virginia spring sports wrap-up 

Men's Lacrosse

The University of Virginia was slotted into the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse in an unusual location.  They were the 2-time defending champions but even their 2022 ACC title was not to prevent a trip to the #8 nationally ranked squad from Brown University.

The trip did not dissuade the Cavaliers from exploding offensively and capturing a 17-10 road triumph.  Their next task was even more daunting as they would face the #1 ranked Maryland Terrapins whom they defeated in dramatic fashion in the 2021 National Finals.

The next road trip landed the Hoos in Columbus, Ohio and looking to avenge an earlier loss to the Terps.  In all the hype of the two former ACC rivals and bordering states, the Maryland team proved to be more than enough.  Maryland doubled up the Cavs, 18-9, and kept their quest alive to grab another national championship.  The Cavaliers can take solace in knowing their efforts came up short but not without getting the beat from the beat team in college.  The next phase of Uva Lacrosse begins with an eye towards next year’s road to the 2023 title.

 

Women's Lacrosse

The success of the Virginia Lacrosse program also extended to the women’s team as they advanced for an incredible 26th invitation in the 26 years of Coach Julie Myers’ tenure.  They needed every win to get in and they rewarded their fans with a first-round victory over Univ. of Southern California. by a score of 13-11. They unfortunately found the same fate in the same round as the men, when they fell to powerhouse and #1 seeded-UNC Tar Heels, ending their season in Chapel Hill.

 

Baseball

In college baseball, the Cavaliers started with a blazing 14-0 record and winning 26 of their first 29 games.  The Cavaliers were on a quest looking to repeat the success enjoyed in last year’s postseason tournament.  The 2021 Omahoos made another remarkable push to reach the College World Series where they gave eventual champion, Mississippi State, all that smoke before losing a close one.  Those Cavaliers fell short of reaching the championship series but this version is primed to get another shiny companion to the 2015 trophy. 

With an outstanding 38-17 record, Virginia has been ranked as a top 20 team all year and looks to be in contention to earn a top 16 seed for home field during the regional round.  As we all know, anything and everything is possible when the Field sets their sights in Omaha, Nebraska.  The trip of 1182 miles from Charlottesville begins at the end of May.  

Unfortunately, Virginia’s journey was cut short as they lost in the Greenville Regional.  The team can be proud of their successful season, returning to postseason play and focusing on the future.  The returning players will be hungry for 2023.

 

Softball

The Lady Cavaliers or the Lady Hoos were also very successful in their best campaign in softball coach Joanna Hardin’s program.  The ladies captured 28 wins and earned the #1 seed in the National Invitational Softball Championship.  The top seeded Lady Cavs scored a victory in their first game over Bowling Green at 10-2.  The women were unable to sustain the momentum and closed the season with two consecutive losses.  The disappointment will be temporary for the future is extremely bright and this a small setback for a exciting comeback in the 2023 season. 

 

Men's Tennis - National Champions

The Virginia Men’s Tennis team were average at best when the 2022 season began.  This team had great hopes and a history that demonstrated they hade been the ACC’s best in the last 15 years.  However, this team had to deal with transfers, injuries and the ever-evolving team chemistry in hopes of turning the season around.  Uva was a mere 5-5 on the season when they hit the reset button and won 22 consecutive matches.  Along the way, they went swept the regular season and tournament titles in the conference.  The energy and confidence gained made them nearly unstoppable in the NCAA tournament.

The defending champs, the Florida Gators, stood between the Cavaliers and a date in the finals.  The Gators were no match against Virginia and the superlative play continued as Virginia blanked the Kentucky Wildcats in the finals.  When the last point had been recorded,  the Hoos once again raised the NCAA championship trophy for the fifth time in a decade.  The nearly perfect play during the tournament saw the Hoos lose only one set  during the entire championship run.  The frustrating and ominous start to the season ended with accolades and celebrations worthy of a champion who overcame many odds to be the last and best team standing.  

 

Women's Tennis

Virginia women’s tennis also enjoyed great success.  Their season included multi wins over top 10 teams and a second place finish in the ACC tournament.  They ladies propelled this success into a trip into the NCAA Quarterfinals where they complimented the men’s team as the only University to have both tennis programs reach the Final 8 (Quarterfinals).  The Lady Hoos were looking for more but unfortunately lost to the Texas Longhorns to end a remarkable campaign. 

 

EMSPORTS 6/13/2022

amaka agugua-hamilton is the new women's basketball coach for the university of virginia

 

Hope springs eternal is a phrase that many common to starting over.  It also embodies a positive mantra that encourages a person that a new day and new beginning looks better than what you don’t have. 

 

The Virginia  Cavaliers' Women’s basketball team is preparing to start a new era, coincidentally as the 2022 spring season begins so does the era of Coach Mox.

 

Amaka Agugua-Hamilton begins her 1st season as the head coach of the Lady Cavaliers.  Her impressive resume includes the head coaching position at Missouri State University where she accomplished many worthy achievements.  Coach Mox led Missouri State to 2 Missouri Valley Conference Regular Season titles and a Sweet 16 trip as part of back-to-back NCAA Tournament berths. Overall, her teams compiled a 74-15 overall record in her three years with the Bears.

Coach Mox has been familiar with UVa as a native Virginian, she starred at Oakton High School and spent some of her formative coaching years as an assistant with VCU and ODU.

 

The future looks promising.  Coach Mox inherits some experience from returning players.  The foundation is a work in progress but Coach Mox is more than ready to re-claim the national platform and remind people in the ACC the once dominant Lady Cavaliers are going to make the opponents take notice that this program is looking to be in the mix fir a long time. 

 

EMSPORTS 2/24/22

 

st. bonaventure wins a thriller, beating virginia on the road to advance to nit semifinals

Virginia’s season ends in heartbreak fashion.  The Cavaliers couldn’t make the last stop or last bucket when they needed it.  St. Bonaventure scored on two free throws with five seconds left to end the Cavaliers’ season in the NIT Quarterfinals, winning 52-51.

 

Kihei Clark took the last shot but his shot was swatted away as time expired and the Bonnies form upper New York pulled off the upset and secured a trip to Madison Square Garden to play in the NIT Semifinals.

 

St. Bonaventure used a 7-1 run to close the game out in the last three minutes.  Virginia played mightily to he end but a few missed opportunities at the free throw line with a chance to ice the game proves to be their downfall.

 

Osun Osunniyi used his great leaping ability to toss away the Clark attempt at the end. He led the way with 10 points and six rebounds.  He tied teammates Jaren Holmes and Dominick Welch for scoring honors. 

 

The Cavaliers got another great game from Armaan Franklin who scored a game high 17 points with his six rebounds.  He got support from Jayden Gardner who supplied 14 points.

Virginia ends their season at 21-14 while the Bonnies improve to 23-9.

 

EMSPORTS 2/22/2022

armaan franklin gets hot, virginia escapes with 71-69 win at university of north texas


When you hear the phrase March Madness, it generally conjures up the images of the games where upsets happen or unbelievable shots fall. That same phrase holds true for the Cardiac Cavs. Virginia never makes it easy but always entertaining. The Cavaliers traveled to Dentin, ate as to take on the Mean Green of the University of North Texas in round 2 of the NIT. The Mean Green were the hosts and just like Virginia they played a deliberate, possession careful game that seems like a tortoise compared to a hare.

 

Virginia looked at a mirror image of themselves and expected a close game. Both teams did not disappoint. The game started out like scoring was a bad taste and nobody liked what they tried. Virginia scored one points in the first six minutes and only trailed 15-8 with about 10 minutes left as UNT was only slightly better. Both offenses found a little more room and rhythm towards the last 10 minutes of the first half. Virginia closed the half 18-9 offensively and held a 26-24 lead at intermission.

 

Virginia and North Texas became more assertive however Virginia was more efficient. The Cavaliers pushed the lead to ten, 38-28, on the strength of Reece Beekman and Jayden Gardner. The lead stayed about the same until the 11-minute mark when North Texas made their move. Virginia slowly watched their lead melt away as the home team turned up the heat and grabbed momentum. The Cavaliers were struggling outside Armaan Franklin who didn’t score in the first half.

 

It was basically all Armaan Franklin versus the Mean Green as they traded baskets until UNT finished with a 6-0 run to tie the game at 55-55 and send it into overtime. In overtime, Franklin kept doing his hot shooting. He personally scored the first nine points in overtime. His 17 points consecutively pumped up the visiting Hoos and forced the Mean Green near the brink of a loss.

 

However, the Cardiac Cavs didn’t get the name by accident. With a 68-61 lead, Francisco Caffaro picked up a personal foul then a technical foul. His emotion got the best of him and it helped turn the tide for UNT. They scored three points and decide to foul to extend the game. The strategy nearly worked as Virginia missed front ends of two one-and-one chances and then only made three out of their last six free throws. That gave UNT one last chance down 2, with almost four seconds left. 

 

A last second heave from Tyler Perry banged off the backboard and rim and Virginia survived with a 71-69 win. The Gardner and Franklin duo provided nearly half the scoring as each scored 17 points. The starting guards of Reece Beekman (13 points) and Kihei Clark (11 points) helped as well and they combined for 13 assists with only two of the teams six turnovers. The Mean Green was solid. They had four starters in double figures led by Mardrez McBride’s 21 points.

 

The home team shot over 44% for the game and nearly 37% from the 3pt line. They were very good at the free throw line making 11-14 whereas Virginia shot 10-19. The Cavaliers were better from the field converting 53% from behind the three-point line and 48% from field overall. The Mean Green finishes at 25-7 while Virginia advances into the quarterfinals with a date against Oklahoma or St. Bonaventure.

 
EMSPORTS.org 3/20/2022

virginia cavaliers hold on to beat mississippi st. 60-57, in first game of nit

The Virginia Cavaliers were one of many teams who had plans to compete in a postseason NCAA Tournament for a crown.  In this case, they had to re-focus for they were not selected in the field of 68.  Instead, they got a golden opportunity to continue their season with a game in the National Invitational Tournament which invited 32 teams to compete for the title.

 

Anytime you get to compete for a championship, a true competitor will battle until someone wins, regardless of the sport.  In the case of the NIT, Virginia had been here before.  Their program had captured two NIT titles in 1980 and 1992.

 

The Cavaliers got the fortune of hosting the SEC's Mississippi State Bulldogs who actually were the third-seed for this region of teams.  However, construction at their home arena meant the Cavaliers were hosting the Bulldogs but wearing their road uniforms since the home team wears white.

 

Virginia was methodical and after Iverson Molinar tied the game at four apiece, Virginia flexed their steely cool defense and controlled the tempo in the first half.  They received unexpected contributions from Francisco Caffaro and Kody Stattmann who combined for 12 points. 

 

The Bulldogs who were a strong, physical group relied on their interior offense and lightning quick guards, especially SEC 1st Teamer, Iverson Molinar.  However, the Cavaliers countered with their trademark Packline Defense and the impressive play of All-ACC Defensive 1st Teamer, Reece Beekman. 

 

The leading scorer, Jayden Gardner, was not able to get much going as he only scored 2 points.  The starting backcourt of Kihei Clark and Reece Beekman combined for 13 points as the Hoos steadily built a nice cushion to take a 27-19 halftime score.  

 

The Bulldogs brought more bite and offense to open up the second half.  They worked the ball inside with authority and made a couple of transition baskets.  In less than five minutes, a 15-5 run gave Miss. St a lead of 34-32.  Virginia eventually answered but it would become a back and forth contest for the next few minutes of the half.

 

At about the 10 min mark, Virginia made their big push.  Miss. State had scored as many points at this moment,19, as they had scored the entire first half.

 

Virginia took the lead at 38-36 and never gave it back.  It did get tighter than expected as Brooks made three consecutive three pointers and a few surprisingly missed free throws set up a last second heave from Molinar to tie the game.  In the end, the Cavs prevailed.

 

Molinar who scored 7 in first half, finished with 13, nearly five below his team leading 18 points a game. Tolu Smith led the way with 16 pts and 11 rebounds.  Ex-Tar Heel Garrison Smith scored 11 of his 13 in second half to make it close. 

 

Gardner scored 16 (14 after halftime) to power UVa and Beekman also reached doubles with 14 points plus six assists and four steals.  The steals placed him on the top of the Virginia record books for most steals in a season passing the mark set by Othello Wilson. Kihei Clark made eight points and dished out a game high 9 assists.

 

Both teams shot and identical 50% on 23-46 field goals.  Armaan Franklin made the only two three pointers for Virginia while Miss. St. connected on four.  Both teams shot a combined 6 for 25 from behind the arc.

 

Virginia turned Miss. St over 14 times (9 in first half) while only committing nine themselves.  The Bulldogs outrebounded Virginia 27 to 24. The win advances Virginia to face University of North Texas in round 2.  Mississippi State ends the season at 18-16. 

 

EMSPORTS 3/16/2022

 

virginia beats louisville, 51-50, for the third time, advances to acc tourney quarterfinals

Virginia Cavaliers do it again.  In the second round of the ACC tourney, the Cavaliers had the task off battling the Louisville Cardinals for the third time this season, second in five days.  

The game was not for the faint of heart as Virginia and Louisville traded more missed shots than points for the first ten minutes.  The Cardinals broke the ice with a basket from Sidney Curry nearly three minutes into the game, while Virginia waited even longer.  Francisco Caffaro tipped home a miss with 16:55 on the game clock.  

 

Each team seemed to be sleep walking most of the first half until Louisville used a modest 11-2 run to take a 13-4 lead at the nine minute mark.  In much the same way as they played in Louisville, Virginia started slow but never lost contact with the Cardinals.  As the half progressed, the Hoos found some cracks in the defense of Louisville and slowly played their way back into the ballgame.  

 

With the score 22-20, Louisville had last possession and took the last shot of the half.  It was a miss but, unfortunately for Virginia, Louisville collected the offensive rebound and was fouled.  Dre Davis sank both free throws and the Cardinals double the lead to 24-20 at the half.

For Virginia, a win would strengthen their postseason resume while the Cardinals were playing in nothing short of winning the ACC tourney.

 

The Cavaliers were the aggressor out of the locker room.  They turned their attention on scoring and a quick 7-0 run gave them their first lead if the game.  Noah Locke from Louisville didn't let that last long as his three pointer tied the game at 27.  Each team found more offense and traded baskets before Virginia captured just a slight advantage.  This began a back and forth of swapping baskets which lasted for nearly 11 minutes of the second half.

 

Malik Williams swished another Cardinals' 3pt shot that gave Louisville the lead 42-41.  Virginia and Louisville were struggling to take full control and after a few more possessions, Noah Locke ended Virginia's back to back baskets with another 3 pointer to tie the game at 45 with under two minutes to play.

 

This was the moment that a team had to make the big plays or less mistakes to push their team into the next round.  Virginia found enough points and a few good defensive stops to edge the Cardinals 51-50.  Virginia needed two final free throws from Jayden Gardner to make a date against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the quarterfinals.

 

The effort from both squads left each team exhausted and beaten.  The performance of Malik Williams was nearly enough for the Cards to pull off the upset.  His 11 points and game high 13 rebounds were a great final showcase for this senior.  On the other side, Jayden Gardner paced the Cavs with 17 points and the big free throws. Kihei Clark was steady and was everywhere in the stat sheet.  The 15 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and one steal were descriptive of his all-around effort.

 

Virginia shot a respectable 42% from the field and made 9 of 13 from the free throw line.  The Cards shot 33 percent and 23% from behind the arc.  They made only five of nine at the free throw line. However, Virginia was the first team to ever win an ACC tourney game with making a three-point basket (0-6).

 

Louisville finished the season at 13-19.  The Cavaliers advance with a 19-12 record. 

 

EMSPORTS 3/09/2022

florida state shocks virgina, buzzer beater 3pt wins it 64-63

It is finally here.  The Seniors from UVA have a chance to close out their final home game with a victory. The Florida State Seminoles were the opponent and they had struggled with injuries and inexperience players trying to make plays.  They seemed to be learning on the job as growing pains come with each game.

 

The Cavaliers held out hope for a late run to get momentum for another NCAA tourney.  The Seminoles were looking for a quality road win and respectability.

Virginia and FSU started slow until Virginia jumped out to a 15-6 lead and the crowd was on full swing.  The Seminoles struggled in the first 10+ minutes and it looked like a long evening.  However, Florida State made some shots and their confidence grew.   A 10-0 run gave the Seminoles their first lead since a 2-0 lead to start the game.

 

Virginia had fallen into a scoring drought but recovered to take the lead at 17-16.  Both teams battled to a 25-25 tie with a little over 3 minutes remaining until the Virginia went on a modest 9-4 run and grabbed a 34-29 lead at half.

 

The second half started out in the similar back and forth fashion with Virginia and Florida State trading baskets.  About midway they the half, Uva flexed their muscle and started to distant themselves with an 11-point lead at 48-37.

 

Following a timeout, Florida Star responded and with a 7-0 run to make the score 48-44.  The challenge was for Virginia to outlast the Seminoles with under seven minutes left.

Virginia pushed the lead to 8 with under two minutes left but sloppy ball handling and a few Florida State timely shots made for a frantic and fantastic finish. 

 

With the game tied at 61, the Hoos had to get the ball in and try to win it with under 4 seconds left.  Armaan Franklin raced down the floor and made a pull up midrange jumper with just about 1 second remaining.  The Cavaliers and fans were in a frenzy and it seemed like the final blow.  The Seminoles were not done and when a full court pass found Matthew Cleveland nearly 70 feet away, he had enough time to turn in one motion and fire up a prayer.  His prayer was heard and the swish gave the underdog Seminoles a dramatic, come from behind victory at 64-63.

 

The loss dampens the Cavaliers hopes for a tourney bid without a great run in the ACC Tournament.  The Seminoles can take some joy in a great road victory.

 

Jayden Gardner took game high honors with 21 points.  Armaan Franklin provided 13 points off the bench.  Francisco Caffaro and Kihei Clark closed out the home schedule with seven points each.   Matthew Cleveland was the hero scoring 20 points including the buzzer beating three- pointer.  Harrison Prieto scored 14 points to join his teammate in double figures.  

 

Virginia will finish next weekend at Louisville. while Florida State will close at home with two games versus Notre Dame and NC State. 

 

EMSPORTS 2/26/2022 

duke survives in charlottesville, wins a tough fought battle 65-61 over a determined cavalier team

When it is Duke Week, the intensity increases, the crowd is louder and the focus has to be as strong as it has ever been.  For the Virginia Cavaliers, there is no bigger game this season.  After beating Duke in Cameron in an upset almost 10 days ago, the Hoos knew this game would be even tougher. 

 

The 7th- ranked Duke squad was not only eyeing payback but this would be Coach K's last visit into JPJ.  The Blue Devils were looking to lock up the ACC regular season crown and overall #1 seed for the ACC tourney which was less than two weeks away.

In the first matchup, Virginia jumped on Duke early and did a good job of scoring in the paint.  This matchup was played differently.  Kihei Clark brought the shooting touch and gave Virginia an early lead.  He kept shootingthree pointers and kept making them.  Virginia took a 22-17 lead with about five minutes left and the JPJ was rocking.

 

Duke shook off those knockout punches and then turned on their offense.  The Blue Devils outscored Virginia 13-3 with 16 points in the paint. Clark led the way with six of nine from behind the three-point arc.  His 18 points led all scorers.

 

Duke had more balance as Jeremy Roach came off the bench to score seven points.  Trevor Keels and Mark Williams each contributed six points to give Duke a 30-25 advantage at the half.  

Virginia was games but Duke had all the right moves.  In the second half Duke maintained a narrow lead even getting it as high as seven points at 49-42 but could never climb over the hump.

 

With the score at 52-51, Virginia was poised to take the lead.  However, a few empty trips on offense left the door open for Duke to take advantage and they did.  AJ Griffin made consecutive 3s to give Duke the cushion needed to stay ahead.  Griffin scored 10 points in the last three minutes of the contest to eventually allow the Blue Devils to claim a season split with the Cavaliers.  

 

Griffin tied Keels with 13 points each.  Jeremy Roach was high scorer with 15. 

 

Each team shot well over 40% for the game from the field and abotu 40% or better from behind the three-point line as well.  The biggest difference was Duke's ability to cmake free throws.  They were 10-17 from the line and made more shots than UVa attempt (only 5 of 8 from the charity stripe). 

 

Virginia got a great game form Kihei Clark, the senior scorer a career high 25 points but UVA fell just a little short.  Jayden Gardner finished with 16 and Reece Beekman chipped in 11.  Virginia now stands at 17-11 overall and 11-7 in ACC. Duke improves to 24-4 on the season with a 14-3 ACC mark. 

 

EMSPORTS 2/23/2022

JAyden Gardner's 26 points muscled the cavaliers in a win over the yellow jackets at home, 63-53

photo by virginiasports.com

Virginia welcomed the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets into the friendly walls of JPJ Arena. The Hoos were looking to capitalize on the big victory at Duke. The Yellow Jackets were seeking a rare victory on the road.

 

The game started off with defenses gaining the advantage. The offenses did not find the basket in the first three minutes of the game until Armaan Franklin broke the seal with a patented mid-range jumper. The GT defense is an interesting mixture of 1-3-1 high pressure zone with man principles. It is designed to confuse and take away easy baskets. The Virginia offense started slow but adjusted with precise ball movement and a string of baskets from around the paint area.  

 

The Hoos embarked on a 19-7 run to extend the lead to 22-9 with just under seven minutes left.

The Cavaliers continues to apply greater pressure on both ends of the court which kept the Yellow Jackets at a safe distance.  The largest lead was 32-15 and the Cavaliers were in complete control.  The score was 32-19 at the half when GT scored the final four points. 

Virginia took advantage at the free throw line converting 10-11 attempts while GT only made 2 of 3.  Each team shot well with both teams making above 42%. The Cavaliers were led by Jayden Gardner's 15. Michael Devoe recorded nine points for the Yellow Jackets.

 

The visitors from Atlanta made some adjustments and slowly cut into the deficit after halftime.  Including the mini-run prior to halftime, Georgia Tech went on another 7-0 run as they began to see more made shots, Virginia was going through some rough offensive patches. It seemed the Yellow Jackets were getting the bounces and the Hoos were seeing the ball rolling around and out. Georgia Tech brought the lead to five with under eight minutes left. The Hoos were able to keep control with pinpoint shooting at the free throw line. Each team struggled with turnovers as well with Virginia committing 10 and Georgia Tech with 15.

 

The Cavaliers saw their lead whittled to two points when GT scored on a layup from Michael Devoe. The critical moments became even tighter with momentum in Georgia Tech's corner. Virginia was ready for the task.

 

Kihei Clark, the passionate leader, made the shot to take the air out of Georgia Tech's sail. Clark splashed home a backbreaking big three with about two and a half minutes left stalling a late charge by GT. Then seven straight free throws, four by Clark, allowed the Cavaliers to secure the win at 63-53.

 

The Yellow Jackets shot the ball well in the second half and finished at 46% for the game and made 33% of their three-pointers. They also made 7 out of 10 free throws. The Cavs cooled off in the second half and fell to 39% shooting with 22% from behind the arc for the game. Their great advantage of 21-23 at the charity stripe proved to be a tremendous difference. The rebounds also went in favor to Virginia at 32 to 24.

 

Jayden Gardner finished with a game high 26 points and 7 rebounds. Kihei Clark was the other Hoo in double digits with 15 points. Francisco Caffaro had a game high 8 boards. Michael Devoe poured in 17 points as Jordan Usher gave the team 11 and Rodney Howard chipped in 10 off the bench.

 

The fourth consecutive win gives Virginia a 15-9 overall record and moves them to 10-5 in ACC. Georgia Tech now stands at 10-14 with a 3-10 record in conference.

 

EMSPORTS 2/12/2022

the virginia cavaliers quiet the hot shooting miami hurricanes at home, win comfortably 71-58

The Cavaliers made a statement in the basketball court against the Miami Hurricanes.  The visiting 'Canes had been an early surprise in the ACC and were only 1/2 game out of the first-place spot. 

 

These Hoos were playing better basketball and after finishing off the BC Eagles at home they looked to keep up the impressive play with another home victory.

The home crowd in JPJ was pleasantly surprised to see the offensive firepower from Virginia that appeared in very few glimpses.

 

On this evening, Virginia was the aggressor and punished Miami in every aspect of the game.  Virginia shot 60% from the field and over 53% from behind the three point line, both season highs.  The Hurricanes made 54% of their shots but the three point accuracy was scant.  The team made only 4 of 17 tries and were non-existent from the free throw by attempting no free throws.  The Cavs doubled up the Hurricanes with 8 made threes and hit all three of their free throws.

 

The Cavaliers were equally as effective with passing and recorded 23 assists on the 30 made field goals.  They also grabbed 24 rebounds compared to only 19 from Miami due to the excepting shooting by both squads.

 

Armaan Franklin took game high honors with 22 points.  He was joined in double digits by Jayden Gardner with 12 and Kihei Clark's 11.  Reece Beekman flirted with a double double with his nine points and 10 assists.  Miami had two players in double figures as Kameron McGusty had 21 and Charlie Moore scored 17.  

 

With their fifth consecutive win over the U, Virginia (14-9) is now 8-5 in ACC play and moves closer to the coveted double bye as the ACC tournament nears.  The Hurricanes fall to (16-7) 8-4 in conference play and with their second consecutive loss now drop into fifth place tie. 

 

EMSPORTS 2/5/2022 

virginia takes control after rough start, pulls away from eagles late to win 67-55

The University of Virginia welcomed another foe into the friendly confines of JPJ. With a desire to erase the close loss at Notre Dame, the Cavaliers turned their attention to the gritty Boston College Eagles who looked to capture an elusive ACC road win. The Eagles came out flying and set the pace grabbing an 11-4 lead stunning the Hoos and putting the home crowd into silence mode.

 

The Cavs were in silence mode as well. Their familiar common scoring drought showed up for nearly six minutes as they could only convert four free throws before Jayden Gardner's layup broke the streak. Fortunately, BC was just as anemic.

 

The Hoos finally took the lead on Kody Stattmann's two free throws at 15-14 and proceeded to lead for the remainder of the half. The Cavaliers led 30-25 and their 17-11 run was enough to put them in the lead.

 

The second half was more of the classic Cavaliers' packline defense as they made life miserable for the Eagles. The Cavaliers seemed to be in every passing lane or contesting any shot that the Eagles attempted. Using the energy from the first half, another 16-6 spurt gave Virginia a 46-31 lead with under 13 minutes to play. The 15-point lead was the biggest for either team and Virginia was in control.

 

Boston College made a small charge to get the game to an eight point spread but were never able to really threatened. Virginia made enough plays and were nearly flawless from the free throw line making 12 of the last 13, the last six consecutively by Kihei Clark.

 

The double-digit win of 67-55 tied for the largest win by the Cavs in the ACC this year.

Clark was phenomenal going 10-10 at the free throw line and scoring a game high 19 points. Jayden Gardner was nearly as effective making all seven of his free throws and pouring in 17. Kadin Shedrick finished with a game high 8 rebounds plus 13 points and Armaan Franklin chipped in 12.

 

The Eagles only had two double digit scorers led by James Karnik with 16 and DeMarr Langford, Jr. with 11. Their highest scorer, Makai Ashton-Langford, was held to seven points, six below his 13 points a game average.

 

Both teams shot over 40% for the game but the biggest difference was at the charity stripe where Virginia converted 26 of 29 attempts. The Eagles were a perfect 12 for 12.

 

The win gives Virginia (13-9) a 7-5 conference record and drops BC to 4-7 in the league. Virginia gets a rest before making another home defense when the ACC leading Miami Hurricanes come calling in Saturday afternoon. The Eagles (9-12) get a week off before hosting the Syracuse Orange next Tuesday night.

 

EMSPORTS 2/1/2022

virginia captures a big win on big monday, defeats louisville 64-52

For the true college hoops’ fans, the term "Big Monday" brings a smile that goes from ear to ear.  Big Monday is the staple of the college basketball season when a big matchup takes place to kick off the week of televised college basketball games across the country.


