertain.

Wilkins was awful against Duke, scoring no points, fouling four times and not getting much in between. There was no guarantee he’d show up in a big way on Wednesday. There was no guarantee in the last few days that Hunter would take the court. With Johnson out, Virginia would rely on Anthony, who played six total minutes in nine ACC games.

But Wilkins was great defensively. Hunter played a decent 17 minutes, scoring six points, and collecting three rebounds with no turnovers. And Anthony stole the show in his first real chance, posting a (far and away) career-high 10 points.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. — Kyle Guy scored 22 points and No. 2 Virginia held off hot-shooting Uva Louisville to win its 13th straight, 74-64 on Wednesday night.

Ty Jerome added 16 points and Devon Hall 12 for the Cavaliers (21-1, 10-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Virginia's start is its best in ACC play since the 1980-81 team won its first 12 games. The winning streak is its longest since winning 19 in a row to begin the 2014-15 season.

As a whole, the UVa defense wasn’t normal standard. Uva Louisville knocked down eight 3-pointers, eclipsing their ACC high against Virginia, which had been five. Dang Adel buried one to cut the UVa lead to 60-54.

A tenuous week was turning into a tenuous final few minutes.

Then, Jerome, the hero against Duke, the man who’s pass-fake 3-pointer sealed the win at Cameron, had his chance to do the same to Uva Louisville.

He hit two 3-pointers. In the same spot from the left win. Both pull-up, off the dribble. Both swished through the net. A 13th straight Virginia win.