The Virginia Cavaliers were the leadoff game playing host to the Louisville Cardinals in the first edition of Big Monday in the 2021-2022 season.  Both teams had identical records 11-8 overall, 5-4 in the ACC.  This game was critical to erase the losses from their previous games and move up the ACC standings with hopes of gaining momentum for a NCAA tourney bid.
The Cavaliers wanted to get off to a fast start and wanted to make their mark with their defense.  They accomplished both early.  The Cavaliers hot shooting helped them race out to a 19-point lead, 27-8 with just over 6 minutes left.  The Cardinals found a little life from some help off the bench and were able to reduce the lead to 35-23 going into the half.  


The Cavaliers were very effective and efficient. They recorded 9 assists on 13 made field goals and only committed 3 turnovers. The Cardinals struggled shooting under 40% from the field but were able to convert on four made three-pointers to climb back into the game.  
The Cavaliers were playing well but Louisville was very hungry and desperate.  The Cardinals continued their streak from the end of the first half and extended the run into a 13-4 streak. 

 

Virginia made good plays but the energy and the momentum had now become red.  The Cavaliers were failing to put the Cardinals away and Louisville kept themselves within striking distance.  The Cardinals made their move by driving to the basket and not settling for the just jump shots.  


The JPJ crowd went from electric to cautious.  The big lead and happiness were waning and the Cardinals could almost taste the comeback.  The score was 45-41 in favor of Virginia and slowly evaporating.  The Cardinals had a chance to cut it to one basket.  The lead had not been that close since the first 90 seconds of the game. Virginia turned the visitors back and it was the defense that made the difference.  A Reece Beekman steal took the wind out of the comeback and Kadin Shedrick scored a layup.  This stemmed the Louisville momentum and gave Virginia a shot of energy which helped them control the clock and the scoreboard in the last 10 minutes of the game.


The win was a huge boost for Virginia as they now look at the second half of the ACC slate.  Kihei Clark led with 15 points and five rebounds and five assists.  Reece Beekman only scored two points but he was instrumental with his 11 assists out of 20 from the team’s total.  Jayden Gardner had 14, Kadin Shedrick added 11 and Armaan Franklin finished with 10.  Beekman also tied the with Francisco Caffaro for tops in rebounds at 7.


The Cardinals just ran out of shots and time.  They made 9 of 28 three-point shots but they only shot roughly 38% from the field for the game.  The Cardinals also were meek at the free throw line making only 1 of 3 tries.  Matt Cross came off the bench to lead them with 11 points.  Malik Williams scored 10 and tied Cross with six rebounds.  Virginia was sensational shooting over 47% from the field (only 32%) from behind the 3pt arc but made 11 of 14 at the charity stripe.


Now 6-4 in the ACC, the Cavaliers are looking up at the possibility of grabbing the coveted double bye for the ACC Tournament.  The Cardinals will have to reload and get their heads up when they prepare to travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium and face the Duke Blue Devils.  Virginia will look to add to their win column with a trip to South Bend, Indiana and take on the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

 

EMSPORTS 1/24/2022

1/18/22

 

Armstrong Among 13 UVA VaSID All-State Honorees

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Quarterback Brennan Armstrong was named the Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) Offensive Player of the Year and was among 13 Cavaliers to earn All-State honors. UVA led the state with nine first team selections.

 

Armstrong led the ACC and ranked fourth in the country with 4,449 passing yards in 2022. He was responsible for 427.3 yards of total offense per game and 22.5 points per game both the second most in the country. He went on to capture third team All-ACC honors and was an honorable mention on the Prof Football Focus and Phill Steele All-America Teams.

 

A Cavalier has garnered the organization’s offensive player of the year award in three of the last four seasons (Bryce Perkins – 2018 & 2019).

 

Armstrong was joined on the first team by wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks, tight end Jelani Woods, offensive lineman Chris Glaser, center Olu Oluwatimi, linebacker Nick Jackson, cornerback Anthony Johnson, safety Joey Blount and punter Jacob Finn.

 

Second team honorees included wide receivers Billy Kemp and Keytaon Thompson along with offensive lineman Bobby Haskins and cornerback Nick Grant.

 

2021 VaSID All-State Team

VaSID Offensive Player of the Year – Brennan Armstrong, Virginia
VaSID Defensive Player of the Year – Nate Lynn, William & Mary
VaSID Special Teams Player of the Year – Ethan Ratke, James Madison
VaSID Offensive Rookie of the Year – Antwane Wells Jr.
VaSID Coach of the Year – Curt Cignetti, James Madison

 

First Team - Offense
QB – Brennan Armstrong, Virginia
RB – J.J. Davis, Norfolk State
RB – Blake Watson, Old Dominion
WR – Kris Thornton, James Madison
WR – Antwane Wells Jr. – James Madison
WR – Dontayvion Wicks, Virginia
TE – Jelani Woods, Virginia
OL – Liam Fornadel, James Madison
OL – Chris Glaser, Virginia
OL – Nick Kidwell, James Madison
OL – Olusegun Oluwatimi, Virginia
OL – Justin Redd, Norfolk State

First Team - Defense
DL – Bryce Carter, James Madison
DL – Mike Greene, James Madison
DL – Nate Lynn, William & Mary
DL – Darius Reynolds, Richmond
LB – Nick Jackson, Virginia
LB – Storey Jackson, Liberty
LB – Stone Snyder, VMI
CB – Anthony Jackson, Virginia
CB – Greg Ross, James Madison
S – Joey Blount, Virginia
S – Gage Herman, William & Mary

First Team - Special Teams
PK – Ethan Ratke, James Madison
P – Jacob Finn, Virginia
RS – LaMareon James, Old Dominion

Second Team - Offense
QB – Cole Johnson, James Madison
RB – Latrele Palmer, James Madison
RB – Bronson Yoder, William & Mary
WR – CJ Daniels, Liberty
WR – Demario Douglas, Liberty
WR – Ali Jennings, Old Dominion
WR – Billy Kemp, Virginia
WR – Keytaon Thompson, Virginia
TE – Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
OL – Nick Hartnett, VMI
OL – Bobby Haskins, Virginia
OL – Clayton McConnell, Richmond
OL – Thomas Sargeant, Liberty
OL – Andrew Trainer, William & Mary

Second Team - Defense
DL – De’Shaan Dixon, Norfolk State
DL – Will Kiely, William & Mary
DL – Kobie Turner, Richmond
DL – Isaac Ukwu, James Madison
LB – Kelvin Azanama, James Madison
LB – Tyler Dressler, Richmond
LB – Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, James Madison
LB – Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
CB – Nick Grant, Virginia
CB – Ryan Poole, William & Mary
CB – Brandon Savage, Norfolk State
S – Chris Chukwuneke, James Madison
S – Javon Scruggs, Liberty

Second Team - Special Teams
PK – Jack Culbreath, VMI
P – Jerry Rice, VMI
RS – Aaron Dykes, Richmond

wake forest finishes strong pulls away from uva on the road for a 63-55 win

he Virginia Cavaliers were looking to extend a few streaks when they faced the Wake Forest Demon Deacons.  The Cavs wanted to win a second consecutive home game in the ACC and push their streak to 10 wins over Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons did not care for either streak and used a late run to pull away from Virginia with a 63-55 road victory.

 

The game was a display of alternating runs and and offensive lulls.  Virginia grabbed and early lead at 6-3 only to see Wake score eight in a row to grab an 11-6 advantage.  Virginia and Wake were both mired in shooting slumps as each team failed to make a field goal for over 7 minutes with each  in overlapping stretches.

 

Virginia was able to climb out the hole and led 22-13 with about six minutes in the first half.  Wake jumped started their offensive and by halftime used a 16-7 run to climb back into a 29-27 deficit.

 

After halftime each team continue to trade buckets before Virginia was able to stretch out to a 47-40 advantage.  It seemed like the Hoos were going to lock down and secure another victory.

The Demon Deacons had other plans and executed with precision over a 7 minute span that saw the team go from a deficit to a 53-47 lead after the 13-0 run. Virginia would not recover and closed the gap to 59-55 with a minute and sixteen seconds left.  However, Wake Forest maintained their poise and finished off the comeback with four free throws to make the final tally.

 

Wake Forest had four players in double figures led by Jake LaRavia’s 15.  Virginia could only counter with two double digit scorers as Armaan Franklin led everyone with 18 and Kody Stattmann fueled the bench production with 11.

 

On the only regular season matchup between the two, Wake Forest and Virginia both have identical 4-3 records in the ACC. At 14-4, Wake Forest will now travel to Georgia Tech while Virginia (10-7) goes on the road to Pittsburgh.  Both games are slated for Wednesday, January 19th.

 

EMSPORTS 1/15/2022

virginia survives in the commonwealth clash, beats VT 54-52 in jpj

In the heart of ACC country, in the middle of January, there is a basketball game somewhere.  When the ACC has rivalries, very few are as bitter and competitive as Virginia versus Virginia Tech.   The first installment of the Commonwealth Clash on the hardwood took place in Charlottesville.  The Cavaliers were coming off a humiliating defeat on the road at the hands of the North Carolina Tar Heels.  The Hokies were looking at an 0-3 record in the conference and had to try to right the proverbial ship in a huge battle on the road.


Both of these teams were looking to find consistency and each team nearly mirrored the other when it came to scoring and defensive efficiency.  This was evident as the score was a back and forth affair with both teams displaying scoring runs as well as several scoring droughts.
The Hokies led 9-7 before Virginia executed with precision passing and sharp shooting to take a 17-9 lead following the 10-0 scoring spree.  Virginia Tech matched that energy and returned the favor with a 11-2 run and take a 20-19 lead with a little over 4 minutes left in the half.  From this point, each team spent as much time looking for points as they did actually scoring because neither was able to grab a lead more than one possession ahead.  The Cavaliers however did a better job cleaning up their messes with a 7-2 advantage in offensive rebounding which gave them the slight edge of 25-23 at half.


Virginia Tech only had three players score led by their best player, Keve Aluma, who poured in a game high 10 points. He was supported by Hunter Cattoor’s 8 points and five from Storm Murphy.  Virginia was able to spread the wealth and Armaan Franklin had top honors with 9 points, followed by Francisco Caffaro who had six points and six rebounds.
In any battle there will be highs and lows as each combatant looks to gain an advantage.  The second half of this Commonwealth Clash was no different. It really was a struggle of wills and the big men made the difference in the end.


Virginia Tech took an early lead into the first few minutes of the second half.  A 7-2 run fueled by their outside shooting gave them a 30-27 advantage.  Virginia was in the midst of a scoring drought that was nearly six minutes long until a dunk by Reece Beekman stopped the slide.  Each team pushed and pulled as in a game of tug of war with neither side getting very far from the other.  


The largest lead in the second half was four points which both sides were able to hold.  The Cavaliers found themselves chasing the Hokies from about the fine-minute mark until two free throws by Armaan Franklin with 93 seconds remaining gave the Hoos a lead that was tenuous at best.  Virginia Tech had four shot attempts to tie or take the lead in those last seconds but could not find the bottom of the net.  A Kihei Clark free throw made the last of the scoring and Virginia clung on to win a breath-taking ballgame by a final of 54-52.


The stars were many in this game in many instances both big and small.  However, the two that shined the brightest were VT’s Keve Aluma who registered a game high 22 points and six rebounds to lead the visitors in both categories.  This was the second consecutive gave versus Virginia were Aluma scored over 20 points. 

 

The biggest and shiniest star was a surprise to all.  Reserve center Francisco Caffaro came off the bench to spell Kadin Shedrick and he made the most of his minutes.  Caffaro enjoyed a career night by scoring 16 points and grabbing a game-high 9 rebounds.  His effort and physical presence set the tone for the Cavaliers and gave the team a boost as leading scorer on the season, Jayden Gardner, only accounted for four points.

 

With the win, Virginia improves to 4-2 in ACC play and 10-6 overall.  They will now prepare to host another home game when Wake Forest comes to town on Saturday, January 15th.  The Hokies could not crack the code or the win column tonight.  The bitter loss leaves them winless at 0-4 in the ACC and drops them to 8-7 on the year.  They will be able to catch their breath and re-organize before red hot Notre Dame enters Blacksburg on Saturday evening.

 

EMSPORTS 1/12/2022

 

 

Edward Scott Named Deputy Athletics Director

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia athletics director Carla Williams announced today the hiring of Dr. Edward Scott as deputy athletics director. He replaces Ted White who stepped down from his position in October.

 

Scott comes to UVA after serving the past five years as the vice president and director of athletics at Morgan State University. His responsibilities at Virginia include oversight of sports medicine, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sport psychology, diversity, equity and inclusion, men’s basketball, baseball, track & field and cross country and he will help supervise football.

 

“We are very fortunate to have Dr. Scott join our team,” Williams said. “He is a highly-respected professional, a committed worker and more importantly, a great person. We are really excited about the next chapter of UVA Athletics and Ed will play an important role in our efforts.”

“I am very excited about this new opportunity and look forward to joining Carla Williams and the outstanding group of coaches, staff and student-athletes at the University of Virginia,” Scott said.  “Leaving Morgan was going to take a special situation, the values of the University of Virginia, coupled with Carla's vision for the future of UVA athletics made this an ideal fit.

“I am extremely grateful to Dr. Wilson and the entire Morgan community for the way in which they embraced my vision and supported my family over the past five years.  Morgan will always hold a special place in our hearts.”

 

During his 18-plus years as an athletics administrator Scott has served as a senior associate director of athletics at George Washington and Binghamton universities while also spending time at the University of Louisville and his alma mater the University at Albany.

 

At Morgan, Scott oversaw the department's 14 Division I programs with nearly 300 student-athletes who compete in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC). In addition to handling the department's day-to-day operations and oversight of recreation and intramurals for campus, Scott reported directly to President Dr. David Wilson and was the first athletics director to hold a seat on the President’s Cabinet.

 

Since assuming his role in October of 2016, Scott achieved unprecedented levels of success at Morgan, increasing the student-athlete graduation rate by 19 percent, improving the department grade point average to a record setting 3.41 in 2020-21 and spearheading the successful grant for the NCAA Accelerating Academic Success Program by securing nearly $900,000 for the athletic department’s academic support services.

  

Externally, Scott secured the largest gift in the history of Morgan athletics, a $2.7 million dollar donation to reinstate the sport of wresting for the 2023-24 season.  The donation is believed to be the largest single private donation in the history of Historically Black College and University (HBCU) athletics, making Morgan State University the only HBCU in the country to offer a Division I wrestling program starting in 2023-24. 

 

In addition to record setting wrestling gift, Scott launched the department’s first annual fund (Morgan Bear Club), adding over 1,000 new members and donations in the first year.  He also secured a six-figure donation for naming rights to the Student-Athlete Academic Center and negotiated the university’s first-ever comprehensive 5-year apparel deal with Baltimore based Under Armour.  

 

Improving facilities was another primary goal of Scott’s, including the renovations of the Hughes Stadium field and track, Hill Field House, Lois T. Murray softball field, the historic Hurt Gymnasium and the creation of a new student-athlete academic center. In all, during the last five years Scott oversaw an investment of approximately $25 million of ongoing improvements to Morgan's athletic and recreational facilities. 

 

While at George Washington, Scott continued his rapid ascension as the senior associate athletics director. As a top official in the department Scott was responsible for overseeing NCAA compliance, educational services, community and career services, student-athlete discipline and wellness, along with diversity and inclusion efforts for the department’s 27 sports and 500 student-athletes.

 

In addition to his oversight duties, Scott served as the sport administrator for men’s basketball, women’s soccer, softball, women’s lacrosse and men’s and women’s swimming and diving programs. With the assistance of Scott’s guidance, the Colonials’ men’s basketball team won the 2016 National Invitational Tournament (NIT), its first postseason championship in school history, and set the school record for wins (28) while the women’s soccer team captured the Atlantic 10 title.

 

At Binghamton, Scott rose to senior associate director of athletics & divisional diversity officer. His responsibilities included oversight of Binghamton athletics' academics, student services and student-athlete conduct/judicial affairs efforts, in addition to leading the Bearcats' diversity and inclusion and Title IX programming.

 

Scott was charged with creating Binghamton's on-site professional development program for all coaches and staff while collaborating with campus-wide departments to develop partnerships to better serve the needs of Binghamton's student-athletes. Under his leadership, Binghamton student-athletes recorded the highest-grade point average in athletic department history several times, while placing more student-athletes on the America East Honor Roll than any school in the conference on numerous occasions.

 

Scott began his career at his alma mater before moving on to Louisville, where he held the role of associate director of academic services for student-athletes. At Louisville, Scott was responsible for the academic well-being of the men's basketball, men's tennis, and women's volleyball programs.

 

Scott has been active on the university, conference, and national level throughout his career.  Currently, he is in the first year as the President of the Minority Opportunities Athletic Association (MOAA) and is in the initial year of his four-year appointment to the NCAA’s Playing Rules Oversight Panel (PROP).

 

The former Division I baseball student-athlete served for three years on the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee.  In addition to his service on the NCAA Baseball Selection Committee, Scott was a member of the 2016 LEAD1 Institute (formerly D1A) and a 2012 graduate of the NCAA Leadership Institute for Ethnic Minorities. He has also facilitated the NCAA's Career in Sports Forum in 2011 and 2012. 

  

A former standout baseball student-athlete and captain at Albany, Scott earned CoSIDA Academic All-American status, was named America East Baseball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, and garnered America East First Team All-Conference honors as a centerfielder for the Great Danes.

 

Following his collegiate career, Scott played independent professional baseball and gained experience coaching in two summer leagues with the Spartanburg Stingers of the Coastal Plains League and the Saratoga Phillies of the New York Collegiate Baseball League. Scott helped lead Saratoga to its first NYCBL championship in franchise history.

 

Outside of athletics administration, Scott is an adjunct faculty member in the School of Education at the University of Washington, where he teaches a course in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership. Additionally, Scott has co-authored a book chapter titled, ‘The Black male student-athlete experience; Past, present and future,’ while conducting research on values, identity formation, self-esteem, and the well-being of undergraduate college students.

 

Scott earned a master's degree in educational administration and policy studies and a bachelor's in psychology from Albany in 2006 and 2002, respectively. He earned his Ph.D from Binghamton University’s School of Community and Public Affairs in May of 2019. Scott and his wife, Tara, have a daughter named Tia.

 

 

 

Desmond Kitchings Named UVA Football Offensive Coordinator

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Fralin Family Head Football Coach Tony Elliott announced today (Jan. 4) the hiring of Desmond “Des” Kitchings as the program’s offensive coordinator. 

 

Kitchings comes to Virginia after serving as the running backs coach for the Atlanta Falcons during the 2021 season. Prior to that he spent one season as the running backs coach at South Carolina before an eight-year stint at NC State where he served a number or roles including co-offensive coordinator in 2019.

 

During the 2020 season, Kitchings guided Gamecocks’ running back Kevin Harris to the program’s first 1,000-yard rushing season since 2013. Harris gained 1,138 yards in 10 games and posted 15 rushing scores. An All-Southeastern Conference pick, he led the league in regular-season rushing and was seventh nationally. His five rushing TDs against Ole Miss set a South Carolina single-game record. It marked the fourth time in five seasons that Kitchings coached a 1,000-yard running back.

 

Kitchings, a native a Wagener, S.C., spent eight seasons coaching the running backs at North Carolina State. He had the additional duties as the tight ends coach in 2012, as the recruiting coordinator from 2014-18, as the assistant head coach for offense from 2016-18, and as the co-offensive coordinator in 2019.

Under Kitchings tutelage, NC State produced three-straight 1,000-yard rushers from 2016-18 for just the second time in school history. In 2016, Matthew Dayes was the first 1,000-yard rusher at NC State since 2002, and in both 2017 and 2018 first-year starters Nyheim Hines and Reggie Gallaspy Jr., also reached that mark.  Hines ranked fourth in the ACC with 1,112 rushing yards in 2017 and led the ACC in all-purpose yards with 143.7 yards per game, ranking 12th nationally, was named first-team All-ACC, the first Pack running back to earn first-team honors since 2002, and was selected in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. In 2018, Gallaspy tied the NC State school record with 18 rushing touchdowns, a mark that ranked fifth nationally. His 19 total TDs was also a new single-season best mark at NC State. He ranked 15th in the NCAA overall with 114 points scored.

The 2014 Wolfpack posted the fourth-best rushing total in school history (2,659) and the best per game average since 1992, while the 2015 Wolfpack posted the fifth-best rushing total in school history with 2,627 yards.

Kitchings’ coaching career began at Furman, his alma mater, working as the tight ends coach and special teams coordinator from 2004-07. During his tenure, the Paladins went 10-3 and captured a conference title in 2004, and advanced to the NCAA I-AA national semifinals in 2005.


His next stop was in the SEC, working at Vanderbilt from 2008-10, including one season as the offensive coordinator. He was a key factor in the development of true freshman tailbacks Warren Norman and Zac Stacy, who ranked 1-2 on the team in rushing in 2009, with Norman producing one of the finest all-purpose campaigns ever by an SEC freshman.

He also spent one year (2011) at Air Force when the Falcons ranked third nationally in rushing averaging (314.8 yards per game) and in rushing touchdowns (43).

Kitchings was a standout receiver/return specialist at Furman. As a senior in 1999, he helped the Paladins to a Southern Conference title. He ranks among the school’s all-time leaders in receptions and returns, averaging 29.3 yards per kick return, the second-best mark in conference history, including a school-record four kick returns for touchdowns. He was a consensus all-Southern Conference selection as both a receiver and returner and earned All-America honors as a return specialist in 1999 after leading the NCAA I-AA division in return average.

The youngest inductee into the Furman Athletics Hall of Fame, Kitchings was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs in the 2000 NFL Draft, and spent four years on practice squads and rosters of NFL squads.

Kitchings, who earned a bachelor’s degree in health and exercise science from Furman in 2000, and his wife, Heather, have three children, Aiden, Ava and Austen.

 

Clemson runs away from virginia in charlottesville with a 67-50 victory

The Virginia Cavaliers were looking to build on their previous home victory and carry the momentum into the ACC battle with the Clemson Tigers.  The visiting Tigers had lost their ACC opener to the Miami Hurricanes and were working on bring their conference record to .500.  The Cavaliers were 1-0 in ACC play after beating the Pittsburgh Panthers and wanted to continue the winning trend.

 

The Tigers had lost their previous 8 contests in Charlottesville and 11 in a row to the Hoos.  This night would be different.  The Tigers made their first three three-pointers.  They held the lead, getting it as high as 11 points,  for most of the first half and used a 15-8 run to grab a 35-27 halftime lead.  The Tigers made a big impact from behind the arc where they shot nearly 50%.  The Cavaliers were led by a new offensive weapon in Reece Beekman.  The second year guard scored a game high 12 points and kept the Cavaliers in the ballgame up to that point.

 

As the second half started,  The Hoos made their move.  The defense was cranked up high and the shots started to fall as an 8-0 run drew the Cavaliers to 37-35 prompting a quick timeout from the Tigers.

 

The Cavaliers would never get any closer.  The Tigers regained their form and the dreaded offensive scoring drought bug bit the Cavaliers at the wrong time.  Virginia was not able to make a field goal for well over 11 minutes and scrapped by with five points from the free throw line.  The Tigers had no problem capitalizing on the poor shooting and turnovers.  Clemson scored 19 points in that same time frame and effectively blew out the homestanding Cavaliers.

 

The Tigers were led by Hunter Tyson who scored 17 points and PJ Hall and David Collins each scored 11.  Collins recorded a double double by grabbing a game high 11 rebounds.  Virginia could not take advantage of a career high from Beekman who had 20 on the evening.  Armaan Franklin contributed 13 with his team high 8 rebounds. 

 

The Cavaliers committed 14 turnovers which led to several easy baskets for the Tigers who were only guilty of 7 turnovers.

 

With the win, Clemson is 1-1 in the ACC and 9-4 overall.  The Cavaliers will drop to 1-1 in ACC play with a 7-5 record on the season.

 

Each team will continue with their ACC schedules Clemson will face Duke next week and Virginia will head to Syracuse to take on the Orange on New Year's Day.

 

EM-SPORTS 12/22/2021 

easy victory for cavaliers  82-49 at home over fairleigh dickinson

 

 

The Hoos had waited long enough.  It had been nearly 12 days since Virginia had played a basketball game.  

 

This team was constantly reminded of losing for the first time ever against the James Madison University Dukes.  The team needed a break, thanks to the exam break, and now looked to regroup for their last non-conference game versus winless Fairleigh Dickinson.

 

The teams started slow but Virginia is found the rhyme and then pulled away with a 10-2 run while showing their prowess on defense.

 

The Hoos outscored FDU 26-8 in the paint and led with 34-19 lead.  The offense was powered by Jayden Gardner who scored 18 points with a 9-12 shooting.  The Cavs shot a blistering 53% and watched their opponents struggle with shooting under 30%.  The home team dominated in all categories and only struggled with three point shouting where they were 0-3.

 

The offense was even better as the Cavaliers continued to dominate the paint and use their size and athleticism to overwhelm the Knights.  By the time time Jayden Gardner left the game at the 12 minute mark, he had outscored the visitors by himself with 29 points to FDU’s 26.

 

The second half was a time to get some

seldom used players in the game.  Those guys with their opportunities did not disappoint.

 

The three point accuracy was in display as the Cavs shot 9 of 14 with all their makes coming from the substitutes.  Igor Milicic and Carson McCorkle both knocked down three of their four attempts.  Malachi Poindexter and Taine Murray each made their only attempts.   

 

Virginia finished the game with a blistering 62% from the field and only committed 10 turnovers.  In addition the Gardner’s 29 points, Armaan Franklin chipped in 12 with a three pointer as well.  The fellas from Charlottesville assisted on 21 of the 34 made field goals.  FDU struggles all game only shooting 28% for the game and just 26% from behind the three-point arc.  The Knights were led by Devon Dunn with 14 and Brandon Rush’s 14.

 

The Knights (0-10) have yet to win a game but get another chance on Wednesday, Dec. 22nd as they host St. Peter’s.  The Cavaliers (7-4) wrapped up their non-conference play and now host ACC rival, the Clemson Tigers, on Wednesday as well.

 

EM-SPORTS 12/18/2021

 

Tony Elliott Named the University of Virginia’s Fralin Family Head Football Coach 

 

 

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia athletics director Carla Williams announced today the hiring of Tony Elliott as the University of Virginia’s Fralin Family Head Football Coach. Elliott becomes the 41st head football coach in the program’s history.

 

Elliott has spent the last 11 seasons as an assistant on Dabo Swinney’s staff at Clemson. In January of 2021, he was named the program’s assistant head coach and offensive coordinator. He previously served as the team’s co-offensive coordinator (2014-20) and the team’s running backs coach (2011-20). 

 

“This is an awesome opportunity for the University of Virginia as we welcome Coach Tony Elliott into the UVA football family,” Williams said. “Coach Elliott is a winner, in every sense of the word. He is known for his character, humility, work ethic, skill set and passion for education. Coach Elliott is an exceptional leader of young men and he is highly regarded across college football as a talented teacher and coach. He is an outstanding recruiter who has been responsible for recruiting, signing and developing scholar-athletes while competing for and winning championships.

 

“We aspire to elevate UVA football in a manner that is consistent with the University’s core mission and purpose.  Coach Elliott understands and embraces this amazing opportunity to do something really special at the University of Virginia. I am thrilled for the young men in our football program. We are honored to welcome him, his wife Tamika and their sons, A.J. and Ace, to Virginia.”

 

At Clemson, Elliott has been part of a 10-season stretch in which the Tigers won 10 or more games. In that span, Clemson won six Atlantic Coast Conference Championships, made four appearances in the College Football Playoff National Championship game and captured national titles in 2016 and 2018. 

 

Since Elliott’s promotion to co-offensive coordinator prior to the 2014 Russell Athletic Bowl, the Tigers have posted an 89-10 record and ranked in the top 12 nationally in total offense. Clemson either led or ranked No. 2 in the ACC in total offense in five of his seven seasons as an offensive coordinator. Elliott’s 2018 and 2019 offenses were responsible for two of the 22 650-point seasons in major college football history. 

 

Elliott was named the Frank Broyles Award recipient as the nation’s top assistant coach in 2017. Before transitioning to the tight ends room this year, Elliott was in charge of Clemson’s running backs for his first 10 seasons. In that time, he guided  Clemson running back Travis Etienne to one of the most illustrious careers in ACC and college football history, helping him set the NCAA record for most games scoring a touchdown (46) and secure ACC records for career rushing yards (4,952), total touchdowns (78), rushing touchdowns (70) and points (468). 

 

As the program’s offensive coordinator, Elliott has worked with two first-round draft picks at quarterback, including the 2021 first overall pick Trevor Lawrence. From 2015-2020, a Clemson offensive player took home both the ACC’s Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year awards  four times.

 

Prior to returning to his alma mater, Elliott spent three seasons at Furman (2008-10) and two at South Carolina State (2006-07) coaching wide receivers at both schools. Prior to his coaching career he worked for Michelin North America for two years.

 

In 2002, Elliott earned his undergraduate degree in industrial engineering from Clemson, where he was a first-team Academic All-ACC selection as well as a CoSIDA Academic District III member. He was also a recipient of an ACC Weaver-James-Corrigan Postgraduate Scholarship.

 

Under Tommy Bowden, he came to Clemson as a walk-on wide receiver in the fall of 1999 and finished his career with four letters and appeared in 44 games. Swinney was his position coach his senior year (2003) in which he was named a co-captain of a team that finished with a 9-4 record and a No. 22 final ranking by AP and USA Today. 

 

Born in Watsonville, Calif., Elliott and his wife, Tamika, have two sons, A.J. and Ace.

 

virginia wins a thriller in acc opener, gardner's buzzer beater take bite out of panthers, 57-56

The Cardiac Cavs are back as the calendar turns to December.  The opening night of ACC play was both entertaining and gut-wrenching.  The Virginia Cavaliers were at home for the 1st of 20 games in their 2021-2022 ACC schedule.  The Pittsburgh Panthers were on the opposing bench and both teams were stinging from last second, late game one-point defeats from the ACC-BIG TEN CHALLENGE. 

 

Both teams were hoping to kick the league schedule off with a win but neither knew how close the margin of victory or defeat would be until literally the last shot of the game.

The Hoos struck first before the Panthers took a 3-2 lead with one of their four three-pointers of the first half. The Panthers used the long ball to fuel their 18-16 lead with about 10 minutes in the first half.  

 

Virginia took notice of the hot shooting and adjusted with a smothering defense.  In the next for six minutes of play, the Cavaliers neutralized the Panthers and built a 30-20 lead on a 14-2 run that looked to be enough to make the game a blowout.

Pittsburgh returned the favor and closed out the half with a 6-0 run to make the score 30-26 Virginia, but momentum joined the Panthers.

 

The halftime stats suggest Pittsburgh lived on strength of 3 pointers making 4 of 10 while UVa only made 2 of 10.  Virginia made their impact in the paint, outscoring the Panthers 16 to 6. The Cavs shot well otherwise at 50% while Pitt was only 35%.  

 

The halftime did nothing to change the attitude or the Panthers' altitude.  The Panthers continued to shoot well from the field and it provided them a 33-32 lead at the 17-minute mark.

 

From this point is was a seesaw battle as both teams traded punches and baskets with neither able to get more than a two-point advantage as the game progressed up to the halfway point of the second half.

 

It was at the juncture that Virginia found their rhythm on both ends of the court and made life miserable for Pittsburgh.  The Panthers went ice cold from the field in a nearly six minute stretch, they made zero field goals and Virginia built the margin up to seven points.

 

However, in this game of trading places, Pittsburgh became the aggressor and went on a 13-0 that overlapped with Virginia’s dry spell of over seven minutes without a field goal.  The Panthers took a 56-52 lead with under a minute remaining.

Just when it seemed all hope was lost, the seed for drama had been planted.  The Cavaliers turned to a gardner to harvest this stunning comeback.

 

The Jayden Gardner experience began with a traditional and-1 bucket and foul shot with less than 10 seconds to play.  As Pitt protected their 56-55 margin, the vaunted Cavalier defense produced a five second violation against Pitt who didn’t inbound the ball in time.

 

It was Gardner’s turn again a missed jumped from Armaan Franklin was batted around until Gardner clutched it.  After gaining control, he shot a baseline fadeaway jumper that bounced off the rim, straight into the air, before teasing the crowd while it dribbled along the rim a few more times before falling effortlessly through the net.  The shot sent all fans and players in orange and blue into a frenzy.  The Pittsburgh Panthers had seen their efforts dashed and with only 0.9 seconds left, a miracle was needed.

 

It never showed up and Kihei Clark stole the ensuing inbounds pass providing a big sigh of relief to the Wahoo faithful and cementing the unbelievable finish in the 57-56 comeback victory.

The game’s star, Gardner, was stuffing the stat sheet.  He made 7/10 field goals scoring 15 points, grabbing 6 rebounds and passing out four assists. Armaan Franklin was also in double digits army 10.  The Panthers were led by John Hugely with 12 points and Jamarius Burton with 11.  Virginia was outrebounded 30 to 27 but their shooting of nearly 47% outpaced the Panthers who were 39% for the game.

 

Virginia travels to face in-state opponent, the JMU Dukes, on 12/7 while Pittsburgh shall host Colgate on 12/9.

 

EMSPORTS 12/3/2021

 


 

Bronco Mendenhall to Step Down as Virginia Football Coach

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –  Virginia Fralin Family Head Football Coach Bronco Mendenhall announced today he will step down from his position as the Cavaliers’ head football coach following the team’s upcoming bowl game.

 

“It has been a privilege to have Bronco Mendenhall direct the Virginia football team over the past six seasons,” said Virginia athletics director Carla Williams. “He has done an exceptional job of not just transforming the program, but elevating the expectations for the program. He has established the necessary foundation to propel our football team upward. He is more than a football coach and the impact he has had on these young men will be a positive influence for the rest of their lives.

 

“In his own, understated way, he had a tremendous impact on our local community with the Thursday’s Heroes Program and with his  encouragement of his players to be proactively involved in so many local community organizations.

 

“He is an amazing colleague to our other coaches and staff, always willing to help wherever it is needed. I have been blessed to have been able to work with him these last four years  and I wish he and Holly the very best in their next chapter.”

 

Mendenhall is in his sixth season at Virginia. He has led the Cavaliers to a 36-38 record including a 6-6 record this season. This marks the fifth consecutive season UVA is bowl eligible during his tenure.

 

Mendenhall guided the Cavaliers to the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division championship and the program’s first New Year’s Six Bowl appearance when the Cavaliers faced Florida in the 2019 Orange Bowl. The team competed in the Military Bowl in 2017 and the Belk Bowl in 2018, defeating South Carolina 28-0.

 

Mendenhall’s 17-year record as a head coach stands at 135-81. He ranks eighth among current Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) head coaches in terms of winning percentage (.625). Between 2005 and 2015 he headed up the program at Brigham Young, directing the Cougars to a 99-43 record and 11 bowl appearances. With seven career bowl victories, Mendenhall figures 12th among active coaches and 36th all-time in that category. 

 

A native of Alpine, Utah, Mendenhall graduated from Oregon State in 1988. He served as an assistant coach or graduate assistant coach for 16 years prior to being named the head coach at BYU in 2005. He was a graduate assistant coach at Oregon State from 1989 to 1990, worked at Snow College (Utah) in 1991 and 1992, North Arizona in 1993 and 1994 and returned to Oregon State in 1995. In 1996, at the age of 29, he became the youngest defensive coordinator in Pac-10 Conference history.

 

He coached at Louisiana Tech in 1997 and moved to New Mexico in 1998. He joined the BYU staff in 2003 as the team’s defensive coordinator.

 

Mendenhall and his wife, Holly, have three sons, Raeder, Breaker and Cutter.

 

Virginia is expected to receive a post-season bowl invitation on Sunday, Dec. 5.

 

a big second half falls short as iowa nips virginia, 75-74 in the acc-big ten showdown

Virginia Cavaliers were preparing for a Big Monday showdown with the visiting Iowa Hawkeyes to kick off the 2021 ACC-BIG TEN CLASH.  This annual event was entering its 24th year and this time around the Cavaliers were playing on the first night of the two-day event.

 

The Cavs were playing there second of three consecutive games at home inside John Paul Jones Arena.  The Hawkeye would fly into Charlottesville with an unblemished record and a very high flying offense.  The Hawkeyes had not faced any team of Virginia’s defense prowess nor persistence to control the clock.

 

This would be a great matchup of styles and wills.

 

Highest scoring team at 97 pf and the top scorer in Keegan Murray.  They were electric and pushed the lead up to 21 points following a 15-0 run that bartered the Cavaliers.  The Hoos made a small run of 6-0 to cut the score to 44-30 at the half.

 

The second half brought a great sense of urgency and a new team donning the white uniforms.  The message in the locker room was  heard, defense creates offense.  The Cavaliers played a spirited second half, reducing the clean looks that Iowa had in the first half.  Virginia slowly climbed out of the hole from halftime and their outside shouting was superb.  Virginia finally got over the hump and regained the lead when seldom used 1st year, Taine Murray, rattled home his fourth three pointer on the night to give UVA a 71-70 lead. Their first lead since a 2-0 marker at the start of the game.

 

The crowd was rocking and the noise was deafening but Iowa would not go away.  Jordan Bohanon, Iowa’s sharp shooting guard responded with a deep 3 to quell the enthusiasm and hush the near sellout crowd.  Kihei Vlark, Virginia’s spiritual and emotional leader, picked up his team and knocked down the go-ahead three pointer from the top of the arc.  His bullseye marksmanship gave Virginia the 74-73 lead with 47 seconds to go.

 

Iowa had to foul after missing a jumper by Bohanon.  Murray collected the rebound and was fouled.  He did not convert so Iowa got one more chance.  This time they made a contested bank shot with eight to seconds left.  PG Joe Touissant scored from outside the paint and his jumper gave the Hawkeyes a slim 75-74 lead.  The Cavaliers made a great effort to win it. Kihei Clark’s short jumper rimmed away and a second chance never made it back to the rim.  Iowa escaped John Paul Jones with an impressive win.  The Cavs may have lost the game but there energy and precision in the second half bodes well for the rest of the season.  Iowa improves to 7-0 while Virginia now sits at 5-3.

 

Both teams shot well from the field and behind the 3pt line.  Iowa was nearly 54% (FG) and then almost 48% from three-point land.  Virginia was 53% from the field and made half (9 for 18) from downtown.

 

Bohanon led Iowa with 20 points followed by Keegan Murray with 18 and Toiussaint with 10.  Murray was team leading rebounder at nine.  The Cavaliers finished the game with four double digit scorers led by Jayden Gardner’s 18, Clark’s 15 and Reece Beekman with 11.  Murray surprised off the bench with 14 including 4 of 6 from behind the arc. 

 

EMSPORTS 11/29/2021

virginia collapses late, virginia tech sneaks out on the road with a 29-24 win in commonwealth battle 2021

 

It was the Battle of the Commonwealth Cup but this time it was at Scott Stadium.  The Virginia Tech Hokies were free falling and with there interim coach looking for win number 1, the favored Cavaliers were ready to take

the cup back.

 

The Cavaliers were staring a three game losing streak in the face and on Senior Day were prepared to snap that streak and dash any postseason hopes of bowling for the dreaded Hokies.

 

However, just when things seemed to line up in the Orange and Blue’s favor, the Hokies cooked up a little trickery and made enough plays to pull out a 29-24 win.

 

Virginia led by their high-powered offense all year grabbed the lead early when Brennan Armstrong found Jelani Woods with a swing pass in the flat and Woods ran into the endzone for a 7-0 lead.  It did not last long because VT hit a big strike to Tayvion Robinson from Braxton Burmeister to tie the score at 7.

 

Virginia went ahead again on Brennan Armstrong’s first of two rushing touchdowns but VT tied it up at 14 when Raheem Blackshear bolted 18 yards through the line of scrimmage and found paydirt. 

 

The Cavaliers would not stop when Brennan Armstrong bullied his way in a broken play, taking out three Hokies in the process and giving the Hoos a 21-17 lead at halftime. 

 

Virginia extended the lead on a field goal and up 24-17 looked to take control.  However, the Hokies scored with some trickery.  After driving into the Cavalier redzone, Burmeister pitched to his running back who then handed off to Robinson.  The end around then became a pass as Burmeister scrambled out to the corner of the endzone where he received a return pass from Robinson for his second TD of the game. 

 

This touchdown began ignited a 12-0 (5-0 in the fourth alone) scoring run to end the game that ultimately was too much for Virginia to overcome.  In an ironic twist, the final score was courtesy of a QB strip sack and fumble.  The fumble was converted into a safety.  This same result also sealed the fate of Virginia Tech in 2019, in the same endzone no less. The Cavaliers were able to make one last drive but on 4th and 13 from the redzone, an Armstrong pass into the endzone was tipped and fell harmless to the ground.  The Hokies had escaped with some redemption after losing here two years ago and kept there bowl options alive.  Virginia, with so much promise after winning four in a row, had now lost four games consecutively to end the regular season and will have to await their bowl destination.  Each team finishes 6-6 for the season with a bowl game pending.

 

The Cavaliers finished with more yards (474-464) and more first downs (26-20).  However, won the turnover battle at 2 to 1and that was enough to secure the victory in this very heated rivalry.

 

EMSports 11/27/2021

 

virginia uses second half firepower to defeat the visiting lehigh mountain hawks by a score of 61-43

The Virginia Cavaliers were thankful for a successful week with two wins and a championship trophy in winning the Roman Empire Invitational Tournament.

 

The Cavaliers and their three game winning streak returned to the friendly confines of JOJ to start a post-Thanksgiving three-game home stand.

 

The Virginia Cavaliers were thankful for a successful week with two wins and a championship trophy in winning the Roman Empire Invitational Tournament.

 

The Cavaliers and their three game winning streak returned to the friendly confines of JPJ to start a post-Thanksgiving three-game home stand.

 

The Hoos entered Friday night looking to take out the Lehigh Mountain Hawks who were only 1-4 on the young season.

 

Virginia and Lehigh started out the game in a near equal fashion.  Virginia scored first before a quick 6 consecutive points put the Mountain Hawks in the lead.  Each team scored 13 points and committing four turnovers in the first 10 minutes. 

 

The offense of each team found it hard to put the ball in the basket throughout multiple stretches of the game.  The Cavaliers spearheaded by the inside prowess of Jayden Gardner used a methodical 8-0 run to grab a razor slim lead as both teams traded baskets which were few and far between. 

 

As the game progressed, the effort was there but the efficient was lacking.  Each team

continues to fire up shots but very few fell through the net.  Lehigh did their damage from the free throw line while Virginia stayed aggressive and continued to collect offensive rebounds to keep the pace with their visitors.  

 

A 1-10 shooting slump characterized the struggles the Cavaliers endured as both teams shot under 35% for the field.  Lehigh was scoreless from the field in over a four minute stretch parallel to the Virginia drought. 

 

The half ended with a very expected result as each team dragged to the end.  The score was 25-21 in favor of Virginia.

 

The halftime break was a much needed reprieve for both teams but once the teams returned, the Cavaliers came out on fire.  I the first 10 minutes of the second half, Virginia exceeded their full total of the first half.  With a 26-8 scoring run or a familiar Cavalanche, the Cavs put much needed space between themselves and Lehigh to the delight of the UVa bench and fans.  With the explosion of points, Virginia put the game out of reach.  For the remainder of the game, Lehigh struggled to get an offensive flow or threatened the Cavaliers’ lead.  

 

The Cavaliers won with a team effort from both ends of the court.  The starting backcourt led the way in scoring as Kihei Clark was top of the board with 11 points and his running mate, Reece Beekman added 10.  There were four other Cavaliers scoring eight apiece, Kadin Shedrick, Jayden Gardner, Armaan Franklin and Francisco Caffero.  Lehigh scoring honors went to Jeameril Wilson and Evan Taylor.

 

The seal tight Virginia defense limited Lehigh to an anemic 3 of 16 from the three-point line and just over 35% for the game.  Virginia, conversely, shot much better than the 33% in the first half.  The Cavaliers shot well over 60% in the second half and finished the game at nearly 46% for the game and made a successful four of ten from behind the three-point arc.  Virginia was also better protecting the ball with only nine turnovers to Lehigh’s 15.  They also outrebounded the visitors by a count of 35 to 32.

 

The Cavaliers improves to a record of 5-2 and prepare for a Monday, November 29th clash in the ACC-Big Ten versus the Iowa Hawkeyes.  Lehigh will looked to get their second win in seven tries when they face St. Francis on Sunday, Nov. 28th.

 

EMSPORTS 11/25/2021

 

virginia spreads the wealth, defeats the eagles 68-52 at jpj 

Virginia Cavaliers needed a chance to erase the defeat at the Houston Cougars.  They welcomed the Coppin State Eagles.  The team was glad to be home and they got a boost from the return of the Virginia Marching Band in attendance for the first time in over a year. 

The Eagles were struggling in this early part of the season as were the Cavaliers.

 

The Cavaliers demonstrated their physical strength and defensive prowess jumping out to a quick lead of 16-2 with only one basket scored by Coppin State in the first 8 min. The lead got up to 27-12 before their shooting touch.  Virginia went into an unfortunate, but common scoring drought, and the Eagles closed the gap to 10 when the score was 30-20.  The Cavaliers regrouped and prevented the Eagles from scoring anymore in the last four minutes of the half, taking a 35-20 lead into the break.

 

Both teams were nearly as cold outside as the weather.  Virginia and Coppin State both made a meager three 3-pointers apiece and shot less than 40% individually from the field.

The Cavs did rule the boards with a 20 to 15 edge as well as out scoring the Eagles 16-6 in the paint.  

 

The Cavaliers did not let up as they extended their lead to 20 points.  The Eagles continued to shoot the three pointer, their favorite shot of the night, but to no avail.  Coppin State was able to cut the lead to 11, but could get no closer.

 

There were many faces on the court as the Hoos put four players in double digits led by Jayden Gardner's 14 points.  Kihei Clark poured in 12 points.  A pleasant surprise from the bench with 1st year Igor Milicic's 11 points and Kadin Shedrick's 10.  Gardner also led the way with 12 rebounds while Shedrick grabbed 10.  The Cavs outrebounded the Eagles 42-33. 

 

The Eagles gave the Cavaliers a few moments of resistance but eventually they just couldn't keep up with the bigger and more experienced team.  The teams struggled from the field with Coppin St at 27% from the 3pt line and 31% for the game.  Virginia was slightly better at 28% and 42% respectively.  Each team had 11 turnovers.

 

Coppin State (1-6) is still trying to get win #2 while the victory gets Virginia back to .500 on the year and heads to face the University of Georgia.

 

EMSPORTS 11/19/2021

virginia fights bravely but notre dame wins 28-3

The Virginia Cavaliers welcomed the #7 Notre Dame Irish into Scott Stadium. This matchup was highly anticipated Saturday night national showcase.


The Cavaliers were no strangers to night games and Notre Dame also brings a target on their back. This game would not impact the ACC race but it would bring a national audience into the commonwealth’s flagship university.  The Cavaliers were not at full strength and it was evident.

Notre Dame showed their strength on offense scoring on the first possession of the game. The mixture of powerful running attack and efficient passing gave Uva fits all night.

 

Jack Coan led a Fighting Irish offense to 433 yards on the night.  He was efficient and the team as a hold was not spectacular but very workmanlike in their production.  Coan completed 15-20 passes for 3 TDs (three different receivers) and tossed one interception.  His backup Tyler Buchner played a majority of the fourth quarter but was responsible for a fumble.

 

In Virginia's attack, they were limited without the services of the nation's leading passer, Brennan Armstrong.  This also created stress as the keys to the offense were turned over to true 1st year Jay Woolfolk. The young signal caller was starting for the first time in his career and he performed admirably with a stat line of 18-33 passing for 196 yards and 2 picks. Keytaun Thompson recorded over 110 yards receiving on 9 catches to lead both teams.

 

ND defense recorded 7 sacks and collected two interceptions in keeping the Cavalers to only 278 of total offense for a team that averaged well over 500 yards coming into the game.

.

The Cavaliers were able to flex their strength in various moments of the game but struggled with consistency.  There made Notre DAme turn the ball over on downs inside the redzone on the first drive of the game as well as picked up a fumble late in the fourth quarter.  The offense moved the ball for Virginia on multiple drives deep into the ND territory but could only score three points courtesy of a Brennan Farrell 34-yd field goal.

 

The win gives Notre Dame a 9-1 record for the year and keeps their College Playoff hopes alive with two game remaining.  The Cavaliers will use this as motivation as their eyes now focus on defending the Coastal Crown from 2019 and making a return trip to Charlotte for the ACC Championship.

 

EM-SPORTS 11/14/2021 

Virginia redeems their opening loss, hands in-state foe radford a 73-52 defeat

There are many coaches who use losses as motivation.  The statement that you improve the most between game 1 and game 2.  It seems that the Virginia Cavaliers studied hard and put those lessons to good use.

 

The Cavaliers were looking to erase the memory of the loss to Navy and Radford was the right opponent at the right time.  The game didn't start very optimistically as the Cavaliers found themselves playing catch-up to Highlanders in the first six minutes of the game.  However, there would be no hangover from the Navy.  The Virginia offense took control with a 15-0 run in a little over five minutes.  It all started with Armaan Franklin three-pointer.  The lead blossomed to 23-10 before another point was scored by Radford.

 

The Cavaliers used the hot shooting and the crowd's energy to build up the lead to as much as 22 ponts (41-19) on another Franklin three-ball.  The half ended with the Hoos comfortably ahead 41-21 as the team shot 50% from the floor and an impressive 55% from behind the three-point arc.  Franklin led all scorers with 13 points and his fellow transfer teammate, Jayden Gardner, continued his assault on the rim with 11 points and six boards.

 

The major storyline above the shooting was the sensational, suffocating defense that Cavalier fans have been spoiled to appreciate.  The Packline Defense was prepared and on display.  The Highlanders struggled after those initial minutes of the game and never threatened any serious attacks on the Cavaliers.

 

Following the display of sharpshooting and overwhelming defense, the Cavaliers continued to build chemistry with the new faces and received contributions from each man that touched the court.

 

Virginia cooled down slightly after the intermission but they did more than enough to keep Radford at bay.  The Cavaliers were also very demonstrative on the rebounding and well as a focus to get to the goal.  The Cavs shot 24-29 on free throws.  This was a great indication that they didn't settle for jump shots or bail out attempts.They also collected 33 rebounds compared to the 30 from Radford.  Virginia was stingy on defense forcing 15 turnovers and limiting the visitors to less than 38% shooting and just 7 free throw attempts.  In contrast, Virginia finished with shooting at a 42% clip overall and 45 from behind the 3pt arc.  

 

The win improves Virginia to 1-1 on the young season and keeps them undefeated in this series with their Commonwealth foe.  This was also the first win the Cavaliers won at home in over 20 months.  Armaan Franklin scored a game high 21 points and Gardner chipped in 18 and 7.  Radford was led by Bryan Hart with 12 and Shaquan Jules provided 10 off the bench.

 

Star of the game:

 

Kadin Shedrick, UVA - 10 points, 10 rebounds and 4 block shots (Career Highs)

 

Radford will have to make a quick turnaround but not travel far.  They return to the hardcourt on Monday, November 15th at neighboring Virginia Tech.  The Cavaliers will enjoy this sweet win before they have to travel to Houston and face the 15th-ranked Houston Cougars on Tuesday, November 16th.

 

EMSPORTS 11/12/2021

The 25th ranked Virginia Cavaliers lose to navy on opening night, 66-58 

The excitement and anticipation was boiling over.  Could this really be true? The Virginia Men's Basketball season was finally about to tip off for the 2021-2022 season.  Yes, there was a college season last year but it was stripped of its fans and traditional nature sir to the pandemic.  This season was sure to be a welcomed reprieve from the shell of last year's version.  

 

The Virginia Cavaliers were no different in the fact they too had something to prove.  After a disappointing first round exit i the NCAA tourney, the defending regular season ACC champions had new faces sprinkle into this new edition.  Kihei Clark was back again to lead a squad faced with uncertainty but high hopes.

 

The Cavaliers opened up the season as the 25th ranked team according to the polls.  They would start the year at home facing an experienced Naval Academy team that was coming off one of its best years in its program's history. 

 

Both teams showed very good offense in the first half.  After a close back and forth, Navy grabbed the lead at 17-14 and stayed in control of majority of first half.  As Uva tried to make a run, the Midshipmen had an answer.  The three ball was Navy's friend as they made 8-12 shots with John Carter Jr. making all four of his attempts.  His 16 points paced the visitors.  The Hoos were led by the toughness inside of Jaylon Gardner, the All AAC transfer from East Carolina. Navy led 42-35 at the half on the strength of their 3point shouting and overall accuracy.  They shot over 55% from the field and nearly 67% from behind the arc. 

Virginia was almost as effective shooting nearly 52% but only 2-8 from behind the 3pt arc.

 

The second half saw a renewed energy from Virginia as they amped up the pressure and eventually tied the game at 53-53.  It was not enough because Navy settled down and made some clutch shots collecting loose balls and timely offensive rebounding.

 

The Midshipmen closed the game on a 15-7 run to upset the Cavaliers. Virginia went cold at the wrong time suffering a scoring drought of 8 1/2 minutes as the game came to a close.

With the loss, Virginia (0-1) now looks to regroup and get ready for a Friday night contest against Radford at home.  The upstart Navy squad will look to go 2-0 on the young season. They travel home to host another ACC foe in the Virginia Tech Hokies on the same night.

 

The tale of the tape was all about the three point shooting.  Navy converted 11 of 21 shots while Virginia was anemic making just 4 of 16.  Jaylon Gardner led the Hoos in his debut with a double-double, 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Navy was paced by John Carter Jr.'s 19 points.

 

EMSPORTS.org 11/09/2021

cavaliers finish off the resilient yellow jackets, 48-40

The University of Virginia loves Charlottesville.  The Cavaliers love Scott Stadium.  The Hoos have lost only 3 of 24 home games coming into the battle versus Georgia Tech.  The Yellow Jackets were looking to come off their by week refreshed and add to their last second win two weeks ago at Duke.  The Cavaliers were also victorious over Duke and wanted nothing more than to swat the Yellow Jackets on Parents' Weekend.

 

Virginia is known as Cardiac Cavs for most of these heart wrenching, come from behind wins.  This night was just as blood pumping but nearly too much to handle.  GT got out to an early 13-0 lead scoring on their first two possessions.  The Cavaliers started to slowly get the offense in gear and Brennan Armstrong began to show why he leads the nation in passing yards and total offense.

 

After a 1-yd TD toss to Billy Kemp IV, the Cavs scored on four consecutive drives to take a 24-16 lead into halftime.  The Yellow Jackets were unable to stop the wave of scoring and the only turnover of the game helped make things worse.  Leading 16-7 and driving, QB Jeff Sims made a pass that looked good when it left his hands but finished better for the Hoos.  S Joey Blount stepped in front of the pass and the interception led to the first big play of the night.  Armstrong quickly made a laser pass to Dontayvion Wicks who did most of the legwork.  After a brief shake and missed tackle, Wicks was cruising down the home sideline for 77 yards on his way to the endzone.  The pass and catch gave the Hoos a lead they would not relinquish for the remainder of the game but it got pretty interesting late.

 

Virgina was up by 21 points with an outstanding effort from the offense but GT was ready to stay up late.  The Yellow Jackets scored 13 consecutive points and after a second successful onside kick recovery, the remaining fans were nervous.  The offense could not help this time, so it was up to the defense to make the 48-40 lead stand.  The defense would not disappoint but it was not without some big excitement and head scratching moments.  GT was able to drive down to UVa’s 31-yard line.  On the last play of the game, five seconds seemed like an eternity and the pass was in the air.  Joey Blount made sure it was not to land in the hands of a Yellow Jacket and his swatting of the ball to the ground, sent the tired fans into a frenzy as Uva held off the Georgia Tech team one last time. 

 

Both teams amassed over 1200 yards on the night with the Cavaliers gaining 636  and GT collected 570.  Each quarterback led their team and were near perfect with the only turnover being Sims' interception in the second quarter.

 

Armstrong was 29 of 43 for 396 yards with 4TDs passing and no interceptions.  He also led the team with 99 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as the Cavaliers gained 240 yards total.  

 

Big play wideout Wicks led the way with 6 catches and 168 yards and two touchdown catches.

 

The Yellow Jackets saw Sims pass for 3TDs and rush for 65 yards on 27-44 passing.  He was complimented by RB Jahmyr Gibbs who was a star with 132 yards on just 13 carries.  Most of those yards came on his 71-yd TD gallop in the third quarter.

 

Virginia(6-2) will look to extend heir four game winning streak as they travel to BYU for a late night Saturday contest.  This game is an homecoming for coach Bronco Mendenhall and many of his staff who spent 11 years in Provo, Utah before heading to Charlottesville.  Georgia Tech(3-4) will return home to face Virginia Tech also on Saturday.

 

EMSPORTS 10/24/2021

cavaliers dominate the blue devils with 48-0 shutout

photobyvirginiasports.com
On this 2021 version of Homecomings, the Hoos welcomed the Duke Blue Devils. These visitors from Durham were pesky and a persistent opponent. The Cavaliers has were not only looking to win a third game in a row but extend their current winning streak to seven games in this annual series with Duke.
 
The offense has always struck first and an opening possession was stalled out in the redzone. Kicker Brendan Farrell booted the first points with a 31-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead. The Blue Devils countered and pushed their way into the doorstep of the Cavaliers’ end of the field before the Cavs made a key third down stop. The Blue Devils were poised to tie the game as the field goal kick was on its way before it went DOINK! That familiar sound is music to Cavalier fans. The left upright ricocheted the ball back into the field and with that the Hoos never looked back.
 
Virginia scored on five possessions in the first half including a backbreaking TD drive in under a minute left in the second quarter.
 
Brennan Armstrong was his highlight reel entertaining self throwing for nearly 300 yards (296 yards) and two touchdowns. He was also effective with 25 yard scramble to set up the first touchdown, a pass to Dontaryion Wicks of 27 yards.
 
The defense was even better limiting the Blue Devils to less than 160 total yards and zero points as Uva cruised into halftime with a 34-0 lead.
 
Virginia knew that Duke would not go away lightly. Duke came out with effort and narrow focus but could not break the Cavaliers’ defensive attack. The Cavaliers relentless pursuit of any ball carrier or pass catcher was a sight to behold. The Orange Crush defense made life miserable on a day that was full of a steady in rain in the first half which gave way to a beautiful sun-soaked stadium after halftime.
 
Virginia capitalized at every turn and the defense recorded four turnovers and
numerous momentum changing stops.
 
As the Cavaliers pushed the lead to 41-0, the Cavaliers gave many new faces a chance to join the victorious effort.
 
Devin Arrington got the ball and was explosive. His team high 60 yards rushing was highlighted by his 7-yard touchdown sprint. QB Jay Woolfolk brought his much anticipated arm and legs to the field and helped lead the the second touchdown of the second half. Ronnie Walker finished the drive with a one-yard bull rush that gave Virginia the final margin of victory, 48-0.
 
Late in the game, with the outcome of the game no longer in doubt, the only drama left was teh shutout.  Would the Cavaliers be able to secure their first ACC shutout since 2008 when they defeated Maryland?  The answer is yes but not without a little good fortune. Duke had first-and-goal at the 1.  The drive began at the UVA 43 following the only turnover by UVA's Jacob Rodriquez.  On first and goal from the 1-yard line, safety Joseph White stopped Jordan Moore for no gain.  The next play would prove to bring the greatest cheer of the afternoon.  Duke backup quarterback Riley Leonard fumbled the snap, and Virginia linebacker T.C. Harrison recovered the ball with 1:43 remaining.  The fans rejoiced and the Cavalier sideline and wrapped up an impressive performance no both sides of the ball.
 
Armstrong completed 25/45 passes and collected 364 to continue his aerial assault on defenses and added a 10-yard rushing TD to go with his 34 yards gained in the ground. He had the two touchdown tosses with no picks. Wicks was his main target with catching seven passes for 125 yards and one TD. Big man TE Jelani Woods caught the second scoring pass.
 
Duke was led by the ACC's second leading rusher, Mataeo Durant, who gained 82 of the team’s 110 yards. Gunner Holmberg was limited to 134 yards passing with two interceptions.
 
Virginia gained 528 yards outpacing the Blue Devils who got 325 total yards for the game.
 
Virginia will look to continue their hot streak as they host Georgia Tech next Saturday night. The Blue Devils will move quickly to put this bad game away and start anew in two weeks. After the bye, they travel to instate foe Wake Forest on Oct. 30th.
 
EMSPORTS 10/16/2021

wake forest rally to win 37-17

 

Wake Forest v Virginia

 

 

 
 

The Virginia Cavaliers were looking for redemption.  They had suffered a terrible loss at the hands of North Carolina on last Saturday night.  A new night, another chance for the Cavaliers to get back in the win column.  The Wake Forest Demon Deacons were looking to continue their undefeated ways.  The visiting Deacs had won three in a row to start the season and four in a row in this series with the Hoos.

 

In a matchup of two of the ACC’s best signal-callers, this Friday night showcase game has the makings of a shootout.  The Deacs took the ball first and set the tone for the game.  With a methodical array of passes and solid running, Wake Forest took a 7-0 lead when QB Sam Hartman found a wide open Taylor Morin for a 39-yard passing touchdown.  The Cavaliers were games to respond.  On their first possession, the Cavaliers marched down the field as running nancy Mike Hollins sparked the offense.  QB Brennan Armstrong strung together a few passes and with first and goal from the four-yard line, the Cavaliers failed to draw even.  They failed on a pass attempt on fourth down and never recovered.

 

The Deacons scored on their first 7 possessions of the game.  They took a 20-3 lead into the half and Virginia was never able to get in rhythm or keep pace with the black and gold.

 

After a 17-yard pass to Jelani Woods from Armstrong, the Hoos pulled to within 20-10 but Wake outscored UVA 17-7 to finish the game including the last 10 points.

 

Sam Hartman finished an efficient day with three touchdown passes and no turnovers. Brennan Armstrong continued his torrid passing and great play.  He finished the game with 407 yards passing, two touchdowns and one interception.   EM-SPORTS.ORG  9/24/21

 

cavaliers lead early but falter in second half, unc wins 59-39 in battle of the south's longest rivalry

In a matchup of the two of the best quarterbacks in the ACC, a shootout took place in Chapel Hill on Saturday night.  The 21st-ranked Tar Heels hosted the Virginia Cavaliers in the ACC opener for Virginia and the home ACC opener for the Tar Heels.   Sam Howell, a Heisman favorite and Brennan Armstrong, the leading passer in the ACC, both lived up to the hype and more.

 

The matchup was billed to be as an explosive onslaught and looking at the previous editions, then this was not going to disappoint.  The Cavaliers were undefeated but mostly untested and North Carolina was looking to even their record in the ACC after dropping the season opener at Virginia Tech.

 

Carolina came out the gate smoking.  The name of the game was big plays and North Carolina had them all.  The Tar Heels scored on their first three possessions and the arm of Sam Howell was impressive.   Each drive lasted less than two minutes on average and each TD was more impressive than the first.  

 

The Cavalier offense was ready for the challenge at least in the first half.  The Cavaliers were ready to tie the game at 7 before an ill-advised redzone fumble stalled the effort.  Armstrong would lead a furious rally as the Cavaliers not only overcame 14-0 and 21-7 deficits, they were able to gain the advantage at the half when Armstrong hit Billy Kemp for a late touchdown to give the Hoos 28-24.  The drive was given a boost when Carolina missed a field goal.

 

Armstrong was on fire throwing for three touchdowns and 364 yards.  His counterpart Howell was equally effective with three touchdowns as well but a costly interception.  The offenses were dictating the tempo and setting the stage for an exciting second half.

 

The Tar Heels got the first possession in the third quarter and set the tone for bad things to come for the Cavaliers' defense.  The Tar Heels marched down the field with a steady mix of passes and a long run from Ty Chandler.  The Cavaliers looking to make the deficit of 31-28 go away just as they did in the first half saw things start to unravel early.  Kemp caught a pass and looked to gain good yardage but a facemask penalty on Kemp pushed back a promising start and the Cavaliers never recovered.  

 

The Tar Heels scored on every possession in the second half.  The team went 5-5 and scored a touchdown every time they got close.  The Cavaliers struggled mightily on offense and defense and were only able to muster 11 points in the second half.

 

Brennan Armstrong was phenomenal.  He completed 39 of 54 passes for a school record 554 yards and four touchdown passes.  He was intercepted once.  Billy Kemp scored on two passing touchdowns and Dontayvion Wicks led the team with 183 yards as well as a TD.  Jelani Wicks, the phenomenal tight end caught a TD and a 2pt conversion.  

 

Sam Howell continued to damage the Cavaliers in his career.  In this game, he accounted for 307 yards passing with five touchdowns and added another 112 on the ground.  Josh Downs was electric with 203 yards receiving and two touchdown catches.  The Tar Heels rushed for an impressive 392 yards to help with the team's 699 total yards. 

 

Both temas are now 2-1 on the year.  The Tar Heels will head to Georgina Tech next Saturday night for another primetime battle while Virginia will host Wake Forest under the lights on Friday night back in Charlottesville.

 

EMSPORTS 9/18/2021

 

 

VIRGINIA CAVALIERS GET UP EARLY, SCORE ALL DAY TO DEFEAT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS, 42-14

Another beautiful Saturday in Charlottesville for football.  This one meant something more.  The rememberance of the 9/11 tragedy was being recognized across the country, 20 years after America was attacked.  On this bucolic morning, the Virginia Cavaliers were preparing to host the University of Illinois Fighting Illini.  Against the backdrop of American flags, the respectful words and moments of silence, the Cavaliers were prepared to honor their fans and the memories of those who were lost by providing a respite on the football field.

 

If you are a diehard football fan, you know tailgating is a must.  However, when an 11 am kickoff happens on a rare occasion, the tailgate gets cranked up earlier and so does the game.  Generally, this pre-noon kickoff is reserved for bowl games.  The Cavaliers have been the participants in several bowls previously at this time and have found success frequently.  The Cavaliers can boast of victories in the Continental Tire Bowls (2002, 2003) as well as the Music City Bowl (2015). 

 

The Cavaliers not only woke up early but the offense was humming early as well.  The team in blue scored in their first two possessions and the 14-0 lead set the tone in the first five minutes of the game.  With Brennan Armstrong pioneering the passing game, the defense picked up their share as well and continued to turn away the Fighting Illini on multiple attacks. 

 

Illinois was able to finally score in the second quarter on a touchdown pass from QB Artur Sitkowski to Deuce Spann of 33 yards. The excitement was short lived because UVA marched right back down the field with a touchdown before halfttime.  Brennan Armstrong’s third touchdown pass of the day, connected with  Dontaryion Wicks, who hauled in touchdown number two for himself. The Cavaliers enjoyed a 21-7 lead at the half and looked to stunt the Illini attack. 

 

The boys from Illinois had other plans.  A masterful and powerful opening second half drive culminated in a 21-yard rushing touchdown.  The score closed the gap to 21-14 and gave Illinois much needed momentum.  The Cavaliers and their fans had to regroup and reload.  They response was fantastic and overwhelming.

 

With a mix of trickeration and pinpoint passing, Armstrong led the Cavaliers to 21 straight point to finish off Illinois. The Virginia offense was sensational for the entire game.  Armstrong bested his performance from last week by passing for a career best 405 yards with five touchdown passes.  He also was seen catching a pass for 18 yards as well as rushing for 31 yards.  

 

TE Jelani Woods, the Oklahoma St transfer, was a monster and your defense force.  He finished with 122 yards receiving (game high) on five catches and the first TD of the game. Dontayvion Wicks, the speedy receiver, collected two touchdown catches and Wayne Tualapapa led all the Cavalier rushers with 35 yards.

 

The Cavaliers amassed 423 passing yards for the game and had 556 yards of total offense. The Cavaliers are averaging 42.5 points so far and recorded 1,101 total yards through their first two games.

 

The UVA defense was magnificent in stymying the Illini offense down. Illinois managed just 116 rushing yards and punted seven times during the game.  QB Artur Sitkowski passed for a touchdown and an interception while collecting 221 yards.  Chase Brown led all rushers with 41 yards. The Cavaliers also recorded two turnovers.  Virginia did turn the ball over twice themselves in Illinois territory, in the 4th quarter, when it appeared that the Cavaliers were going to completely blow open the game.  

 

For the season, the undefeated Hoos have outscored the opposition 85 to 14.  Their first ACC contest will take place in Chapel Hill on next Saturday night.  Virginia travels to play the University of North Carolina in a renewal of the Battle of the South, the longest current college football series between the same two teams.  

 

EMSPORTS 9/11/2021

look hoos back: virginia shuts out the tribe of william & mary, 43-0

photo by virginiasports.com

Cavaliers secure first shut out since the 2018 Belk Bowl

 

The Virginia Cavaliers were excited to see the fans back.  The fans were passionate and bursting with excitement to welcome back their beloved Cavaliers.  Scott Stadium had not been so full in nearly two years, since the epic victory of the Virginia Tech Hokies on Thanksgiving weekend of 2019.

 

The home opener also introduced an Orange Out.  The faithful brought their best orange gear and their voices to intimidate the visitors from Williamsburg.  The energy and passion of the crowd was well received by the Cavaliers and they returned the energy with a magnificient performance.

 

The offense totaled 545 yards of offense while limiting the Tribe to 183 yards in the victory.  No player stood out more than QB Brennan Armstrong.  The lefty signal-caller was sensational in his 2021 debut.  He completed 21 of his 31 passes for a game high 339 yards on the night. He was at his best with both his arm as well as his feet.  Armstrong broke open the scoring with 2-yard rushing touchdown to give the Cavs a 10-0 cushion.  As the first half was winding down, he completed a fade pattern of 5-yards to wide receiver Ra’Shaun Henry for his first passing touchdown.  Armstrong accounted for four touchdowns on the evening (2 passing, 2 receiving).

 

The defense in throwing the shutout was just as dominating.  The sea of orange defenders kept William and Mary frustrated and bottled up throughout the entire game.  The Cavaliers limited the Tribe to a handful of first downs in the first two quarters.  William and Mary didn't get their initial first down of the game until the 8 minute mark of the second quarter.  

 

The tribe only crossed midfield on three occasions.  Even when they had opportunities to score, they efforts were futile.  Virginia was pretty impressive on most drives of the game however they gave the Tribe life when they failed to convert a short fourth down. On the drive where W&M got the first down, they drove to the Cavaliers' 25-yard line.  However, a sign of how bad things were going was evident when they missed the field goal.  The other chance to score was on their first drive of the second half.  The Tribe moved the ball into the UVA redzone.  With crowd at a fever pitch and the defense knowing the shutout was being threatened, the Cavaliers defense stood tall and blocked the field goal attempt.  The tremendous play from Nick Grant prevented any points from getting on the scoreboard.

 

As the defense continued to collect tackles, the offense continued to rack up points in the second half.  Virginia scored on four of their six possessions after halftime and were also aided by a safety from a bad snap from the W&M center. 

 

The Cavaliers were able to gain 206 yards on the ground with three of the touchdowns, two from Armstrong and one from Ronnie Walker's only carry of the game, an nine-yard scamper as the final score of the game.

 

The Tribe who struggled all night faced an uphill battle.  Coach Mike London could not find the right combination as he returned to his former employer.  The leader on offense was Darius Wilson who passed for 83 yards and rushed for another 29.  Leading rusher Donavyn Lester earned a hard fought 42 yards to lead the team.  Another bright spot was EC Glass graduate, Dresean Kendrick, who made the most of his touches.  The young freshman was used in the passing game, rushing game and as a kickoff specialist.  His combination of carries and catches produce 40 all-purpose yards.

 

Virginia will continue their homestand when they welcome the University of Illinois Fighting Illini on and 11am kickoff on Sept. 11th.  William and Mary will host the Lafayette Leopards on next Saturday in their 2021 home opener.

 

Highlights of the Game:

 

WR Dontayvion Hicks

• 4 receptions, 94 yards

LB Nick Jackson
• 12 tackles (4 solo, 8 assisted), 2 QBH

PK Justin Duenkel

• 2 for 2 Field Goals (25yd, 39yd)

 

EMSPORTS.org 09/04/2021

uva basketball adds super recruit issac traudt to a loaded class of 2022

Virginia is doing it again as Issac Traudt commits to the Hoos.  In many ways, college athletics’ recruiting can represent a royal rumble seen in pro wrestling.  When multiple teams, heavyweights in the national landscape, lock their sights in in a dynamite player, it becomes a tug-of-war or push-and-pull over which coach, which program or which fan base can combine the next big talent, we are your best option.

 

In the case of Issac Traudt, the silky smooth point forward out of Grand Island, Nebraska, he was getting attention from anybody the Who’s Who of college basketball elite.  Michigan State, North Carolina, home state Creighton and Virginia were just a few of the bigger names in the recruiting battle.  Gonzaga was thought to be at even closer to winning his services but al that was put to rest when the consensus 4⭐️ star wing player made it official and chose cross take his skills to Charlottesville.

 

In what could be considered a great commitment, Coach Bennett and the Hoos have made the Class of 2022 as memorable as the Class of 2016 in terms of hype, potential and early buzz.  As history proved then, when great talents mix with great coaching, great results are soon to come.  The Class of 2022 will also add Leon Bond and Issac McNeely.  

 

EM-SPORTS 8/28/21

 

7/29/21

 

Murphy III Selected 17th Overall in First Round of 2021 NBA Draft

 

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Former Virginia standout Trey Murphy III was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round (17th overall) of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday (July 29). Murphy III is expected to be traded to the New Orleans Pelicans.

 

Murphy III is the ninth Virginia player selected in the NBA Draft since 2012, joining Mike Scott (2012), Joe Harris (2014), Justin Anderson (2015), Malcolm Brogdon (2016), Devon Hall (2018), De’Andre Hunter (2019), Ty Jerome (2019) and Kyle Guy (2019). Hunter, Anderson and Jerome were first-round selections, while Scott, Harris, Brogdon, Hall and Guy were drafted in the second round.

Murphy III is also the 11th UVA player to be selected in the first round of the NBA Draft, joining Barry Parkhill (1973), Wally Walker (1976), Jeff Lamp (1981), Ralph Sampson (1983), Olden Polynice (1987), Bryant Stith (1992), Cory Alexander (1995), Justin Anderson (2015), Hunter (2019) and Jerome (2019).

Murphy III transferred to Virginia after two seasons at Rice. The 6-9, 206-pound junior averaged 11.3 points and 3.4 rebounds as Virginia (18-7) captured its 10th ACC regular-season championship and made its seventh straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

 

Murphy III became the first UVA player in history in the 50-40-90 Club, shooting 50.3 percent from the field, 43.3 percent from 3-point range and 92.7 from the free throw line.

 

Murphy III reached double figures in 17 contests, including a season-high 21 points, (6-for-8 3-pointers) vs. Towson. Murphy III ranked seventh in the ACC in 3-point field goals made (2.1) and was named to the All-ACC Academic Team.


Ralph Sampson 2010.jpgCharlottesville VA

Ralph Sampson is part of a group that has purchased the Legendary

White spot diner on the # UVA Corer.  EM-SPORTS 3/24/21

 

 
 
 
Bracket Set for 2021 New York Life ACC Tournament
 
GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) –The Atlantic Coast Conference has announced the seedings and pairings for the 68th annual New York Life ACC Tournament, which will be played Tuesday through Saturday (March 9-13) at Greensboro Coliseum.
                                                                           
After winning its fifth ACC regular-season championship in the last eight years, Virginia (17-6, 13-4 ACC) earned the tournament’s No. 1 seed and a double bye into the quarterfinals on Thursday. No. 2 Florida State (15-5, 11-4), No. 3 Virginia Tech (15-5, 9-4) and No. 4 Georgia Tech (15-8, 11-6) also earned double byes and will start tournament play on Thursday.
 
The tournament begins Tuesday with three matchups. No. 12 Pitt (10-11, 6-10) takes on No. 13 Miami (8-16, 4-15) at 2 p.m., No. 10 Duke (11-11, 9-9) faces No. 15 Boston College (4-15, 2-11) at 4:30 p.m. and No. 11 Notre Dame (10-14, 7-11) plays No. 14 Wake Forest (6-15, 3-15) in the nightcap at 7 p.m. All three games will be televised by ACC Network.
 
The second round on Wednesday starts at noon with No. 8 seed Syracuse (15-8, 9-7) taking on No. 9 NC State (13-9, 9-8). No. 5 seed Clemson (16-6, 10-6) faces the winner of the Pitt-Miami game at 2:30 p.m. In the evening session, No. 7 Louisville (13-6, 8-5) plays the winner of the Duke-BC matchup at 6:30 p.m., with No. 6 North Carolina (16-9, 10-6) facing the Notre Dame-Wake Forest winner at 9 p.m. The quartet of games will be televised on ACC Network.
 
The Wednesday winners then will move on to play the tournament’s top four seeds on Thursday in the quarterfinals, which will be broadcast by ESPN or ESPN2.
 
All 14 tournament games will be nationally televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or ACC Network. In addition, all games will be available for streaming via ACCNX.
 
The ACC and its 15 member institutions will continue to follow the policies and protocols in the ACC’s Medical Advisory Report.
 
The Greensboro Coliseum Complex has instituted the Patron Health Initiative, a program dedicated to the safety of patrons, staff and performers stemming from the COVID-19 outbreak. Face coverings are mandatory for every person 5 years or older and must be worn at all times, except while actively eating and drinking in your seat.
 
The full 2021 New York Life ACC Tournament schedule:
 
Tuesday, March 9 - First Round
2 p.m. – No. 12 Pitt vs. No. 13 Miami (ACC Network)
4:30 p.m. – No. 10 Duke vs. No. 15 Boston College (ACC Network)
7 p.m. – No. 11 Notre Dame vs. No. 14 Wake Forest (ACC Network)
 
Wednesday, March 10 - Second Round
Noon – No. 8 Syracuse vs. No. 9 NC State (ACC Network)
2:30 p.m. – No. 5 Clemson vs. Pitt/Miami winner (ACC Network)
6:30 p.m. – No. 7 Louisville vs. Duke/Boston College winner (ACC Network)
9 p.m. – No. 6 North Carolina vs. Notre Dame/Wake Forest winner (ACC Network)
 
Thursday, March 11 - Quarterfinals
Noon – No. 1 Virginia vs. Wednesday Noon winner (ESPN or ESPN2)
2:30 p.m. – No. 4 Georgia Tech vs. Wednesday 2:30 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2)
6:30 p.m. – No. 2 Florida State vs. Wednesday 6:30 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2)
9 p.m. – No. 3 Virginia Tech vs. Wednesday 9 p.m. winner (ESPN or ESPN2)
 
Friday, March 12 - Semifinals
6:30 p.m. – Thursday afternoon winners (ESPN or ESPN2)
9 p.m. – Thursday evening winners (ESPN or ESPN2)
 
Saturday, March 13 - Championship
 

 

 

 

MIKE BARBER Richmond Times-Dispatch
During the week, North Carolina coach Roy Williams worried about the matchup with Virginia’s slick-shooting forwards, Sam Hauser and Jay Huff.

Saturday night, his concern proved well warranted.

The duo combined for 35 points and hit seven of their team’s 10 made 3-pointers as No. 9 UVa took control early against Williams’ Tar Heels and never looked back en route to a 60-48 win at John Paul Jones Arena.

Virginia (15-3, 11-1 ACC) seized control of the game with an early 21-2 run and its defense and ball security made sure it stayed out front the rest of the way.

“They were a little cold and we got into a rhythm offensively,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. “Then we got that separation.”

Williams called facing Virginia — with Hauser and Huff — the “biggest challenge” his team would face this season. He said he hoped the Heels could get Huff into foul trouble.

Instead, Huff committed just one second-half foul and finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, his second double-double of the season.

Hauser added 17 points and five rebounds.

Just like a year ago, when UVa ended the season with eight straight wins heading into the ACC Tournament, which was canceled before the Cavaliers could play a game, Bennett’s club is heating up down the stretch.

 

Virginia has now won four in a row and still sits atop the ACC standings, a game ahead of Florida State, which it plays on Monday night in Tallahassee, Fla.

Its last time out, North Carolina (12-7, 7-5) scored 50 points in the second half of its win over rival Duke. Saturday night, the Tar Heels failed to hit that total for the entire game, struggling to hit shots or score in transition against the ACC’s top defensive team.

Virginia, which had seen its turnover total go up in each of its previous four games — from nine against Virginia Tech on Jan. 30, to 11 against North Carolina State, 12 against Pittsburgh and then a whopping 17 the last time out against Georgia Tech — was far better with the basketball Saturday

 

 

Four-Star Shooting Guard Isaac McKneely Commits To Virginia

By: Chris Horne | January 30, 2021
 

Isaac McKneely, a 6’4”, 185-pound shooting guard prospect out of Poca (W.V.), is taking his talents to the University of Virginia. The consensus 4-star junior has announced his verbal commitment to the Hoos over scholarship offers from Illinois, Indiana, Louisville, Purdue and West Virginia, among many others, as well as heavy interest from Kentucky and North Carolin

 

UVA is getting a prospect who has earned high acclaim from national recruiting outlets for his talent, as well as high marks from those close to him for his character. On the court, the standout prospect made 45% of his 3s while averaging 22 points per game for the Dots during his sophomore season. He is currently rated the No. 57 junior in the nation and a 4-star prospect by Rivals.com, while 247Sports.com ranks him as a 4-star and the No. 62 prospect in the class of 2022.

Describing McKneely’s development over the past year, Poca head boys varsity basketball coach Allen Osborne said in this West Virginia Metro News article that “Isaac went from 6-foot-2, 150 pounds last year to 6-4, 185 right now. So his body is developing. He has gotten bigger, stronger and quicker. Most of the time he is working on his skill development. He is working out at home and in the gyms. He is dedicated and wants to be a great player. His goal is to go somewhere and play immediately.

 

 

  1.  
 

 

New Zealand Guard Taine Murray Becomes Virginia Basketball’s First 2021 Commitment

By: Chris Horne | September 13, 2020
 

University of Virginia men’s basketball fans in the Eastern Time Zone are waking up to some good news on the recruiting front. Taine Murray, a 6’5”, 200-pound guard out of Auckland, New Zealand, has committed to the Hoos.

Murray, who posted his announcement via Instagram at roughly 2:30 a.m. EST (6:30 p.m. in New Zealand), is UVA’s first pledge in the class of 2021.

 

 
 

 

 

Bryce Hall is Selected in the Fifth Round of the 2020 NFL Draft by the New York Jets

UVA cornerback is the second Cavalier selected in 2020

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia senior cornerback Bryce Hall (Harrisburg, Pa.) was selected by the New York Jets during Saturday’s fifth round of the National Football Draft. Hall was the 158th overall pick and the first cornerback drafted out of Virginia since Tim Harris was taken by the San Francisco 49ers in the sixth round, 198th overall, in 2019.

 

Hall is the first Cavalier drafted by the Jets since 2013 when offensive tackle Oday Aboushi was taken in the fifth round. Hall is the 10th Cavalier all-time to be drafted by the Jets.

 

Hall, a second-team All-American in 2018, suffered a season-ending injury in game No. 5 at Miami. Prior to injury, Hall didn’t allow a single catch on 52 press coverage snaps in 2019. According to Pro Football Focus, Hall forced an incompletion on 24.8 percent of targets since 2017. That is the second-highest rate in college football over that span. As a junior in 2018, Hall led the nation with 22 breakups and was tied for No. 1 in the nation with 24 passes defended. Hall earned first-team All-ACC accolades in 2018 and was a second-team All-American by the prestigious Walter Camp Foundation and Football Writers Association of America.

 

Clark’s clutch 3 sends seniors to victory as Virginia wins 57-54 over louisville

photo by uvamenshoops@twitter.com

 

The #22 Virginia Cavaliers will be headed to the ACC Tournament with a double bye well earned. The Cavaliers have also secured a comfortable place in the NCAA tournament in two weeks as well. However, one goal still remained, beat the #7 Louisville Cardinals.

 

The Cardinals has snapped a personal streak when they beat Virginia in the Yum! Center back in January. The loss was and is the only loss that Virginia has suffered in their last 11 games. A win not only splits the season series, it captures the #2 seed in the ACC Tournament for the Cavs.

 

This game is even more meaningful because it marks the last home contest for Mamadi Diakite and Braxton Key and fan favorite, Grant Kersey, student manager/super sub. These two defensive stalwarts have been cornerstones of excellence and effectiveness for the Cavaliers the last two seasons. Each was an integral part in the championship title run for the Cavaliers last year. The Mamadi floater to tie the game in epic fashion versus Purdue in the Elite Eight and Braxton Let’s block time preserve the tie in the championship game against Texas Tech. Both plays ushered Virginia into overtime battles which resulted in victories.

 

The offense and defense combined to give Virginia a quick 6-2 lead. With the crowd going crazy, the Cavaliers looked to take quick control. However, the Cardinals were just getting started. Steven Enoch scored the first five points before his teammates jumped aboard. Louisville used some hot shooting form near and far to take a 20-15 lead and push the home volume down several notches.

 

Then a strange thing happened. Kihei Clark made a pinpoint alley-pop pass to Jay Huff for a traditional and-1 conversion. As Huff attempted the free throw, Louisville committed a lane violation. The shot was missed, but Coach Chris Mack was visibly upset and demonstrative in argument with the call against his team. His frustration led to a technical foul. The Cavaliers capitalized. First, Clark drilled the two technicals and then Huff completed his re-try at his free throw. All free throws went in and a five point deficit became a tied game. The huge momentum swing was just what the team and crowd needed.

 

The final five minutes saw the Cavaliers outscore the Cardinals 16-4 is a seldom seen Cavalanche. Virginia entered the half with its largest lead at 31-24 and the Cardinals were looking for a chance to re-group.

Clark was the leader at 11 points for the Cavs and four assists. Jay Huff added eight and Diakite has six. Steven Enoch paced the Cards with 11 points trailed by six from Jordan Nwora on two three-pointers.

 

The Cavaliers committed just three turnovers compared to Louisville’s eight. Both teams were respectable from the field but Virginia had one more field goal while Louisville made twice as many 3-point shots (four versus two). Virginia was also a perfect 7 for 7 from the free throw line. Louisville attempted zero free throws.

 

Virginia flexed their muscle coming out the locker room. The Cavaliers answered every response by the Cardinals. At the 13:21 mark, they stretched the lead up to 14 at 43-29, when Tomas Woldetensae finally splashed home a three pointer. Yet, the game was just beginning. Louisville found their offensive rhythm and proceeded to whittled the Virginia until they tied the game at 51 when the teams Diakite’s lay-up was countered by a Darius Perry long range missile. The 22-8 Louisville scoring run made for a nail-biting finish in the last 5:11 of the game.

 

Then the Cavaliers responded like the mental giants they have been since January. The Cavaliers took the Cardinals best shot and made all the critical plays. The biggest play was a cold blooded dagger by Kihei Clark with a three pointer to give the Cavaliers a 55-51 lead with 31 seconds left in the game. The game was effectively over, the defense allowed one field goal over that stretch and the final points for Diakite in JPJ were two free throws to seal the win at 57-54.

 

The Cavaliers secured the #2 seed in ACC and finished regular season with eight consecutive victories and many with heart-breaking, gut wrenching performances. Virginia avenges their earlier lost to Louisville and now look to continue the streak as postseason play begins for real with ACC next week then the Big Dance.

 

Clark lead the team with 18 points, Diakite had 17 points and eight rebounds in his swan song. Huff finished with 11. Braxton Key chipped in six points and seven rebounds. Jordan Nwora found his stroke with 12 second half points and 18 for the game.  He also cleared the boards, grabbing a game high 11 to earn his double-double. Steven Enoch who was the force in the first half, was nonexistent in the second half and finished with the same total of 11 points he scored before halftime. 

 

Louisville scored more from the three point line than Virginia ( nine vs four) but Virginia made quality stops and converted free throws at 15-20 whereas Louisville was only 7 for 9. The Cardinals edged out Virginia with 31 rebounds to 30. Virginia nine assists to nine turnovers while Louisville had nine assists but 13 turnovers. Both defenses squeezed all they could out of the other and it resulted in the following from both clubs (Cards @ 37%, Cavs @ 41%).

 

The loss makes the Cardinals 24-7 and 15-5 in ACC.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 3/07/2020

Virginia swAts away the comeback, beats #7 duke in a thriller 52-50

photo by Darrell Owens

In recent years, the Virginia-Duke rivalry has been as compelling as any matchup in the ACC. Both teams have battled for dominance and supremacy as they used this matchup as a tuneup for the postseason.

Duke has won the last three meetings and six of the last regular season tilts, yet none were easy.

In the only contest this year before the tournament, the Blue Devils traveled north to Charlottesville looking to snap a two-game road losing streak and stay tied at the top of the standings. Virginia was riding a five game winning streak and stood 1 game back in loss column of the three ACC leaders.

Virginia and Duke both showcased their strengths. The Cavaliers started strong g and backed by a frenzied crowd, they built a 11-6 lead. The Blue Devils didn’t falter and established the inside-outside combo of Vernon Carey, Jr and Trey Jones. Those two propelled a run giving the visitors a 18-13 lead with about eight minutes to go in first half.

Virginia knew it needed to respond and not allow Duke to runaway. So the Cavaliers hit back with a mini-Cavalanche and found themselves up 21-18 on back to back dunks from Jay Huff. 

Both teams played methodical but sloppy turnovers from Virginia allowed Duke to tie the game at 25-25 going into the intermission.  

Duke turned up the full court pressure and some timely shooting gave the a quick three point lead at 31-28. For nearly eight minutes, Duke kept Virginia in chase mode until a Braxton Key lay-up tied the game at 39-39 with under ten minutes to play. From that moment, it was nip and tuck to the finish.

The largest lead was only three points (Duke 42-39) while each squad played suffocating defense and flipped the lead back and forth into the waning seconds.

A goal-tend violation by Mamadi Diakite gave Duke its final lead at 50-49 with less than 40 seconds on the clock. Diakite redeemed himself on the next possession as he banked in a well choreographed shot to give the Cavaliers the upper hand, a 51-50 lead with just under 14 seconds.  

Duke had time and opportunity to score but a rare miss from Trey Jones was secured by Jay Huff. After a quick Duke foul, the Cavaliers needed to hit free throws to ice the game. The Cardiac Cavs were once again living up to their name.

Braxton Key’s miss of an one-and-one gave Blue Devils hope. The long arms of Jay Huff dashed any final Blue Devil efforts as he batted away a Carey game winner and made one of two free throws with nearly four seconds remaining.

Duke attempted a desperation three from Trey Jones but it caromed of the time and Virginia had finished off Duke in an entertaining, low-scoring affair.

The story was Jay Huff. He recorded a near triple-double with 15 points,10 blocks and nine rebounds. He got support from Diakite and Key who both had 14 points each. The Cavaliers packline defense minimized Duke’s high powered offense, limiting them to under 31% for the game from the floor and anemic 4 of 17 from the 3pt arc (23.5%).

Virginia was good enough shooting 42% from the field and 30% from behind the arc. The Cavs also won the rebounding battle at 38-33 while committing 15 turnovers to Duke’s 10.

Carey and Jones ties for game high honors at 17 points each while no one else scored more than substitute Javin DeLaurier’s six.

The win gives Virginia a 21-7 record and 13-5 in ACC. The loss drops Duke into a tie at third with Virginia in conference and 23-6 overall.

virginia cavaliers shoot down the  boston college eagles 78-65

photo by virginiasports.com

Virginia was looking to keep the momentum from the big win on the road at UNC.  Their next challenge was to maintain homecourt advantage and beat a Boston College team who upended the Cavaliers in Boston earlier in the year.  The Virginia Cavaliers knew a tough game laid ahead.  The Cavaliers still held out hopes of moving up the ACC standings and exacting some revenge against the Boston Colleg Eagles who upset the Cavs about six weeks ago in Chestnut Hill.  The upstart Boston College team was looking to capture another ACC road win and even their league record.

 

Jay Huff set the tone for the evening.  He knocked down his first two shots and gave the Cavaliers their first five points.  His three pointer gave Virginia an early lead and the offense never looked back.  His third three of the game, gave UVA a 35-23 lead and capped a 6-0 run in the last 45 seconds of the half.  The six points were part of a 10-4 run in the last four minutes of the half following Kihei Clark’s second foul.

 

Virginia’s defense was on display early with minimizing the Eagles shot efficiency and successful possessions.  The Eagles shot a porous 35% from the field and only 30% from behind the three-point line.  In contrast, the Cavaliers were much sharper.  The Cavaliers made 13 of their 26 shots and then hit 7 of 12 from the 3pt land.  The Cavaliers gathered 18 rebounds compared to the 14 of the Eagles. 

 

Jay Huff brought the stuff and more.  He led all scorers with 11 points and seven rebounds.  Tomas Woldetensae also scored 11 on the strength of (3) three-point shots.  Jay Heath paced the Eagles with eight points.

 

BC came out hot and made the contest much closer with near 70% shooting early ito the second half.  However, their defense was as cold as their offense was hot.  Virginia was even hotter with near perfect shooting and gained more ground from the free throw line.  The Eagles propensity to foul placed the Cavaliers in the bonus with over 13 minutes left in the second half.  

 

However, the second half turned into a pop a shot exhibition and the Cavaliers were better than their opponents.  The halftime lead was safe but the Eagles were able to whittle the lead down to six, 45-39, at the 14:42 mark of the second half.  The game changed and the lead never got any smaller.  The Cavaliers got the message, Key scored the next six consecutive points and the offense went into high gear.  With several mini scoring runs, they eventually stretched the lead to as many as 20 points (70-50) on the strength of a 9-0 burst.  

 

Boston College was able to make a few more baskets to make the score more reasonable but the Cavaliers were never threatened in the last 10 minutes of the game.

 

The Cavaliers placed five players in double figures in scoring their highest output of the season.  Braxton Key and Kihei Clark led the way with 17 points apiece.  Woldetensae and Huff each had 14 and Mamadi Diakite added 10.  Huff grabbed a team high eight rebounds.  For Boston College, Nik Popovic led all scorers with 22 while teammates Jay Heath and Jairus Hamilton each hit double figures, with 18 and 11, respectively.

 

Boston College improved their shooting to 46% for the game as well as making 8 of 22 three-point field goals.  Conversely, the Cavaliers didn't cool off after halftime.  They made 13 of their 19 second half field goals shooting a blazing clip of 58% for the game.  The Cavaliers shot the same as from the three-point line as well making 10 of their 17 attempts.  Both teams valued the ball committing less than 10 turnovers each.  Virginia dominated from the field as well as from the free throw line where they made 15 more than the Eagles and attempted 20 more overall.

 

The win boosts Virginia to 18-7 overall and 10-5 in the ACC.  The loss makes Boston College 13-14 on the year and 7-9 in the ACC.

 

EMSPORTS.org 2/19/2020

in overtime, Virginia outlasts Notre Dame, 50-49

photo by virginiasports.com

 

Virginia gave every ounce of fight in losing at Louisville. The Cardinals were just a little better down the stretch. The Cavaliers losing was actually a gain in applying those tough lessons in stealing victory from the jaws of defeat, beating a hot Notre Dame team 50-49 in overtime.

 

In a game where each team struggled to find an offensive rhythm, both also found more misses than makes and turnovers too. Virginia was the author of 13 turnovers compared to only 7 by the Irish. However, the Cavaliers won in the important categories, rebounding, free throw shooting and final score.

 

The first half was a tug-of-war of wills. The phrase "anything you can do, I can do better", was certainly on display but not the way you think,  Each team struggled from the field after a solid start. The Irish made three of their first six shots, then a lid went on the goal. After many empty trips, over six minutes elapsed before ND scored again from Matt Mooney’s two free throws. During that period, Virginia was not much better and held a tenuous lead. It wasn’t until the last eight minutes of the half before ND took control of the game and held a lead into the break finishing the first half with a three pointer from TJ Gibbs at 26-22. Both teams endured multiple scoring droughts of minutes or more during the first half. 

 

Notre Dame knocked down five 3pt shots and limited the Cavaliers to one of eight shooting from behind the arc. Mamadi Diakite led all scorers with nine points while Juwan Durham and Prentiss Hubb both had six for the Irish. Neither team scorched the nets on offense. Each team shot well under 40% from the field.

 

The second half was a back and forth affair. The teams traded baskets and Notre Dame continued to hold a slight lead until Jay Huff flexed his scoring prowess. Nate Lazsewski converted a jumper to give ND their biggest advantage at 38-33. Virginia made their move to regain the momentum and the lead.

 

Two free throws by Diakite was followed by eight straight points from Huff. He sandwiched a mid-range jumper in between two three pointers. Each jumper hit the target, and his personal 8 point scoring streak pushed Virginia into a 43-38 lead.

 

With the momentum, Virginia looked on good shape to pull away from ND, however the last six minutes the Irish made the better decisions and took a late lead. Another late lead change, put Virginia at brink of defeat.

 

Diakite saved the day with a game-tying jumper with 27 seconds left. Notre Dame missed a potential game winning shot and the contest needed more.


The first 40 minutes were not enough and the next five would settle this low scoring battle. The overtime was a mini version of the game. Both teams played extremely gritty defense which led to some ugly shots, empty possessions and few results.

 

Virginia struck first with two more free throws from Diakite. Notre Dame answered with a Prentiss Hubb jumper and then it seemed to be a game where the next score wins.  

 

Eventually the Cavaliers scored one more point, game winning free throw by Braxton Key. This was the last point scored all game as both teams went scoreless the last two plus minutes of overtime.

 

Diakite was leader at 20 points while Braxton Key pulled down a team high 13 rebounds.

Prentiss Hubb pumped one a team high 12 points. Matt Mooney continued his double-double dominance recording 11 points and 14 rebounds. Nate Laszewski also scores 11 points.

 

The Cavaliers earned the victory by the slimmest of margins and improved to 16-7 overall and 8-5 in ACC. The defeat drips Notre Dame to 15-9 and 6-7 in ACC. ND faces Duke and UNC in upcoming matchups. Virginia will travel to North Carolina before hosting Boston College.

 

by EMSPORTS.org  2/11/20

virginia wins third in a row, holds off clemson 51-44

photo by virginiasports.com

The Virginia Cavaliers were back home to face the Clemson Tigers. They actually had not left since they lasted played eight days ago upsetting the #5 Florida State Seminoles.

 

The Cavaliers has waited with bated breath to keep the momentum going and the Tigers were next on the schedule.

Virginia has owned Clemson in the Tony Bennett era. Entering the game, Bennett’s teams were 11-3 overall versus Clemson and had a nine game winning streak. Clemson has been reeling on winning two of their last five games since the big upset of #3 Duke.

 

Virginia started out with a 14-2 run and looked poised to blow the doors off Clemson. The defense held Clemson scoreless for nearly four minutes to open the game. Each starter contributed as Braxton Key and Tomas Woldetensae made three pointers during the run while Jay Huff and Mamadi Diakite handled the inside scoring while Kihei Clark was driving and dishing.

 

Eventually Clemson settled in and played the Cavaliers even in the last 11 minutes of the half. Even though the defenses got tougher, Virginia was careful with the ball only committing two turnovers compared to Clemson’s seven. Virginia held Clemson to their lowest scoring output for a half while also limiting the Tigers to 29% from the field.

 

Virginia led 26-14 on the strength of Braxton Key’s eight points and seven from Diakite. Clemson was able to stay within reason thanks to Aamir Simms’s five points.

 

The second half was similar to how the first half ended. Each team was trading baskets however Clemson started making a few more 3pts compared to the two point variety from Virginia.

 

With a lead of 33-24 midway thru the second half, Clemson locked in the defensive clamps and clawed their way back into the game. The Tigers put together a modest 10-3 run that included two scoring droughts from UVA. The first drought lasted five and a half minutes was ended by a layup from Key. Then Clemson forced Virginia into another cold spell lasting almost four minutes. With the score 36-34 in favor of the Cavaliers, Braxton Key did it again with a backbreaking three pointer giving Virginia a 39-34 and some much needed breathing room.

 

Clemson would get close only once more at 42-39 but Key made another important three pointer with only 1:28 left to break the Clemson comeback spirit.

 

Key was instrumental with 11 points in the second half, eight in the last five minutes. Key finished with 19 and eight rebounds. Diakite also grabbed eight boards and scored 13 points. Jay Huff stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, 10 boards and four blocks. Kihei Clark led the team with 10 assists to offset his low scoring night. Virginia also swatted seven shots versus the Tigers who only blocked two shots.

 

Aamir Simms led three Tigers with 16 points, Al-Amir Dawes chipped in 11 with eight rebounds while Tevin Mack gave the visitors 10 points.

 

Each team shot poorly from every aspect of the game. Neither team shot over 37% from the field, nor better than 36% from three-point arc. The free throws were only slightly better as Clemson shot 58% while the a Cavaliers shot 53%.

 

Virginia has now won three in a row a moved to 15-6 on the year with a 7-4 ACC record. Clemson fell to 11-11 and 5-7 in conference.

 

by EMSPORTS 2/05/2020

virginia pulls off the home upset over the #5 fsu seminoles, 61-56

photo by virginiasports.com

The Virginia Cavaliers were at home looking for a marquee win.  The Virginia Cavaliers were looking to stop a two-game home losing streak.  In the last few years, Virginia was generally the higher ranked team looking to avoid an upset.   This matchup had the #5 Florida State Seminoles paying a visit to John Paul Jones Arena dressed as the hunted not the hunter.


Less than two weeks ago, Florida State had won a very close contest in Tallahassee 54-50 and have been rolling ever since.  The Seminoles were in the midst of a 10-game winning streak and had only lost once in their last 18 games.


The Seminoles started hot, hitting their first three shots and taking a quick 8-0 lead to the surprise of the Cavalier fanbase.  After a few misses, Virginia slowly crawled back into the game and knocked in their first shot came in by Braxton Key after three minutes had elapsed.  The Cavaliers continued to tighten up their defense and then the offense caught up.


The Seminoles kept a slim lead until a drive by Casey Morsell led to a bucket and a foul.  The ensuing free throw was successful and Virginia tied the game at 14.  The first tie since the opening tip.


After that both teams engaged in a seesaw affair with neither team getting much separation from one another.  The largest lead was only three and the lead changed four times before Florida State was able to slide into the half with a 28-27 lead.


The first half was marred by turnovers where Virginia had 10 of the 17 created by both teams.  Each team shot over 40% from the floor and made multiple three pointers.  


The second half saw Florida State score early to push the lead to 30-27 before Virginia ran off a modest 8-0 spurt to gain their biggest lead of the night at 35-30.  The Seminoles responded like the best team in the ACC and started a 10-4 spurt that gave the lead with under 10 minutes left in the half at 40-39.


Once again both teams began to trade the lead, reminiscent of the first half.  After taking a 47-44 lead, the Cavaliers kept the pressure up and took the lead on Kihei Clark’s two free throws with a little over six minutes left in the second half.  


The Seminoles took the Cavaliers’ best shot and then responded with key baskets to maintain a 56-53 lead with just under two minutes.  In all four of Virginia’s ACC losses, they held a lead with under four minutes to play and could not close the deal.  This time around, the tables were turned and the Cavs figured out how to make the key plays and finish strong.


From the 2:20 mark until the final horn, the Cavaliers were the aggressor as well as the finishers.  The courage of Kihei Clark to constantly drive into the “trees” inside the Florida State defense paid off when he scored the game-winning layup with one-minute left.  His bucket came in the midst of an 8-0 run to end the game.


Florida State had two opportunities to tie the game at 59 but came up woefully short on their consecutive three-point attempts.  Braxton Key sealed the victory with two free throws and the upset was complete.


Devin Vassell was a thorn in Virginia’s side all night.  He scored FSU’s final points of the game and nearly shot them to a victory.  He was clutch in several moments and seemed to make plays all night long.  He finished with team highs in points (17) and rebounds (6).  His teammate, Raiquan Gray, added eight points.  For Virginia, they got a bulk of their scoring from the three upperclassmen in Mamadi Diakite with 19 points to lead everyone.  Kihei Clark added 15 and Braxton Key contributed 13 points.  Key and Diakite each collected nine rebounds.


As a team, Virginia struggled with turnovers committing 17 for the game but they were dynamic on the boards with 36 to Florida State’s 23 and at the free throw line where they converted 20 of 23 for the game including the last 7 in a row.  Florida State only made 7 of their 11 attempts.  The defenses were very good.  FSU shot under 39% while UVA was a little better at 43%.  Florida State made seven of 20 from behind the 3pt line while Virginia cashed in on five of 12 shots from there.


The win gives Virginia (14-6, 6-4 ACC) a boost as they now wait eight days before welcoming the Clemson Tigers to Charlottesville.  The loss is Florida State’s (17-3) first since December 2019 and drops them into a second-place tie in the ACC with Duke at 7-2. 

 

EMSPORTS 1/28/2020 

nc state wins nailbiter at virginia, 53-51

The Virginia Cavaliers returned to John Paul Jones looking to build on the impressive road win at Georgia Tech.

 

The visiting NC State Wolfpack was also riding momentum beating Clemson at home. The Wolfpack was also trying to earn their first ever win in JPJ. Both teams were tied at 4-3 in ACC play and this game would be crucial for ACC positioning in the standings.

 

NC State started strong and held the lead for the vast majority of the first half. The leader was DJ Funderburk who scored a game high 12 points in first half. The Wolfpack could never pull away from the Cavs who were able to keep the gap at two, losing 28-26 at the half. Virginia was very sloppy with the ball with five turnovers in the first ten minutes. As they settled in, so did NC Stare who answered every Virginia rally.

 

As the game enters into the second half, the visitors came out with the lead and the eye on the basket. NC State started fast, stunning the usually reliable Virginia defense and silencing the crowd. A methodical 13-5 run out the Wolfpack up by 11 (42-31) with just under 14 minutes left to play. The Cavaliers were running in place and banging their heads against the wall looking for an answer.

 

The solution was the Packline defense. In over 10 minutes, the Wolfpack couldn’t score if you put them under the basket. The Cavaliers put a stranglehold on their opponents. The defense was throwing a shutout and the offense found its rhythm.

 

Virginia roared back with a 15-0 lead and took a 46-42 lead until NC State hot a much needed three pointer with under four minutes to go. The three pointer ignited the team and gave them the extra surge to finish the game on an 11-5 run.

 

The Cavaliers saw another late game lead slip away. The unfortunate script of all their losses in the ACC thus far. NC State was good enough down the stretch in spite of some poor free throw shooting. Funderburk led the way with 14 points and five rebounds before fouling out. CJ Bryce contributed 13 including the game winning jumper.

 

Kihei Clark paced the Cavaliers with 10 points and was only Virginia player in double digits. Morsell had nine points and three other Cavs had eight apiece: Mamadi Diakite, Jay Huff and Braxton Key.

 

Both teams struggled shooting as NC State 39% overall with 31% from 3pt land compared to Virginia’s 36% and porous 25% from behind the arc. The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle, 40-30, as well as knocking down 80% from the free throw line.

 

NC State improves to 14-5, 5-3 in ACC while Virginia stands at 12-6 with a 4-4 record in conference.

 

EMSPORTS.org 1/20/2020

SYRACUSE ORANGE UPSET THE #19 VIRGINIA CAVALIERS IN OT, 63-55

They say there is a first for everything.  In some cases, you may wish the first was in your favor and not at your expense.  The Syracuse Orange made a point to return the loss of the first ACC game of the year that they were given by Virginia in the Carrier Dome.  The road trip was successful 63-55 victory in OT.

 

Syracuse captured their first win ever in John Paul Jones and pulled off some revenge in the process. The visitors fought the #19 Virginia to a standstill in regulation then pulled away in the overtime. 

 

The scoring started slow for both teams as they each tried to find the range. Jay Huff opened the scoring for Virginia however Syracuse answered back and took an early 7-5 at the first timeout.

Both offenses struggled as they looked for rhythm. Each team attempted numerous jumpers with very few positive results.

 

Syracuse was able to take a quick 17-11 lead on back to back threes from Elijah Hughes before Virginia used a quick burst to close the score to 17-15.

 

Syracuse regained its composure and expanded the lead before a Jay Huff outback slam closed the half at 24-20 Syracuse.

 

The first half was littered with sporadic offense, poor passing and turnovers. Virginia shot nearly 31% from the floor but converted just two three point shots. Syracuse made four 3pt shots but only shot at a 26% clip but converted all four free throw attempts. The Orange collected 23 rebounds to the Cavaliers’ 21 while only having five turnovers compared to nine from Virginia.

 

Elijah Hughes and Joe Girard III paced Syracuse with eight points each. Three Cavs led their team with six each: Mamadi Diakite, Jay Huff and Kihei Clark.

 

The second half start was anemic as ice cold shooting hurt the Cavaliers. Syracuse was able to make just enough shots to take their largest lead at 30-23 after a Elijah Hughes fast break funk. Then Virginia’s offense came alive. A much needed 12-0 spurt over the next seven minutes gave Virginia a reprieve from their poor performance and push their lead to 35-30 with just under ten minutes to play.

 

The last 10 minutes was equivalent to watching paint dry. Each team traded the lead with Virginia tying the game at 43-43 after a Huff stuff. Both teams had a chance in regulation to win but neither shot found the mark.

 

Syracuse came out in the extra session on fire. The Orange knocked down three consecutive three point jumpers to take a 52-45 lead matching their biggest of the evening. The Orange were near perfect in overtime. The made five of six threes and scored 20 points in OT to pull away with the upset.

 

Symbolic of how bad things were going for Virginia, Buddy Boeheim, Coach Jim Boeheim's son, flung a desparate heave from over 35 feet away that rattled into the basket and broke the spirit of the Cavaliers in overtime.

 

Joe Girard finsihed with 19 points and Hughes added 18.  Boeheim finished with 14.  Jay Huff was the Cavalier leader with 16 points and 10 rebounds.  Clark led the with nine assists to go with 13 points and Diakite also had 13 points with 8 rebounds.

 

The Hoos fall to 11-4 and 3-2 in ACC play with their second straight ACC loss.  Syracuse moves to 9-7 and 2-3 in ACC play.

 

EMSPORTS.org 1/11/2020

 

 

#19 Cavaliers put stranglehold on Hokies, cruise to a 65-39 victory

photo by virginiasports.com

In many basketball circles, when the calendar turns into a new year, the belief is the real season begins. The new year of 2020 brings new challenges and none bigger than opening up ACC play with your dreaded nemesis, the Virginia Tech Hokies.

 

Both teams found success in 2019, entering with near identical records. The Hokies are 10-3, 1-1 in ACC. The 19th ranked Cavaliers are 10-2 and 2-0 in the conference. This game would set the tone for the remaining 18 games left in ACC play and as always, giving the winner bragging rights until they meet again in February in Blacksburg.


Virginia come out hot making their first two baskets, a three from Kihei Clark and a layup from Braxton Key. The Hokies were able to score four points in the first few minutes of the game but then the offenses went flat.  Both teams went well over three minutes without a field goal before VT’s Landers Nolley II hit a jumper. Braxton Key answered with a three pointer and Virginia stretched the lead to 14-6. His jumper started a 15-5 run that boosted the lead to 26-11 with just under two minutes left.

 

Nolley II scored the Hokies last 15 points of the half while Virginia got more balanced scoring. Braxton Key led the team with 11. Clark added eight and Mamadi Diakite and Kody Stattman each chopped in four.  Hoos led 30-17 at the half.

 

Virginia dominated in all the categories. They had 18 rebounds to Virginia Tech’s 11. The Packline D limited the visitors to 29% shooting from the field and an anemic 17% from behind the three point arc. In comparison, the Cavaliers shot 47% from the field and 30% from the 3pt line.

 

Virginia executed and exhibited the same defensive grip in the second half and got a career game from Kihei Clark.  Clark was the quickest man in the floor and his dribble penetration and swift moves were too much for the Virginia Tech defense. His play spearheaded a Virginia team that scored 35 points after halftime and shot an impressive 46.3% for the game. The Hoos also connected on 7 of 21 three pointers compared to the Hokies’ 4 of 25 from 3pt land and only 27% for the game overall from the floor.

 

Virginia is Tech got a few more scorers involved but leading scorer Nolley II only made one basket, single three pointer, with less than four minutes left in the game. Virginia continued to widen the lead until it doubled from 13 to 26 at the final horn. The Cavs got contributions from many sources, with Key matching Clark, who scored a career high 18 points, and Stattman finishing with 10 points.

 

Nolley II was the only Hokie in double figures with 18 while Tyree Redford was next with eight points all in the second half.

 

The loss drops VT to 10-4, 1-2 in ACC. The Cavaliers improve to 11-2 and 3-0 in ACC play.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 1/4/2020

#24 Virginia cavaliers fall just short of #9 Florida Gators in 2019 orange bowl, 36-28

photo by virginiasports.com

The Virginia Cavaliers brought their big game effort and rabid fans into the Orange Bowl looking to make history.  After losing in the ACC Championship to Clemson, these Cavaliers had regrouped looking to pull the upset against the #9 Florida Gators. 

 

The Gators, playing in a de facto home game, was too much for the game Cavaliers.  Florida socred on their first possession of the game, 61-yard run from Lamicale Perine and never looked back as they won in a close fought game 36-28. 

 

The 24th-ranked Hoos came into this game with hard earned lessons learned from an historic season to date.  The Cavaliers had accomplished very many goals on this 2019 season.  The Cavs had defeated arch-rival Virginia Tech for the first time since 2003 and claimed their first Coastal Division title.

 

The legacy of all the graduating fourth and fifth year football players was cemented and now they had an opportunity to add more great memories.  The contributions of QB Bryce Perkins, WR Joe Reed and WR Hasise Dubois would long live in the memories of the Wahoo Nation faithful as well as the history books.  The three superstars didn't disappoint in their final game as a Cavalier.

 

Bryce Perkins set several records as he spearheaded his team to a near upset in the primetime matchup with this SEC power.  Perkins completed 28 of 40 passes for 323 yards.  He set a Virginia bowl record and personal record with his four touchdown passes as well as broke the longstanding total yardage record held by the imcomparable Shawn Moore.  Perkins accumulated 7,910 yards in his two years as the Cavalier signal caller.

 

The Cavaliers matched the Gators score for score as they were tied 14-14 until Florida scored the last 10 points of the half.  Perine was a one-man wrecking crew with three touchdowns in the first half.  He scored twice by land and once on a pass and catch from QB Kyle Trask. 

 

In the second half, the Cavaliers tightened up on the defense and forced the Gators into a more of an offensive grind, eliminating the big plays that hurt them in the first half.  The Cavalier offense was able to put together a strong drive and scored early in the fourth quarter when Joe Reed caught a sideline pass and snuck into the endzone giveing life to the underdog Cavs and bringing a roar from the Cavalier faithful.

 

However, Florida proved their worth and scored with a quick response.  As the Cavaliers made another drive deep into Gator territory, Perkins committed his only mistake of the game with an interception in the redzone.  The Gators turned the mistake into a much needed field goal that gave them a 36-21 lead.

 

The Cavaliers would not go down without a fight.  Perkins and the offense found one more trip into the redzone and a well aimed pass found its way into the waiting hands of Hasise Dubois.  The touchdown catch, Dubois's second of the game, closed the gap to 36-28 and a slim flicker of life was left for Virginia.

 

A successful onside kick was all that stood between the Cavaliers and the Gators and the possibility of overtime.  Unfortunately, the onside kick was recovered by the Gators and the season had come to a bittersweet end.

 

There were many who stood out for the Cavaliers.  Perkins and his incredible one-man show.  Dubois with his 10 catches displaying his steel-like grip converted those catches into 83 yards and two touchdowns.  Joe Reed drew his career to a close with 7 receptions and 52 yards and the one touchdown.  The third member of the pass catching trio was Terrell Jana who collected a team high 126 yards on seven catches and one touchdown. 

 

The Gators were led by Trask who passed for 305 yards, one touchdown and also ran for a touchdown. Perine finished with 138 rushing yards (career-high) and 181 total yards from scrimmage.

 

The Gators complet the season at 11-2 and won the Orange Bowl for the fourth time in four tries.  The Hoos represented themselves well in their first ever appearance in the Orange Bowl and finish at 9-5.

 

story by EMSPORTS 12/31/2019  

#16 Virginia cavaliers sinks the navy midshipmen, 65-56

The University of Virginia wrapped up their out-of-conference schedule with a matchup against the Naval Academy at John Paul Jones Arena.  The 16th ranked Cavaliers were facing a solid Navy squad that was ranked 11th in the country in scoring defense.  This team was tested and could make any contest a grind.

 

The Cavaliers played very well in stretches.  The home team jumped out to a 14-6 lead with great ball movement and sensational shooting.  The Cavs got 7 of their first eight shots in the first seven minutes of the game

 

The Midshipmen were determined not to get to far behind and finally found their offense were able to match buckets with Virginia to only trail 37-29 at the half.  Virginia committed only 1 turnover in the half.

 

The visitors from Navy played the aggressor coming out of the locker room.  Navy turned up the defense, forcing six turnovers and a paltry 1 for 8 shooting by the Cavs.  Navy dominated the paint on offense.  Evan Wieck scored six consecutive points that spearheaded a 12-3 offensive run giving Navy a 41-40 lead midway through the second half. 

 

Kihei Clark put a stop to that run and his jumper with over nine minutes left proved to be the catalyst for a 12-0 Cavalanche.  The  bucket ignited the home crowd and effectively allowed Virginia to seize control and never relinquish the lead.

 

In the end, Virginia’s size and speed proved to be too much for Navy.  Virginia recorded seven blocks compared to Navy’s zero.  Navy only made 38% of shots from the floor and just 35% from behind the three point line. 

 

Virginia shot 53% from the field for the game and knocked down 42% of their 3-point field goals.  They also recorded 18 Assists to only 8 turnovers. 

 

Cam Davis led the Midshipmen with 19 points and was joined in double figures by Wieck’s 13 points.

 

Virginia spread the wealth with four guys in double figures.  Braxton Key was high scorer with 15. Mamadi Diakite was next at 13 while Kihei Clark (13 assists) and Casey Morsell each added 10.

 

With the win, Virginia reached 10 wins in 12 games.  They will now turn their attention to home state rival and ACC nemesis, the Virginia Tech Hokies on Saturday, Jan. 4th.  It will be the last of five consecutive home games.

 

Navy drops to 6-5 and will prepare for the arduous task of competing in the Patriot League Conference. 

 

by EMSPORTS.org 12/29/2019

#9 virginia succumbs to the south carolina gamecocks, 70-59 

The Virginia Cavaliers were home just before the holidays with another big matchup versus the South Carolina Gamecocks. The Gamecocks lost this game last year and were looking to avenge the loss with an upset over the ninth-ranked Cavaliers.
 
The matchup pitted two teams predicated on discipline and tough man-to-man defense. The Gamecocks fell behind 3-2 however the would not fall behind from that moment on.
The Gamecocks scored 33 points in the first half, most points allowed all year by Virginia before halftime. Leading 33-24, South Carolina was controlling the game and silencing the crowd.
 
Virginia would not go down without a fight. Trailing by 13 (42-29), UVa went on a 16-3 run to tie the game at 45 with 11:09 left. The teams went back and forth with Virginia unable to take the lead.
 
South Carolina closed the game on a 19-9 run from the eight minute mark and pulled off the major upset.
 
Jair Bolden scored 22 points, Lawson added 14 and Justin Minaya had 12. The Gamecocks shot a season-best 55.1% from the field against the nation’s stingiest defense. They led for over 37 minutes.
 
South Carolina forced UVa into a season high 19 turnovers. Both teams shot less than impressive from behind the three point line, making six each but less than 35%.
 
Mamadi Diakite scored a career high 21 points and was the only Cavalier in double figures.
 
Virginia’s home non-conference win streak is over at 22 games. South Carolina improves to 8-4 and Virginia now stands at 9-2 on the season.
 
by EMSPORTS.org 12/22/2019
 
 

12/20/19

 

 2020 University of Virginia Football Early Signing Day Recruits

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia football program signed 12 student-athletes to National Letters of Intent (NLI) for the 2020-21 academic school year, head coach Bronco Mendenhall announced.  The 12 student-athletes were part of the early signing period for football adopted by the NCAA in 2017.

Student-athletes from nine states highlight the class signed by the Cavaliers. UVA’s recruits come from Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Louisiana, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and South Carolina.

The following is a list of individuals who have signed National Letters of Intent to attend the University of Virginia on football grant-in-aid.

The next period for signing football student-athletes begins on Feb. 5, 2020.

Attached is the full recruiting class and player bios:

 

2020 Football Recruiting Class

Name                                               Pos.              Ht.          Wt.         Hometown                                 High School/Previous School

Su Agunloye                                    DL                 6-6          240         Lindenhurst, N.Y.                       Lindenhurst HS

Ira Armstead**                              QB                 6-3          200         South Bend, Ind.                        Adams HS

Sam Brady                                       LB                  6-3          200         Lincolnton, N.C.                         North Lincoln HS

Jahmeer Carter                              DL                 6-2          300         Severn, Md.                                Archbishop Spalding

Lavel Davis                                      WR                6-7          205         Dorchester, S.C.                         Woodland HS

Elijah Gaines                                   DB                 6-2          185         Queens, N.Y.                               Episcopal HS (Va.)

Andrew Gentry                              OL                 6-7          300         Littleton, Colo.                           Columbine HS

Dave Herard                                   DB                 6-0          170         Fort Lauderdale, Fla.                 Stranahan HS

Donovan Johnson**                     DB                 6-2          180         Harvey, La.                                  Helen Cox HS   

Jestus Johnson III                           OL                 6-3          330         Laurel, Md.                                 Gonzaga College HS

Joshua Rawlings**                        TE                  6-5          245         Pittsburgh, Pa.                            Woodland Hills HS

Brandon Williams                          LB                  6-2          200         New Orleans, La.                        Isidore Newman HS

 

** January enrollee

 

 

Su Agunloye

6-6 • 240 • DE

Lindenhurst, N.Y. • Lindenhurst HS

 

Played defensive end and offensive tackle at Lindenhurst High School for head coach Richard Biancaniello … helped lead Lindenhurst to a perfect 12-0 record and a Long Island championship … earned first-team all-division and first-team all-county honors … named second-team All-Long Island and third-team all-state … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

 

Ira Armstead

6-3 • 195 • QB

South Bend, Ind. • Adams HS

 

Will enroll in January … played quarterback and safety for Adams High School for head coach Antwon Jones … back-to-back first-team All-NIC honoree … senior year he threw for 1,078 yards and seven touchdowns, while rushing for 610 yards and nine scores … as a junior earned first-team All-NIC honors after throwing for 2,202 yards and 12 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,104 yards and 17 more scores … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com and 247sports.com … a two-star recruit by Rivals.com.

 

Sam Brady

6-3 • 200 • LB

Lincolnton, N.C. • North Lincoln HS

 

Played safety and wide receiver at North Lincoln High School for head coach Nick Bazzle … as a senior he rushed for 507 yards and seven touchdowns, while also catching nine passes for 265 yards and three more scores … on defense he made 87 tackles and 6.0 tackles for loss as a senior … he also returned nine kickoffs for 182 yards and one punt for 56 yards … he caused three fumbles and recovered another, as well as blocked two punts and two field goals …earned all-conference honors after helping North Lincoln to a conference record and school-record 12 wins … his RBI double in the top of the seventh helped solidify North Lincoln’s first state title in baseball in 2019, as the Knights finished 26-6 on the season … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Jahmeer Carter

6-2 • 300 • DL

Severn, Md. • Archbishop Spalding

 

Played defensive tackle at Archbishop Spalding for head coach Kyle Schmitt … three-time first-team all-county honoree for Archbishop Spalding … two-time All-MIAA honoree … made 22 tackles and 4.0 sacks at nose tackle in 2019 … made 30 tackles as junior … won the 2019 Al Laramore Trophy as the No. 1 lineman in Anne Arundel County … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Lavel Davis

6-7 • 215 • WR

Dorchester, S.C. • Woodland HS

 

Played wide receiver and safety at Woodland High School for head coach Eddie Ford … earned all-state honors after making 40 catches for 622 yards and seven touchdowns as a senior … selected to play in South Carolina’s North-South all-star game … collected 70 receptions for 1,007 yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior … also plays basketball and runs track for Woodland High School … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Elijah Gaines

6-2 • 185 • DB

Queens, N.Y. • Episcopal HS

 

Played safety and wide receiver at Episcopal High School for head coach Mark Moroz … named first-team All-IAC at the athlete position after notching four interceptions, 20 tackles, 179 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns … earned Episcopal’s 2019 Coaches Award … as a junior was named second-team all-state and first-team All-IAC at the athlete position after recording four interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns … added 300+ receiving yards, two receiving touchdowns and 14 tackles in 2018 …  a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Andrew Gentry

6-7 • 300 • OL

Littleton, Colo. • Columbine HS

 

Played offensive tackle at Columbine High School for head coach Andy Lowry … a first-team 5A all-state honoree … helped lead Columbine to the 5A high school state championship game … key blocker for school’s Colorado’s Gatorade player of the year in football who amassed 1,732 rushing yards and a state-best 29 touchdowns … rated the No. 79 recruit on ESPN.com’s Top 300 … a four-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Dave Herard (Her-ARD)

6-0 • 170 • DB

Fort Lauderdale, Fla. • Stranahan HS

 

Played cornerback and quarterback at Stranahan High School for head coach Travis Harden … was 47-of-81 passing for 845 yards and 11 touchdowns … rushed 32 times for 180 yards and one touchdown … caught 31 passes for 450 yards and three scores … made 64 tackles and 2.0 tackles for loss … notched two sacks and six interceptions in 2019 … also plays basketball and helped Stranahan to the 2019 6A state championship, averaging 18.0+ points per game … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Jestus Johnson III

6-3 • 330 • OL

Laurel, Md. • Gonzaga College High School

 

Played center at Gonzaga College High School for head coach Randy Trivers … in 2018 helped Gonzaga to a 9-3 record and a WCAC championship, earning second-team All-WCAC honors … was a second-team All-USA Today District of Columbia honoree in 2017 … former high school teammates with current Cavalier linebacker Hunter Stewart and offensive lineman Jack Keenan … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Donovan Johnson

6-2 • 180 • DB

Harvey, La. • Helen Cox HS

 

Will enroll in January … played safety at Helen Cox High School for head coach Derek LaMothe two-time first-team all-district honoree … as a junior he earned second-team all-state honors and after nabbing five interceptions and helped Helen Cox finish the season 7-7 … rated the No. 10 senior prospect in the state … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Joshua Rawlings

6-5 • 245 • TE

Pittsburgh, Pa. • Woodland Hills HS

 

Will enroll in January … played tight end and defensive end at Woodland Hills High School for head coach Tim Bostard … earned first-team all-conference honors in 2019 after making 25 catches for 543 yards and five touchdowns … named Rivalry Series Scholar-Athlete … three-year varsity starter … a three-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

Brandon Williams

6-2 • 200 • LB

New Orleans, La. • Isidore Newman HS

 

Played outside linebacker at Isidore Newman High School for head coach John Stewart … first-team USA Today All-Louisiana while helping Isidore Newman to a 9-2 record and a semifinal appearance in the 2019 Allstate Sugar Bowl/HSAA Non-Select Prep Classic … notched 12.5 sacks as senior … owns the Newman High School career record for sacks, despite missing most of his junior season with an injury … attends the same high school that was home to NFL quarterbacks Peyton and Eli Manning … also plays basketball ... one of ESPN.com’s Top 300 recruits … a four-star recruit by ESPN.com Rivals.com and 247sports.com.

 

 

 

Virginia Women’s Basketball Adds Grad Transfer Tihana Stojsavljevic

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Head coach Tina Thompson announced today (Dec. 19)  that Tihana Stojsavljevic has enrolled at the University and will be joining the Virginia women’s basketball team.

 

Stojsavljevic, a 6-3 forward from Zagreb, Croatia was ranked a three-star recruit by Blue Star Europe coming out of high school. In 2015, she led U18 Croatia to a ninth place finish in the Division A FIBA European Championships. She played her freshman season at Maine, appearing in 19 games for the Black Bears, shooting .407 from the field and .500 from beyond the arc. She transferred to Texas Tech for her sophomore year. After sitting out the 2017-18 season, she played in 10 games last year for the Lady Raiders, being named to the Academic All-Big 12 First Team.

 

Stojsavljevic graduated from Texas Tech University earlier this month with a bachelor’s degree in political science and will be pursuing a master’s degree at UVA. As a grad transfer, she will be immediately eligible to play. She will also have another year of eligibility remaining after this season.

 

“I am very excited about the addition of Tihana,” Thompson said. “She brings the type of energy and work ethic we need and enjoy! Her ability to play inside and out will add to our versatility. This is a great pick up for us.”

12/19/19

Joe Reed Earns First-Team All-America Honors from the Football Writers Association of America

 

Joe Reed

 

 

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia kick returner Joe Reed was named to the Football Writers Association of America’s (FWAA) All-America team. He was named to the first team as a kick returner.

 

Previously, Reed was named a first-team All-American by the Walter Camp Football Foundation. The FWAA is one of five outlets that the NCAA recognizes in compiling its annual consensus All-America squad. The others are the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press, the Sporting News and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). Only Walter Camp and FWAA have a kickoff returner position on its All-America team, which Reed garnered first-team honors on both. The Sporting News combined its punt and kick returner into one returner position, an All-America list where Reed earned second-team honors.

 

Reed (Sr., Charlotte Court House, Va.) was a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award and currently leads the nation with a 34.7 kick return average. On deep kickoffs to inside the five-yard line, Reed has returned 13 kicks for an average of 41.5 yards per kickoff return. He is the only player in the nation with 22 or fewer kick returns to go with 700+ kick return yards. The versatile Reed has 70 receptions and 627 receiving yards to go with six touchdown. He is the only player in the nation with 600+ receiving yards (627) and 600+ kick return yards (764).

 

Reed is one of three ACC players named to the first-team and one of eight overall to be named to the 2019 FWAA All-America team.

 

Previously, Reed has also been honored as a first-team All-American by Bleacher Report. He has been named a second-team All-American by the Sporting News, CBS Sports, SI.com and USA Today, while also earning first-team All-ACC honors as an all-purpose player and kick return specialist. He also was named the Touchdown Club of Richmond’s Specialist of the Year.  12/18/19

 

#9 Cavaliers stifle Stony brook 56-44

The Virginia Cavaliers returned to the friendly confines of John Paul Jones after a 11-day absence since their home victory over ACC rival, UNC Tar Heels.
 
The Cavaliers brought their #9 ranking and hard-nosed defense into a matchup with Stony Brook University from the America East Conference. Each team was ranked in the top five of NCAA defenses and that proved to be accurate.
 
Virginia jumped out an early 14-2 lead on the hot shooting of Kihei Clark and Kody Stattman. However, the Seawolves would prove to be able to respond, tipping off seven straight points and keeping UVA scoreless for nearly seven minutes.
 
Eventually the Cavs stretched their 14-9 lead into a comfortable 28-16 advantage before Stony Brook scored their last five points of the half to trail 28-21.
 
Kihei Clark led all scorers with 11 points. The Cavaliers’ defense forced numerous turnovers (11) but neither team shot very well. Both teams were unable to crack the 40% mark.
 
In the second half, Virginia’s defense flexed its prowess and the offense kept the Seawolves at bay. Kihei Clark led all scorers with 14 and Mamadi Diakite added 13. Jay Huff scores 10 of his 12 points after the intermission. Elijah Oliniyi was Stony Brook’s only double digit scorer at 11 points.
 
Neither team was very effective from the field with Stony Brook shooting under 38% and Virginia barely above 40%. The same can be said for three-point efficiency, as both teams only made five apiece from behind the arc. The game was won with defensive pressure as Virginia forced 17 turnovers while only giving the ball away 10 times.
 
The win moves Virginia to 9-1 while this loss drops Stony Brook to 7-6 for the year.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 12/18/2019

 

 

#5 VIRGINIA SUFFOCATES #7 NORTH CAROLINA, 56-47, IN BATTLE OF TOP 10 TEAMS

 

Two top 10 teams entered into John Paul Jones Arena looking to erase the bitter blowout losses suffered in the ACC/BIG10 Challenge.
 
Both teams were embarrassed but they knew that those games had no bearing on the challenge at hand: an early ACC clash of heavyweights.
 
The #5 Virginia Cavaliers were still stingy as ever on defense but they were anemic on offense. This was the first of five straight games at the comforts of home in JPJ. The #7 North Carolina Tar Heels were not the high-flying, super scoring teams from the past but they were still a threat to break out and score triple digits on a given night.
 
The ferocious defense vs the high octane offense was the storyline going into the game. Both defense actually set the tone as the first points were scored by Carolina three minutes into the game. The Cavaliers could not hit the hoop from short or from far away. Finally, Mamadi Diakite hit three free throws at the 14:37 mark. Nearly five and a half minutes had elapsed, but Virginia took the lead and the crowd was able to cheer.
 
Both teams continued to find points few and far between. The Cavaliers started to separate themselves with a modest 12-4 run over a seven minute stretch. The Cavs led 17-9 before the Tar Heels returned the favor. A quick 7-0 run drew the Tar Heels to within a point (17-16) with under two minutes left.
 
Virginia stymied the run and closed with a 7-2 advantage , holding a 24-18 lead at the half.
 
The second half provided more offense and energy following the first half where both teams struggled to shoot in the low 30% range.
 
The offense didn’t wait as long to get going after half. Carolina’s Leaky Black hit a jumper within the first minute and Virginia responded with a three pointer by Tomas Woldentenase and hit seemed to loosen the basket for everybody.
 
Both teams traded baskets with Virginia maintaining a single digit lead for majority of the second half. Eventually Virginia was able to completely lock up the Tar Heels and hold them without a field goal for nearly eight minutes. During this span, Virginia was able to win with solid inside scoring, great extra effort and success at the free throw line.
 
The Hoos expanded the lead from four points to 17 (55-38). The Tar Heels put together a 9-1 run but fell short of making an real threat to the lead.
 
Virginia’s 56-47 was their fifth in a row over the Tar Heels. The bench was the story as the Cavaliers got 25 points and over 58% shooting from the reserves. (Woldetensae 11 points, Francisco Caffero 10 points and Justin McCoy 4 points).
 
UVA’s defense stifled the Tar Heels into 1 of 14 shooting form the 3pt line and 37% for the game. The Cavs collected 37 rebounds whereas Carolina gained 32.
 
Virginia was not scorching the nets at 33% from the field and 35.7% from behind the three point arc.  Their six makes was a big advantage to UNC's one.
 
Diakite was game high scorer at 12 tied with Cole Anthony who led the Tar Heels. Anthony entered the game averaging 20 points a game.
 
Tar Heels fall to 6-3 while Virginia improves to 8-1. Both teams still have a work to do offensively however, the identity of a great team is finding ways to win even if you are not your best.
 
EMSPORTS.org 12/07/2019

CLEMSON WINS 2019 FOOTBALL ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

 

Charlotte North Carolina
The time has come. All the hard work from early morning, winter workouts to the long, hot sweat-drenching days in the summer has culminated into the championship game on the first Saturday in December.
 
The invincible Clemson Tigers, number 3 team in the College Football rankings, were attempting to win their fifth consecutive ACC title.
 
The new guys, the Virginia Cavaliers, entered season the 23rd ranked team in college football and massive underdogs (28 points) to their neighbors to the south.
 
Each team was not only representing their independent divisions but also grabbing the prime time audience as the ACC’s best were ready to engage in a battle for conference supremacy.
 
The Cavaliers received the first kickoff and drove down the field into the redzone. However on third down a Bryce Perkins’s pass was overthrown and intercepted by Clemson’s Nolan Turner resulting in a touchback.
 
Clemson made quick work in scoring the opening touchdown. From the 20, the Cavs defense allowed Clemson’s offense to drive 80 yards in 4 plays with Trevor Lawrence hitting Tee Higgins with a 19 yard scoring toss.
 
Virginia answered with a successful drive. A Bryce Perkins combination of passing and running led to a 20 yard scoring strike to Hasise Dubois for Virginia’s first touchdown.
 
Clemson responded like a champion and after picking up a first down, Trevor Lawrence hit Justin Ross in stride with a 59 yard bullet. The score made it 14-7 Clemson in the first quarter.
 
Virginia’s offense moved the ball but was forced to punt. The Tigers took the possession deep in their own territory and drive inside the Virginia 30 yard line. The Tigers settled for a 47 yard field goal from B. T. Potter and increased the lead to 17-7 with over 13 minutes left in second quarter.
 
Another Virginia punt gave Clemson solid field position and Trevor Lawrence led the team on another quick strike score. After a remarkable catch by Higgins, Travis Etienne broke several tackles on a 26-yd scoring jaunt and the Tigers now led 24-7.
 
The Tigers are flexing their muscles as they took another punt and turned it into an 83 yard drive capped by Tee Higgins catching a seven yard pass from Lawrence. The new score was now 31-7 and Clemson looked to be cruising.
 
Virginia showed some mettle. They stopped and forced a punt on Clemson’s opening drive after the halftime break. Once they got the ball back, Virginia kept up the fight. With deft passing and solid receiving, Virginia found the endzone in 85 yards. Perkins to Terrell Jana from 18 yards away gave the Cavaliers a boost and closed the score to 31-14.
 
Clemson was not rattled as Lawrence connected with Higgins on a beautiful 54 yard pass that led to an 11 yard reception for his third TD of the game. The connection gave Lawrence four passing TDs for the game.
 
Virginia attempted to stay in the game with a little trickeration. On fourth down, the Cavs tried a fake punt but punter Nash Griffin’s pass only netted two yards but needed five. Clemson quickly converted the great field position into a lightning strike score as Lyn-J Dixon sped in from the 23 yard line to give Clemson a 45-14 lead going into the fourth quarter.
 
Virginia made another solid drive that produced more points. The Cavaliers were thwarted on third down in the redzone and completed the drive with a Brian Delaney field goal of 35 yards.
 
The Tigers answered with their own short field goal and pushed the lead back to 48-17. The field goal set a new ACC record of points by one team in a championship game while Trevor Lawrence set a championship game record with four touchdown passes.
 
Clemson intercepted a pass from Bryce Perkins and set-up short field inside the Cavalier 10 yard line. The Tigers with nearly all backups rushed into the endzone when second string signal caller, Chase Brice, bulldozed in from the four yard line. The new score was 55-17 and Clemson had proven their prowess. With another touchdown to end the game, Clemson won going away 62-17 and claimed their record fifth consecutive ACC Championship Game title, cementing their hold on the ACC.
 
Game Notes:
  • Trevor Lawrence was 16/22 with 302 yards and four touchdowns.
  • Tee Higgins caught nine passes at 182 yards and three touchdowns (ACCCG records - yards, touchdowns)
  • Clemson set ACCCG record with 31 points in a half, 63 points in a game, 408 passing yards and 621 total yards.
  • Virginia’s Bryce Perkins surpassed Kurt Bennett as single season record holder for passing yardage at UVA, 3,215 yards.
  • Virginia recorded the most yards, 387, in a single game versus Clemson this year.
  • Hasise Dubois caught a career-high 10 passes for 130 yards. The 130 yards were a season high allowed by the Tigers.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 12/07/2019

 

THE #1 UVA MEN'S SOCCER ADVANCES TO COLLEGE CUP,

BEAT SMU 3-2 IN OT

 

The Virginia Cavaliers have played excellent all year. The men’s soccer team has faced many worthy opponents who have come close to ruining their season. In the NCAA quarterfinal match with the #8 seed SMU Mustangs, the challenge was greater but the reward was sweeter.
 
The Cavs were not only the #1 seed but also the heavy favorites. As their basketball brethren can attest, it is not easy being the hunted.
 
The Hoos were pushed to the limit but the excellence and skill exhibited by their playmakers made all the difference.
 
Daryl Dike, the dynamic forward assisted on the first goal. SMU responded and tied the game. Dike was able to inflict his presence on the SMU defensive backfield that led to a penalty kick attempt.
 
Joe Bell took the honors to serve the penalty kick against the SMU goalie and put the Hoos ahead 2-1.
 
The Mustangs would not fold. The visitors continued to attack and on a set piece, SMU snuck a header into the near post to make the match even.
 
Each team took aim at each other but no avail. Fellow Hoo, Joe Bell, an all-ACC performer as was Dike, made sure his teammate would not go down in vain. Bell, taking his second PK of the game, was blocked by the SMU goalie. However, he recovered and with one swing from the left leg, the native New Zealander, struck the back of the net in the Golden Goal session. His deft strike sent the Cavaliers into their 13th College Cup, soccer’s equivalent to the Final Four of the NCAA tournament.
 
With the 3-2 win, Virginia advances to Cary, NC, in an matchup next weekend versus Wake Forest or UC-Santa Barbara. The men from Charlottesville will attempt to capture their eighth national championship and the program’s first since 2014.
 
EMSPORTS.ORG 12/06/2019

CAVALIERS CLIP THE HOKIES, 39-30.  THE HOOS CLAIM THE COASTAL, CAPTURE THE COMMONWEALTH CUP TO FACE CLEMSON IN ACC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

photo from 247sports.com

              

 

 
Virginia took the opening kickoff and on the legs of Bryce Perkins, the Cavaliers ran their way into the endzone. A 39 yard QB sprint from Perkins gave Virginia a 6-0 lead after the missed PAT and ignited the scene for a great back and forth game.
 
The first points the Hokies had surrendered in over nine quarters. The Hokies defense stalled out and Virginia then drove the field. However, Virginia gave it back on an interception from Perkins. The Hokies converted a field goal after entering the redzone and cut the lead in half, 6-3.
 
As the quarter was winding down, the Hoos took their next possession again the distance.  The magic of Bryce Perkins found a seam and found paydirt from 67 yards out. With the run, the Hoos took a 13-3 lead into the second quarter.
 
VT had a drive early in the second half with promise but in a third-down completion from Hendon Hooker to Tra Turner, the ball was jarred loose by Jordan Mack and recovered by the Mandy Alonso.
 
Both teams traded punts until the Hokies got a strong return from Deshawn McClease. After a few runs and passes, the Hokies got a face mask penalty that moved them to the five. A ferocious Cavalier pass rush forced the Hokies to settle for another short field goal.
 
Both teams stalled out in the remaining minutes of the half.  A Hail Mary heave from Hooker was intercepted by Noah Taylor on the last play of the half.
 
Virginia Tech made a statement with an opening drive of 75 yards.  The Hokies came out smashing Virginia in the mouth and it paid off.  Hooker faked a handoff and kept the rock on a 34-yard run to score the tying touchdown.   
 
After trading punts, Virginia Tech added to their momentum and score with another long scoring drive of 71 yards that was capped by a Deshawn McClease one-yard dive. This gave the visitors their first lead of the game at 20-13 with less than five minutes left in the third quarter.
 
The Cavaliers answered in the ensuing drive with an impressive 79-yard scoring that was orchestrated by Perkins' arm. A pass from Perkins to Kemp of 25 yards gave the home new life and the score was tied again 20-20.
 
Virginia Tech took the lead back with a 61-yard long range middle from Hooker to Turner that gave Hokies momentum and a new 27-20 lead.
 
The back and forth affair continued with Virginia taking another possession 75 yards. This time, the Cavs opened the fourth quarter with a mix of timely runs and two big passes moved the ball inside the redzone. The Cavaliers were able to score on a 2yd Wayne Tualapapa run to knot the score at 27.
 
Another possession and another score for Virginia Tech. After a 41-yard kick return, the Hokies mounted a drive that ended in a 47-yard field goal from Brian Johnson giving VT a 30-27 lead.
 
The Hoos answered the call again. With a 67 yard strike from Perkins to WR Hasise Dubois, the ball reached the eight-yard line. The Hokies defense stiffened and the Hoos converted the possession into three points on Brian Delaney 25-yard field goal.  The Cavaliers had now come back from behind three times and always found a way to even up the score.
 
Virginia’s defense stepped up and forced a Hooker interception. The big play was what the Cavs needed to turn the tables on their arch-rivals.  The Cavaliers pounced on the opportunity and turned the drive into a 48-yard field goal by Delaney to lead 33-30.
 
Virginia’s defense made the biggest plays back to back. The ensuing possession, the Cavaliers defense sacked Hooker on three straight plays with final play a strip fumble that was recovered by Eli Hanbeck that sent the crowd in a frenzy and had the stadium erupting with euphoria. The game was essentially over and after a final Hooker incompletion, pandemonium was in the air and the home crowd flooded the field and The Streak was Over!  15 years of frustration and disappointment had turned into a past memory for those long suffering Cavaliers and their fans.
 
Bryce Perkins was double trouble for the Hokies. He scored twice in the ground and once in the air. He accounted for a total of 475 all-purpose yards (311 passing and 164 rushing) and one interception. Hendon Hooker was nearly as effective. He also passed for 311 yards (1 TD), rushed for 44 yards (1 TD) but two interceptions and a critical fumble were his downfall.
 
Highlights:
  • Virginia wins Coastal Division for the first time. They were the first wire to wire champ in Coastal history (since 2004).
  • Bud Foster’s last matchup with Virginia was not so sweet. This lunch pail defense gave up most points to Virginia, in Charlottesville, since 1896.
  • Most points Virginia has scored in a victory in this rivalry since 1998 (42-23)
  • The Commonwealth Cup is with Virginia for the first time since Virginia Tech joined the ACC. This also gives the Hoos another point in the Commonwealth Clash.
  • The win places Virginia in the ACC title game versus the Atlantic Division Champs, the #3 Clemson Tigers, on Saturday, Dec. 7th in Charlotte, NC.

EMSPORTS.org 11/29/2019

 

 

VIRGINIA SLIPS PAST ARIZONA STATE, 48-45 TO CAPTURE THE HALL OF FAME TIP-OFF CLASSIC TROPHY

 

The University of Virginia has enjoyed trememdous success in recent years.  The team has been near perfect when participating in games in November.  That success has been highlighted during "in-season" tournaments that decorate college basketball as Thanksgiving holiday shows up on the calendar.

 

Virginia was involved in a tussle with the Arizona State Sun Devils.  These Wildcats had a star in PG Remy Martin and were very competitve in the PAC-10 conference.

 

These two teams were battling for the Air Force Reserve Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic in the Mohegan Sun Resort and Casino in Connecticut.

 

Virginia and their profound defense were going to get a great challenge from the Sun Devils who were scoring over 88 points a game on the season.  The Cavaliers were only allowing about 41 points a game and had only given up 50 points to one opponent thus far on the season.

 

Virginia jumped out to an early lead 10-2 and looked to be pulling away but ASU settled down and closed the lead to 10-8.  The Cavaliers applied the pressure and the offense picked up the load.  The Cavs raced out to a 26-16 lead with under a minute to play.  That is when Remy Martin came alive.  The dynamic guard scored five points including a buzzer beating three-pointer at the end of the first half.  The Sun Devils continued their scorching shooting and the heat was burning the Cavaliers' defense.

 

By the time Coach Bennett called a timeout, the Sun Devils had executed their own "cavalanche" scoring 19 consecutive points from the 1 min mark of the first half up to the 13:32 mark in the second half.  With a 35-26 lead, the boys from Tempe looked to take down the defending NCAA champs.

 

Then Virginia's veterans calmed the waters and a young 1st year flashed his immense talent.  The Hoos got the message from the coaching staff following the timeout and the Packline Defense showed its muscle.  Spanning the last 13 minutes of the contest, the Cavaliers held the Sun Devils to 10 points in the remainder of the game.

 

Remy Martin who was on fire, only scored two more points in that span.  He was leading scorer for the game with 21.  On the other end of the spectrum, Casey Morsell, the starting 1st year guard, finally woke up from his poor shooting and made all the buckets when they needed them.  Morsell scored the last 7 points for the Cavaliers including the game winning 3pt with 62 seconds left to play.

 

The Cavaliers then let their defense carry them to victory blocking two shots in the final seconds of the game.

 

Morsell led the way with a career-high 19 points and Mamadi Diakite added 15 points and Braxton Key led the way with 8 rebounds.  

 

The Sun Devils got 10 points from Romello White and Rob Edwards each.  Edwards also led the team with six rebounds.

 

Each team struggled from the field with Sun Devils shooting about 40% and UVA just under 37%

 

With the victory, the Cavaliers move to 6-0 on the season and bring home another trophy to put into their collection.  The Sun Devils drop to 3-2.

 

EMSPORTS.org 11/24/2019  

 

 

Virginia remains unbeaten with victory over University of Massachusetts, 58-46

 

Virginia took their perfect record on the road to face the Massachusetts Minutemen at the Mohegan Sun for the Air Force Reserve Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic. The Minutemen also entered the contest sporting an unbeaten record at 5-0.
 
Both teams got off to a quick start at 4-4 before Virginia locked in on defense and gave UMass fits. The Cavaliers’ offense then got into a flow. Over the next 14 minutes, the Cavalanche buried the Minutemen under a 25 - 8 run. The Minutemen regrouped and turned the tables around by finishing the half on a 11-0 run to bring the score to a 29-24 Virginia lead.
 
Virginia started slow after the break and UMass cut the lead to 29-26. Virginia then found their rhythm and pushed the lead to 43-31 with under nine minutes to play.
 
Virginia maintained the lead throughout the remainder of the game and UMass could never muster enough of an attack to threaten the double-digit advantage.
 
Virginia was led by Braxton Key’s 16 points and 14 from Kihei Clark. Jay Huff added 10 points and tied Mamadi Diakite with eight rebounds for game high. UMass got 14 points from Carl Pierre, 12 from CJ Weeks and 10 from Tre Mitchell.
 
Virginia, improves to 5-0 with the hard fought victory and moves into the championship game to face St. John’s or Arizona State. UMass dropped their first game of the year and now stand at 5-1.
 
EMSPORTS.org 11/23/2019
 
photo by virginiasports.com

Virginia douses and snuffs out the Liberty Flames, 55-29

 

Virginia welcomed all the brave who were present on Military Appreciation Day. The annual day of appreciation was the home contest versus Liberty Flames.

 

The neighbors along 29 South were looking for revenge from last year’s loss but also a chance to lock up a bowl berth with a win. Virginia went on defense and wasted no time flexing their muscle and forcing a quick three-and-out.

 

In their first possession, Perkins spearheaded a nine-play drive which finished on an eight-yard touchdown pass from Perkins to Terrell Jana.

 

Liberty answered with back to back touchdowns to take a surprise 14-10. Liberty was driving again until the Virginia defense stepped up and under a massive pass rush forced QB Stephen “Buckshot” Calvert into an ill-advised throw that was intercepted by Devante Cross.

 

Cross gave the Virginia team new life and the took advantage with a touchdown scoring drive. Lamont Atkins scores his first career rushing TD to give Virginia a 17-14 lead. Virginia forced another three and out that gave the offense another chance to pad the lead. With a strong rushing attack, the Cavs matriculated down the field. A big run of 33 yards from Atkins put the team in the redzone. Mike Hollins capped the drive with a three-yard rush into the endzone to put Virginia ahead 24-14.

 

Liberty returned ensuing kickoff into the Virginia territory but was unable to convert when Alex Probert missed a 43-yard field goal.

 

The second half started with good field position after Seneca Milledge returned the kick 41 yards to set up the next offensive possession. Perkins mixed the run and pass to perfection and hit Joe Reed with a 7- yard passing toss to up the lead to 31-14. The key play was a well-executed fake punt when backup QB Brennan Armstrong hit LB Charles Snowden with a trick pass that took the ball to the seven-yard line leading to the TD pass.

 

The teams exchanged punts but the Virginia punt went out at the one-yard line. Virginia turned Liberty’s horrible punt into a short TD drive. Bryce Perkins scrambled around the end for a two-yard run for a touchdown.

 

The Liberty Flames would not back down and with some strong running from Frankie Hickson they moved into the redzone. From the six-yard line, Calvert threw a strike caught one-handed by Antonio Gandy-Golden. The lead was cut to 17.

 

Virginia took the next possession and proceeded to cover 81 yards for another rushing TD. PK Kier hit the hole to the left for 31 yards then finished in the next play with a scoring run of two yards and give Virginia the 45-21 lead.

 

Liberty struck back with big pass play of 47 yards to CJ Yarbrough. They were able to get in the redzone but after a third down incompletion, the Flames settled for a 35-yard field goal.

 

Virginia answered with a 29-yard field goal following the kickoff. The try extended the lead to 48-24.

 

A change at QB did not slow down UVA on offense. Brennan Armstrong was also successful behind center.  He orchestrated a drive that concluded with a TD strike to Dontayvion Wicks of 44 yards to go up 55-24.

 

Liberty was able to make one more strong drive and added a 31-yard field goal as time expired to close the scoring at 55-27.

 

Virginia dominated on the scoreboard and on the stat sheet. Virginia gained 499 yards and kept the call for over 38 minutes. They also win the turnover battle as they intercepted two passes of Calvert and committed zero turnovers.

 

Liberty threw for 313 yards but were only able to produce 79 yards on the ground. Virginia showed more balance by passing for 272 and rushing for 227.

 

Game Highlights:

- Virginia rushed for 3 touchdowns and over 200 yards for the first time this season.

- Devante Cross has 3 career interceptions, all versus Liberty and against Stephen Calvert.

- Virginia scored in each quarter, and scored 28 unanswered points when Liberty led 14-10 in second period.

 

 

Liberty returns home to face New Mexico State, a team they defeated in New Mexico in October. Virginia closes out the regular season with a mammoth Commonwealth Clash against arch rival Virginia Tech. The game will decide the winner of the ACC Coastal Division.

 

EMSPORTS.org 11/23/2019

 

 

photo by Burlington Free Press

The #7 Cavaliers survive upstart Vermont Catamounts and win 61-55

 

The #7 Virginia Cavaliers made another home defense on a cold November night. In the on-site match up in this year’s Air Force Reserve Hall of Fame Tip-Off Classic, the undefeated Vermont Catamounts visited JPJ.

 

Both teams came in with suffocating defenses and this game shaped up to be a “first one to 50” wins type of battle.  Offense was optional early on but the defense never took a break.

 

The Catamounts came out the gates quick and caught the national champs by surprise. A quick 7-0 spurt in just under three and a half minutes, quieted the home crowd and forced Virginia to take a long, slow breath to find out what was going on.

 

Then the defense stepped up and after a Mamadi Diakite three-pointer, the fans came alive and the team went on a 16-3 explosion over a 10-minute span.

 

The Cavs made the lead stand up and it could have been bigger until Anthony Lamb drained a three at the buzzer. Virginia led 24-18 at the half.

 

The Anthony Lamb show was just beginning. He scored 25 points alone in the second half which included 7 of 14 from behind the three point arc for the game (six 3s after halftime). His lightning quick release and hot shooting propelled the Catamounts into a lead at 34-31. The 16-7 run gave the visitors momentum until the Cavaliers tied it on a Diakite triple.

 

At 34-34, the game became a back and forth affair with the offenses heating up. Both teams took a lead then gave it back. After three free throws from Lamb to give Vermont its final lead at 49-48 lead, the mettle and mental grind that made the Cavaliers the tough minded national champs, was put on display.  

 

A critical 8-0 run proved to be the difference. The Cavs held the Catamounts scoreless for over three and a half minutes to maintain a comfortable cushion which proved to be more than enough.

 

The teams both scored 37 points apiece in the second half but Virginia won 61-55.

 

Virginia improves to 4-0 as Vermont suffers their first lost and drops to 4-1.

 

Quick Stats:

 

Anthony Lamb led all scorers with 30 points. Stef Smith added 13. The leaders for the Cavaliers were Diakite with 19, Kihei Clark with 15 and Braxton Key contributed 14.

 

The Cavaliers outrebounded the Catamounts 30 to 28 and held them to only 38% shooting from the field while shooting over 46% themselves.  Vermont held the edge in three point shooting making 12 compared to UVA’s 8.  They also recorded 12 assists to Virginia's 11.

 

EMSPORTS.org  11/19/2019

 

by virginiasports.com

No. 9 Virginia Cavaliers Lock Down the Columbia Lions, 60-42

 

The visiting Columbia Lions were looking to pull off the upset at John Paul Jones over the 9th ranked Virginia Cavaliers.  The Lions were hoping to tear through the Cavaliers and hope their performance was as strong as their roar.  However, when a lion is in unfamiliar territory, the safety of the home "den" is no where to be found.

 

Instead, the Cavaliers turned the Lions' roar into a whimper, as their trademark Packline Defense was on full display in the first half and throughout the afternoon.

 

The offense jumped out to a 10-0 lead, before the visitors finally score with under five minutes played in the game.  The Cavaliers were not going to stop there.  After Columbia was able to close the lead to 12-7, Virginia picked up the intensity and also the efficiency.  A 19-10 run over the final 12 minutes, staked the Cavaliers to a 31-17 halftime lead.  The fans were entertained to another classic performance of the Cavaliers holding an opposing team to under 20 points in a single half.

 

The second half started out a little slower but Virginia was just finding its groove, when it methodically doubled up the Lions on a 24-12 run that increased the lead to 55-29 with under six minutes to play.  By this time, Columbia was all but done and Coach Bennett began substituting at wil to rest his starters and give some of the reserves some well earned playing time.

 

Columbia was able to chip away but eventually they were not going to overcome the huge deficit and the final score indicated that the Cavs had a comfortable lead.

 

Mike Smith lead the way in scoring for the game with 16 points.  No other Lion was in double figures.  Virginia was paced by Mamdi Diakite and Jay Huff, who both had 13 points.  Kihei Clark was a contributor with 10 points and a game high 5 assists.  Virginia's defense limited Columbia to under 30% shooting from the field and 3pt line. 

 

Viriginia will now prepare for the undefeated Vermont Catamounts on Tuesday, Nov. 19th.  The Lions will head back home to New York but must visit the St. John's Red Storm on Wednesday, Nov. 20th.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 11/16/2019

 

11/14/19

Men’s Basketball Signs Abdur-Rahim, Beekman and McCorkle

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Virginia men's head basketball coach Tony Bennett has announced the signings of guards Jabri Abdur-Rahim (Short Hills, N.J./Blair Academy), Reece Beekman (Baton Rouge, La./Scotlandville High School) and Carson McCorkle (Greensboro, N.C./Greensboro Day School) to National Letters of Intent with the Cavaliers.

 

The 6-7, 205-pound Abdur-Rahim averaged 16.7 points and 8.7 rebounds during his junior season at Blair Academy in 2018-19. Abdur-Rahim was named New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year after leading Blair Academy to the Prep A state championship. Abdur-Rahim was also named first-team all-state and second-team All-Mid-Atlantic Prep League. He averaged 17.7 points and 9.2 rebounds en route to third-team all-state honors during his sophomore season at Seton Hall Prep as the team finished 24-3.

 

Beekman, a 6-2, 165-pound point guard, averaged 21.9 points, 10.2 rebounds and 10.2 assists as a junior for Scotlandville in 2018-19. He was named first-team all-state from USA Today and the Louisiana Sports Writers Association. Beekman has earned back-to-back Most Outstanding Player honors at the Louisiana State Tournament and is a two-time All-District 4-5A selection. Beekman averaged 13.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.1 assists as a sophomore in 2017-18.

 

The 6-3, 173-pound McCorkle tallied 15.9 points per game en route to AP and NCISAA 4A All-State during his junior season at Greensboro Day School. McCorkle shot 55 percent from the field, 49 percent from 3-point range and 89 percent from the free throw line. McCorkle guided Greensboro Day to the NCISAA 3A state championship and was named the News & Record Private School All-Area Player of the Year. McCorkle averaged 10.7 points, 4.0 rebounds and 1.9 assists during his sophomore season in 2017-18.

 

"We are excited to welcome Jabri, Reece and Carson into the Virginia men’s basketball family,” Bennett said. “These young men are talented, versatile and highly-competitive. They come from great families, who understand the value of a degree from the University of Virginia. We look forward to them joining our program next fall.”

 

VIRGINIA CRUISES PAST JMU 65-34

U.Va. forward Mamadi Diakite had 19 points, 13 rebounds, two blocks and two steals Sunday night to lead the Cavaliers against James Madison (AP)

Charlottesville VA-  Virginia improves to 2-0 Mamadi Diakite had career highs of 19points and 13-rebounds

for the Cavaliers cruise pass JMU 65-34 at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville VA. jay Huff who had 11 points, seven rebounds, two blocks and steals off the bench. Matt Lewis would end up leading the Dukes with 14 points and 10- rebounds. EM-SPORTS 11/10/19

 

 

JAMES MADISON (1-1)

Christmas 1-5 1-2 3, Jacobs 3-9 1-2 9, Banks 2-8 0-2 6, Lewis 5-15 0-0 14, Parker 0-7 0-0 0, Wooden 0-3 0-0 0, Flowers 0-1 0-0 0, Dobbs 0-0 0-0 0, Harvey 1-4 0-0 2, Richey 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 12-53 2-6 34.

VIRGINIA (2-0)

Diakite 8-16 2-4 19, Stattmann 2-9 4-4 8, Key 5-8 2-2 14, Clark 2-7 0-0 5, Morsell 0-9 0-0 0, McKoy 2-4 0-0 4, Huff 5-6 1-4 11, Katstra 0-2 0-0 0, Palumbo 0-1 0-0 0, Nixon 1-2 0-0 2, Kersey 1-1 0-0 2, Coleman 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 26-68 9-14 65.

Halftime—Virginia 31-23. 3-Point Goals—James Madison 8-31 (Lewis 4-9, Jacobs 2-5, Banks 2-7, Flowers 0-1, Christmas 0-2, Parker 0-2, Wooden 0-2, Harvey 0-3), Virginia 4-25 (Key 2-3, Diakite 1-3, Clark 1-5, Palumbo 0-1, Nixon 0-1, Coleman 0-1, Morsell 0-5, Stattmann 0-6). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—James Madison 35 (Lewis 10), Virginia 47 (Diakite 13). Assists—James Madison 6 (Lewis, Parker 2), Virginia 11 (Clark 6). Total Fouls—James Madison 11, Virginia 10. A—13,524 (14,5

by virginiasports.com

CAVALIERS CLING TO WIN, 33-28, OVER GEORGIA TECH ON HOMECOMINGS WEEKEND

 

The Virginia Cavaliers returned home to start a season-ending three game homestand.  Their first opponent in this stretch was the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.  These Yellow Jackets were visitors on Homecomings Weekend in Charlottesville.

 

The Cavaliers lost a heartbreaker to the GT in Atlanta in overtime last season.  With the impressive win at UNC a week ago, the Hoos were looking to exact some revenge and continue to increase the lead they had in the Coastal Division.

 

In a back and forth affair, the Cavaliers and Yellow Jackets traded punches. GT struck on their first possession with a long touchdown pass from James Graham to Ahmarean Brown for 59 yards only to have UVA answer in front of the home crowd with a corresponding touchdown drive finished by Wayne Tualapapa from two yards away.

 
Both teams continued to play stellar offense, as each traded additional touchdowns in the first quarter to tie the score at 14-14 leading into the second quarter. Virginia scored folowing a Joey Blount interception. 
 
The Cavaliers took the lead at 17-14 on a field goal by Brian Delaney, but GT was determined not to go away. The Yellow Jackets offense led a quick strike drive in 37 seconds take a 21-17 lead  when Graham hit Malachi Carter with a 25-yd scoring strike. It seemed to knock the wind out of Virginia's sails and quickly quiet the crowd.  The Cavaliers looked to be heading to the locker rooms in a deficit until they got great field position on the ensuing kickoff. That gave Perkins and company enough of an boost to drive half of the field in 33 seconds and score a crucial go ahead TD when Perkins scrambled in from three yards out, just before halftime.
 
Leading 24-21, Virginia was able to tack on another field goal as both teams slugged it out in the third quarter.  The lead was 27-21 and both teams were looking to put the other away.  As both defenses tightened up, the offenses struggled to get back the offensive rhythm from the first half.  
 
The Cavs were able to take another long drive into the endzone on their first possession of the fourth quarter.  The man with the nose for the endzone, Wayne Tualapapa, bullied into the endzone for his 2nd rushing TD of the game.  The Hoos two-point conversion attempt failed thus the score stayed 33-21.
 
With the time becoming a factor, the Yellow Jackets had to score twice. They were able to get in the endzone with over five minutes left when running back Jordan Mason scored from the eight yard line and made the score closer at 33-28.  With all their three timeouts, Georgia Tech was still in the game and that is when the Cavaliers proceeded to shut the door.
 
The Cavaliers were able to squeeze and grind the time of possession and sealed the deal with a 3rd down pass from Perkins to Billy Kemp. The final drive took teh last 5:30 off the clock and the completion ended the Jackets’ comeback hopes and put a bow on Virginia’s Homecomings celebration.
 
The win makes Virginia now 7-3 and 5-2 in the Coastal. Georgia Tech falls to 2-7 and 1-5 in the ACC Coastal Division.
 
GAME NOTES:
  • Bryce Perkins accounted for 258 yards passing and a second straight 100-yd rushing game (106 yds)
  • Wayne Tualapapa scored two more rushing touchdowns and now has 11 for the year, onone of the best in the ACC.
  • James Graham had his best game of the year, career high 229 yards with two passing, one rushing touchdown.
  • The win gives Virginia a guaranteed winning record for the year in addition to the ACC.
  • Virginia has a bye week before facing commonwealth foe, Liberty University.
  • Georgia Tech returns home to play Virginia Tech, in the first of three games at home to finish the season.

by EMSPORTS.org 11/09/2019

 
 

virginia defeats north carolina to lead the acc coastal

photo by virginiasports.com

 

 

On the first Saturday in November, Virginia and North Carolina met for the 124th time in the South's Oldest Rivalry, a series that began in 1892.  This was Virginia's record-setting sixth night game of 2019, however, this marked the first night game in series history to be played at Kenan Stadium between UVA and UNC.


Virginia had won the last two meetings in this series. UNC Coach Mack Brown is back for his second tenure with UNC. Coach Brown was back for his second tenure with the Tar Heels after coaching them nearly two decades ago.  He had faced Coach Mendenhall when he was coaching Texas and Mendenhall was the coach at BYU.

 

This game was all about the offense. Each team put up over 500 yards and neither team had a turnover.

 

After both teams punted on their initial possessions, North Carolina took an early 3-0 lead but Virginia answered with a scoring drive the include some trickeration.  On fourth down, the Cavaliers ran a fake punt which resulted in a first down.  The shift in momentum help continue the drive which was capped by a Bryce Perkins touchdown run from the one-yard line.  The Cavaliers took a 7-3 lead into the second quarter.

 

Both teams played with great energy and kept the defenses off-balance. The scoring picked up in the second quarter.  Virginia increased their lead to 10-3 with a successful field goal from Brian Delaney of 21 yards.  The Carolina accepted the challenge and reeled off back to back scoring drives with touchdown passes of 47 yards from Sam Howell to Dyami Brown and then 34 yards from Howell to Brown again.  The home team was ahead  17-10 and looking to run away from Virginia.

 

With Bryce Perkins back in control, the Cavaliers marched down the field in less than two minutes and grabbed the momentum back with a six-yard scoring pass from Perkins to Hasise Dubois that helped tie the score at 17-17 prior to halftime.  

 

Bryce Perkins had put on his Superman cape and that TD before the half on the first of four consecutive scoring drives from the end of the second half throughout the third quarter.  To begin the second half, Perkins turned a broken play into a spectacular touchdown run of 65 yards.  This began a stretch in the third quarter of four consecutive scoring drives alternating between both teams, as they went back and forth trying to outduel each other.

 

Perkins set a school record with 490 all-purpose yards (30-39 on 378 passing yards and 24 carries for 112 rushing yards) and tied a career record with five total touchdowns. Terrell Jana was his favorite target with career-high in receptions (13) and receiving yards (146).

 

UNC Freshman QB Sam Howell was nearly as superior. He was able to nearly match touchdown for a touchdown with Virginia. He completed 15 of 29 passes for 353 yards and four touchdowns.

While both teams lit up the scoreboard for three quarters, the defenses made enough stops to pitch shutouts in the final quarter. Virginia’s defense made two stops in the last five minutes, specifically a fourth and three inside the six-yard line. The final series was also a turnover on downs and the bend but not break performance paid off.

 

The win gave Virginia bowl eligibility for the third straight year for the first time since 2005. The Cavaliers sit atop the ACC Coastal Division 4-2 (6-3) overall while UNC falls to 3-3 (4-5) overall in the Coastal.

 

EMSPORTS.org 11/02/2019

 

photo by virginiasports.com

Virginia dominates the Blue Devils, 48-14

 

The Virginia Cavaliers returned home after two tough losses on the road. Their woes were made even worse after losing eight days ago at Miami and not scoring a single touchdown.  Today was a battle of Coastal Division co-leaders and a lot was riding on this game.

 

The return home was just what the doctor ordered as the Cavaliers dominated the Duke Blue a Devils by a score of 48-14.

 

Bryce Perkins threw an ill-advised interception on the first drive of the game, into the endzone. How are, the defense picked up the offense with turnovers and kept the Blue Devils from crossing the 50-yard line in the first half. The Cavaliers did a great job of getting touchdowns not field goals when they got in the redzone.  Perkins accounted for two touchdowns in the ground and Brian Delaney booted a 33-td field goal to give the Hoos a 17-0 halftime lead.

Duke was hoping to make a dent in the deficit but the turnover bug struck again. On the first snap of the second half, Duke fumbles and Charles Snowden recovered for the Cavs. Brian Delaney converted another field goal.  After another great defensive stand (fourth down stop), the Cavs bust down the door with another rushing TD from Wayne Tualapapa. 

 

Up 27-0, Virginia was in full control. Duke finally answered with their best drive of the game. This time QB Quinton Harris hit a 36-yard passing TD to WR Scott Bracey to break the shutout. The excitement was short lived. On the ensuing kickoff, the electric kick return of Joe Reed for a 95 yard, got the Hoos back into the endzone and the game was by all intents and purposes, over.

 

The Hoos and Blue Devils made wholesale changes and after trading a couple of touchdowns, the final horn sounded. The Cavaliers had provided the home crowd a statement victory.

Cavalier stats:

 

• Perkins became 1st Virginia QB ever with three rushing touchdowns in a single game.

• Tualapapa finished with career high 77 yards rushing and two touchdowns 

• Virginia recorded five turnovers and only punted three times.

• 48 points are the highest total ever for a Coach Mendenhall team against an ACC opponent.

• The Cavaliers held their seventh straight opponent to under 300 total yards for the game. The first team to accomplish this feat since the 1995 team.

• Joe Reed returned a kickoff for a touchdown for the fifth time in his career. Reed is the UVA career leader in all time kick return yardage. 

• Reed is now tied for No. 9 in FBS history and tied for No. 3 in ACC history with five career kick returns for touchdowns.

• Duke has now lost five consecutive matchups to the Cavaliers and have never beaten UVA under               Coach Mendenhall.

 

EMSPORTS.org 10/19/2019

Virginia stays undefeated with  win over odu 28-17

NCAA Football: Old Dominion at Virginia

 

Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

 

The buzz was still in the air from the monumental win the Cavaliers enjoyed over Florida State last week. Now ranked 21st in the AP Poll, the Cavs has to re-focus at home against in-state foe, the Old Dominion Monarchs.

 

Uva scored 28 unanswered points after the first quarter to pull away from the upset bid and win 28-17.  

ODU was no stranger to being an underdog (27 points against UVA) nor pulling an upset over a Commonwealth rival (beat VT last year).  They would have their hands full on this warm Saturday night.

It seems that ODU didn’t get the message they were to be an easy win at the home of the Hoos.  Instead, ODU played like a team that was ranked and the favorite. 

 

Led by the arm and feet or Stone Smartt, the QB gave the team a lift. The Monarchs drove down to the UVa 4 yard line before they had to settle for a Nick Rice 21 yard field goal. The Monarchs defense continued the trend and stifled the Cavalier offense. After three plays and negative yardage, the Cavaliers punted and gave ODU prime field position. 

 

This time Smartt and his crew passed their way down back into the redzone. Smartt was able to shake the Cavalier defense and dive into the endzone with a 10 yard scramble. The touchdown put the Cavalier crowd into a big hush and the upset murmur was growing.

 

The Cavaliers tried to breakthrough but minimal yardage and another punt backed up the Monarchs. ODU was staring at a lot of field to cover but were not intimidated. With a few mix of passes and runs, Smartt marched the team near midfield when he found Matt Geiger down the sideline. Geiger took the pass and in 47 yards he was celebrating another TD with a somber UVA crowd in shock. 

 

The Cavaliers were staring a 17-0 deficit but kept grinding. In ensuing drive, Joe Reed nearly broke the kickoff return all the way. His 57 yard return gave the Cavs great field position. With the momentum and new energy, Perkins guided his team to their first score. His quick feet provided an eight yard rushing score and the home crowd wake from their slumber.  The Cavaliers finally got a much needed score and went into the half down 17-7.

 

Virginia struggled in the second half until the defense made the key play of the game. ODU backed up near their endzone., a scrambling Smartt was under pressure and threw a pass that found Zane Zandier. Zandier looked like a rumbling TE but the linebacker scored on the pick six from 22 yards away and the tide had turned for the Cavaliers. 

 

ODU was struggling and their offense was under immense pressure. The Cavaliers had made the Monarchs sweat. When the Cavs got the ball back, they complete a few passes and were ready to score, but DE Keion White blocked the attempted Brian Delaney FG attempt and ODU has the lead still.

Virginia’s defense rose to the occasion has the offense was unable to turn the corner. ODU was stuffed deep in their territory in a fourth and 1.  Virginia quickly capitalized off the defense’s stellar play and Wayne Tualapapa crashes through the defense with a 7 yard slash and run. The Cavaliers took their first lead and time was running out on the Monarchs. The defense got stronger as the game became closer to the end.

 

Virginia turned up the heat and ODU melted under the pressure.  After another ODU punt, Virginia went back to work. With an aerial attack, Perkins found Joe Reed in the flat and Reed made a quick move, left his defender sprawling and raced untouched 25 yards into the endzone. The Cavaliers has put some much needed breathing room between them and ODU. The fans were breathing a huge sigh of relief but the game still needed a final touch.

 

The Cavaliers got that tough compliments of a relentless defense led by Charles Snowden.  He helped stifle any hopes ODU had of a comeback with 2 sacks in ODU’s last two possessions. The Hoos pitched a second half shutout and pushed their record to a perfect 4-0.

 

The Clipboard:

  • Both teams were a little anemic on offense. ODU 270 total yards and Virginia only 244. Neither team eclipsed 70 yards rushing respectively for the game.
  • Defensively, the Cavaliers recorded a total of six sacks on Stone Smartt. Snowden recorded a career-high 15 tackles and had two sacks and 3.5 tackles for loss.  Keion White of ODU matched both those totals from his defensive spot.  
  • The only turnover proved to be costly as it was a defensive TD for Virginia.
  • The Cavaliers defense held the Monarchs' offensive to less than 50 yards in the second half (a paltry 49 yards to be exact).

 

by EMSPORTS.org 9/21/2019

The Virginia Cavaliers Raise the Championship Banner

 

It was a night to remember. The University of Virginia held a formal celebration for the Men’s Basketball Champions in John Paul Jones.  The arena was nearly packed as well over 10,000 of Hoos closest family, friends and fans made the trip to Charlottesville to formally celebrate the Night of Champions and the Raising of the Banner for the NCAA Champs.

 

A team which had only one 30 win season in their long history, prior to the 2013-2014 season, had now nearly 30 wins a per year in every season up to the present since then. 

 

Under the leadership of Coach Tony Bennett, the 2018-2019 season was a season to remember. This program was just one season removed from the most memorable upset in NCAA history. The UMBC Retrievers has done the unthinkable as the first #16 seed to defeat a #1 seed. The loss will forever be a part of the annals of NCAA history but not bigger than the aftermath: The Story of Redemption.  The Cavaliers turned their darkest moment into a driving force that produce the the brightest light paving the path to their first ever National Championship in Men’s Basketball.

 

“Every champion must endure suffering.”  This phrase was repeated by Coach Bennett as he harkened back to how the team suffered at the hands on embarrassment and the wrong side of history in the 2018 NCAA Tournament. Rafael Nadal spoke the comment at the 2019 US Open (which he won) but it aptly fits the champion Hoos as they showed grit, perseverance and humility in the face of criticism and pressure. The team once again earned another #1 seed for the 2019, but this time they did not stay in the valley but rose to the top of the mountain. 

 

As the night unfolded, the night was full of energy and emotion. After Coach Bennett spoke, Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy and De’Andre Hunter all shared the stage and during a conversation with Dave Koehn, the Voice of Virginia Athletics. Each spoke of how nervous and excited they were to be a part of the same recruiting class and fulfill a dream, to bring home a national title. They spoke of living out the good and bad times and then how they elevated on the foundation built by earlier teams. 

 

Each member and staff were then honored with their commemorative wristwatch and a audacious championship ring that could be seen from space. It was the perfect symbol and reward for a program that had been built by Coach Bennett for a decade. The fruits of his labor and the young men who went the extra mile to live up to the five pillars were beat displayed in the celebration with the fan base that had embraced the pace and loved every minute of it.

 

Congrats to the 2018-2019 Virginia Men’s Basketball Team, for joy finally came in the morning on this special night of celebration.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 9/13/2019


 

The #25 Cavaliers defeat the Florida State Seminoles in a late night classic, 31-24

 

This second Saturday in September was shaping up to be as exciting a football Saturday that Charlottesville had ever witnessed.

 

On the heels of the Friday celebration for the Men’s Basketball raising their championship banner, the #25 Cavaliers hosted perennial ACC powerhouse Florida State Seminoles. These Seminoles were not as flashy or dominant as the previous versions, but they were still dangerous. This team was loaded with speed, talent and potential but none of that was going to sway Virginia from the task at home.  In front of nearly 58,000 enthusiastic fans, the Cavaliers were poised to Defend their turf and Rock the Scott (Stadium).

 

Virginia received the opening kickoff and with a promising drive moved into the Florida State redzone. The drive turned sour after an errant Bryce Perkins pass was intercepted.  Each team traded punts before Virginia broke through with a long drive and a field goal from Brian Delaney that traveled 49 yards to put the Hoos up 3-0 at the end of the first quarter.

 

The Seminoles struggles were on offense but defense kept them in the game. The Cavaliers secured their own muffed punt but with backs to the end zone, the offense was not able to move very far from the shadow of the end zone. A poor punt by Nash Griffin gave the ‘Noles life and they scored in three plays on a short field.  QB James Blackman pass to TE Gabe Nabers was a successful 10 yard touchdown and gave the visitors a lead with user nine minutes left in the second quarter.

 

It was vital for the Cavaliers to regain momentum and grab back the lead.  They were able to do both. In six plays and 75 yards, the Hoos mixed passes and runs to get into the promised land with Wayne Taulapapa’s three yard dash to push the lead to 10-7 for Virginia. Florida State’s answered the touchdown with one of their own. In less than three minutes, the Seminoles went 87 yards with the final pass a touchdown from Blackman to RB Cam Akers for three yards.  Virginia could not answer before the half and a desperation pass from Perkins to Reed was intercepted deep in the Seminoles’ territory.

 

Seminoles took opening second half kickoff and then punted only to have Virginia return the favor.  The next possession saw positive returns for Florida State. They were able to work down the field and convert a long, 53 yard field goal by Ricky Aguayo.  The Hoos now facing a 17-10 deficit in the third quarter proceeded to match the Seminoles.

 

In a quick passing attack, Perkins led the team 75 yards spanning the end of the third quarter and start if the fourth. On a second down pass play, Perkins hit WR Joe Reed with a beautiful pass in corner of endzone and the score was tied at 17 afer Delaney's PAT kick.  With Florida State feeling the momentum slipping away, the hurry offense made plays and forced Virginia’s defense to react and not attack. A well led attack with timely passes and strong running got Florida State the lead again. This time Keyshawn Helton was the recipient of a Blackman 17 yard toss. Down but not out, the Hoos made up the deficit with a finely orchestrated 75 yard, 12 play drive that saw Tualapapa get his second TD. The extra point was no good and with that Florida State held a thin one-point advantage. 

 

The Cavaliers defense made the stops and a forced punt allowed the Cavaliers’ offense to get the lead back.  With Perkins’ arm and Joe Reed’s legs, the Cavaliers made Florida State’s defense work and sweat. The Seminoles were flagged for a targeting which gave Uva the ball 1st and goal inside the 10. Two runs later and Tualapapa was celebrating with his 3rd rushing TD. The magic of Bryce Perkins was on display for the subsequent two-point conversion. With the moves of Houdini and some intuition, the Cavalier QB made moves to slip out imminent danger and finally waltz into the end zone, giving the home squad a 31-24 lead to the the roar of over 60,000 obsessed Wahoo fans. 

 

However, there were 2 minutes and 36 seconds left and Florida State has more than enough time to score.  The high flying, quick pace Seminole offense has shown to be dangerous all night. This last drive would be no different. The Seminoles started at their on 25 yard line and proceeded to pass their way up the field. However, something strange happened on the way to the end of the game.  On fourth down, Blackman fires a pass broken up by CB Nick Grant, but a flag was tossed and Florida State was awarded a first down. That was not all. Coach Mendenhall profusely argued the call and his antics supplied Florida State with another 15 yard penalty. The Seminoles has moved 30 yards with no time elapsing. The Blue Wave Cavalier defense answered the call again. The Seminoles were down to their last play when an incomplete pass seemed to seal their fate.  However, another flag and yet again another 15 yards for Florida Star who was creeping ever so close to the redzone.

 

As the anticipation increased, so did the anxiety on the faces of each fan in Scott Stadium. The Seminoles were on the verge of another fourth down with just 13 seconds left. A pinpoint pass from Blackman to Helton on third down earned a 1st and goal from the 4 yard line with four seconds left. In helter-skelter fashion, the Seminoles played super hurry up and reminiscent to Warrick Dunn in 1995, this endzone was the stage for a frenzied finale. Cam Akers to a direct snap around the right side and as he closed in on the goalline, he was stopped twice by Virginia defenders with time expiring. It happened again, a goalline stand and a tremendous victory as a sea of people in orange and blue embraced these undefeated Hoos in the belly of Scott Stadium.

 

The Clipboard:

- Blackman was phenomenal with 22-37, 234 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions

 

- Perkins played spectacular in second half with 16 consecutive completions and a passing TD to go along with the key two-point conversion.

 

- First time a ranked Virginia team (#23 AP in 2007) has won since destroying the Miami Hurricanes in the final game in the Orange Bowl, 48-0.

 

- Keep away, time of possession: UVA 39:44 > FSU 20:16

 

- Both teams combined for 19 penaties, 180 total yards and five personal foul penalties (All Florida State)

 

by EMSPORTS.org 9/14/19

photo by virginiasports.com

Virginia manhandles William & Mary in home opener, 52-17

 

Friday night lights is a natural phenomenon that engulfs countless fans of football in the fall every year. In this Friday, the Virginia (1-0) Cavaliers decided to make their mark as they opened up their 2019 home schedule with the visiting William and Mary Tribe (1-0).

 
The Tribe are in the first year under the helm of new head coach Mike London. Yes, that same Mike London who once roamed the sidelines as the head ball coach for the Cavaliers. They won their first game last week over the Lafayette Leopards, 30-17.
 
The last two time these team men met at Scott  Stadium was the opening game in 2013 as London led UVA to a 19-16 comeback victory over the BYU Cougars, Mendenhall’s former team.
 
Hoos started off right. A quick three and out by the defense and Bryce Perkins went to work. He was a perfect 4 for 4 on the drive culminating it with a 40yd touchdown pass to Joe Reed. The defense was just as effective on the next series. After the Tribe recorded a couple of first downs, then the Cavalier Defense made a statement. 
 
An rushed throw by Tribe QB Hollis Mathis found the waiting arms of CB Nick Grant. The Cavalier cornerback took the ball on a sprint and raced down the home sideline nearly untouched for a pick six of 85 yards.
 
The next drive after a Tribe punt was finished with another TD. The offense showed a few more mixes of power runs and timely passes. Bryce Perkins added the final blow with a seven yard touchdown scamper to put them up 21-0 as the first quarter was coming to a close. 
 
The offense didn’t slow down. Perkins Drive the team methodically down the field and then Perkins found his big target, Terrell Chatman, with a 15-yard strike in the middle of the end zone pushing the score to 28-0.
 
William and Mary caught a break on the first mistake by UVA. The Tribe punted and what looked to be another Cavalier possession turned into a fumble as Chuck Davis bobbled the punt allowing the Tribe to recover inside the red zone. With their best position all
game, the Tribe was unable to penetrate the Virginia defense and settled for a 40-yard field goal.
 
Just when it looked as if the momentum was slowly shifting it wasn’t. The kickoff went deep into the end zone but no touchback because Joe Reed has other plans. With a burst of speed and a quick cut to the left, Reed weaved his way through the defense and left all defenders in his dust. 100 yards later, the Cavaliers were celebrating another touchdown and the crowd was in a frenzy. 
 
The Cavaliers were on the move again but this time an ill-advised throw by Perkins in the  red zone led to his first interception allowing the Tribe a chance to catch its breath and stop any further damage.  Virginia had one more chance to score but an errant field goal attempt kept the score at 35-3 in favor of the Hoos at the half.
 
Virginia opened up the second half with ball first and time consuming scoring drive.  The feet and arm of Perkins did most of the damage but the score honors belonged to 1st year running back Mike Hollins.  On his first ever carry as a Hoo, Hollins sliced through a tired Tribe defense for a 9-yard touchdown. 
 
After Virginia forced a three and out, the Cavaliers were not as effective on offense. Bryce Perkins threw his second pick of the game in a third and long situation. William and Mary moves the ball but were unable to capitalize, missing on a 35 yard field goal attempt. 
 
The Tribe defense struck again.  This time the  quarterback was Brennan Armstrong. After a few first downs, Armstrong was hit on a blitz and his pass fell in the hands of Tribe linebacker Arman Jones, who returned it 47 yards for the Tribe’s first touchdown. 
 
Virginia found their footing after stumbling on previous possession. The hard running of Mike Hollins got the Cavaliers inside the 10 yard line where they settled for a field goal by Brian Delaney from 34 yards.
 
William and Mary put together their best drive with an answer to the field goal by Virginia. In seven plays, covering 75 yards, Albert Funderburke bulldozed in from the two yard line for another Tribe TD. 
 
The Hoos seamlessly moved 64 yards into end zone with Mike Hollins converting a one yard rush for the last yard. With his second TD, Hollins increased the lead to 52-17. 
 
Aside from a few miscues the Virginia offense was sensational racking up 511 yards.  Their 52 points was the most points since beating Temple 51-0 in 2005.  Perkins was responsible for two passing touchdowns and one rushing.  He also threw his first two interceptions of the year.  Brennan Anderson, the understudy was also very efficient.  He completed 9 of 10 passes (1 interception) for 103 yards.
 
First year running back Mike Hollins led the ground attack.  He chewed up 78 yards and scored his first two career touchdowns.
 
Joe Reed was the leader with 58 yards receiving and an entertaining 100 yard KO return for a TD (4th of his career).
 
The defense also was very impressive if not dominant.  The Tribe was held to 193 yards total offense and just 10 points were scored on the Cavaliers' defense.  Zane Zandier was the leader with 9 total stops and the entire unit finished with five sacks and 12 tackles for loss plus the interception for a TD by Nick Grant (1st career interception).
 
The Hoos will now have an extra day to rest and prepare as they will welcome in the vaunted Florida State Seminoles on next Saturday night, primetime under the lights.
 
by EMSports.org  9/6/2019
 

Joe Harris, USA Men's National Basketball Team

 

jJoe Harris is fan favorite of all of Wahoo Nation, in making his name on the International Basketball level.  Harris, professionally of the Brooklyn Nets, is making himself as a name as a sharpshooter and overall great leader with the US National Men's Team.  Harris was originally participating in the US Select Team, a group of professionals who were preparing the senior team for the 2019 FIBA World Cup Tournament in China.  After several rounds of cuts, the USA team recognized how valuable Harris would be to the team and now he is on the Senior National Team.

 

Harris has made great strides as a professional leading the NBA in three point shooting percentage at 47.4%.  Harris is a knockdown, long distance sniper who also provides size on the perimeter and solid defense.

 

Harris will get a chance to prove his mettle and continue to showcase his skills as the USA is the favorite going into this tournament.  In the style of the world famous World Cup that soccer fans have loved for decades, the 2019 FIBA World Cup will take place from Sept. 1 - Sept. 15.

 

The USA has started preparations and are expected to be on the top of the medal podium when the dust clears.  Joe Harris will be an integral part of their success.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 8/23/2019

 

Hunter, Jerome and Guy Selected in 2019 NBA Draft

 

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – Former Virginia stars De’Andre Hunter, Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy were selected in the 2019 NBA Draft Thursday (June 20) night.

 

Hunter was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the fourth overall pick and is expected to be traded to Atlanta. Jerome was picked 24th overall by Philadelphia and is expected to be traded to Phoenix.

Hunter became UVA’s highest first-round selection since Ralph Sampson was selected first overall by Houston in 1983. In addition, UVA has two players drafted in the same draft for the first time in school history.

Guy was selected by New York with the 55th pick of the second round as the Cavaliers had three NBA draft selection for the first time since 1987 when Olden Polynice (Chicago), Andrew Kennedy (Philadelphia) and Tom Sheehey (Boston) were selected in the first, second and fourth rounds, respectively. Guy will head to Sacramento as part of a trade.

Virginia has had eight players drafted in the NBA since 2012, including Mike Scott (2012), Joe Harris (2014), Justin Anderson (2015), Malcolm Brogdon (2016), Devon Hall (2018), and Hunter, Jerome and Guy in 2019. Scott, Harris, Brogdon and Hall were second-round selections, while Anderson was selected 21st overall in the first round.

Hunter, Jerome and led UVA to its first NCAA title in 2018-19. Hunter earned consensus third-team All-America honors, and was the NABC National Defensive Player of the Year, All-ACC first-team and ACC Defensive Player of the honoree after his breakout season in 2018-19. He averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds, while shooting 52 percent from the field, 43.8 percent from 3-point range and 78.3 percent from the free throw line. Hunter racked up 10 20-point games, including a career-high 27 points against Texas Tech in the NCAA championship game. He averaged 12.4 points and 4.4 rebounds in 71 career games.

 

Jerome averaged career highs in points (13.6), rebounds (4.2) and assists (5.5) during his junior season in 2018-19. Jerome netted six 20-point games, including 24 against Purdue and 21 against Auburn in the NCAA Tournament. Jerome registered three double-doubles and tied a school record with 14 assists at Syracuse. Jerome, who was two-time All-ACC  honoree, totaled 1,011 points, 317 rebounds and 384 assists in 105 career games in three seasons at UVA.

 

by EMSPORTS.org 6/20/2019

 

by Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

The Champs are Here! Cavaliers defeat defending Lacrosse Champ Yale, 13-9

 

In Charlottesville, the University of Virginia has had an historic seven weeks.  In early April, the basketball team captured their first ever Men's NCAA Title.  The Cavalier Lacrosse Team saw and learned the lessons from their UVA brethren and decided to do the same.

 

Exactly 7 Mondays from the night of the basketball championship, the team led by coach Lars Tiffany secured the program's sixth NCAA title in Lacrosse.  This was no easy feat and it took some fortunate bounces and tremendous play to earn their newest hardware.  The Cavaliers completed the trifecta, of sorts.  They also won the ACC regular season title and the ACC tournament championship.  

 

First Round:

The UVA Men, seeded #3 in the NCAA Tournament, hosted their first-round matchup where they dispatched Robert Morris, 19-10.  They entered the quarterfinals looking at a familiar foe, the Maryland Terrapins.  The Hoos and the Terps had faced off nearly 100 times and Maryland was easily the most hated and longest despised rival for the Cavaliers. 

 

They had many epic contests however the most recent one of importance was the 2011 National Championship in Baltimore, MD.  The Hoos prevailed that day in Maryland's back yard and a few years later the Terrapins left the ACC for the Big Ten.

 

Quarterfinals:

The Cavaliers and Terps were neck and necks through most of the first three quarters.  However, with 10:38 left in the fourth quarter, the Terrapins led 12-7 and look to be heading into the national semifinals.  The Cavaliers were down but not out and went on a furious scoring binge.  The Hoos scored the last five goals in regulation to send the game into overtime.  In overtime, faceoff specialist, first-year Petey LaSalla won the biggest faceoff of the year.  He found Matt Moore on the move and Moore did the rest.  Moore's sudden victory OT goal just 45 seconds into the extra period sent the Cavaliers through to the Final Four in Philadelphia with a 13-12 triumph.

 

The Cavaliers went from the frying pan right into the oven has they were now facing their newest nemesis, the Duke Blue Devils.  The Blue Devils had a stranglehold over the series with the Cavs.  They had been victorious in 19 of the last 20 contests including nine straight.  The Cavaliers had not vanquished the Devils since 2010 ACC Tournament. 

 

Semifinals:

The Cavaliers took an early 1-0 then 2-1 lead but the Blue Devils would not allow another goal in the first half.  After a 4-0 scoring advantage in the second period, the teams traded goals in the third quarter.  Every time UVA made a move, Duke countered and they upped the ante.  The Blue Devils jumped ahead 8-4 halfway in the third period and looked to be in control.  Virginia found new life an answered back with a quick 3 goal scoring spree before Duke closed the quarter with back to back goals.  The fourth quarter was going to decide the fate of one of these teams, the loser was going to rue the chance to be in the national final match.

 

Leading 10-7, Duke gave up the first score to UVA.  Then answered with another goal.  UVA pushed to deficit to one, with two quick scores and looked to have momentum.  Duke squelched the run with a goal and under two minutes to play, the Blue Devils just needed to play defense to win this match.  The Hoos did not listen to conventional wisdom and has in the past, they found a way to knot the score at 12 with 15 seconds left and head to overtime.

 

One overtime was not enough as both teams wasted chances to end this contest however, in the second OT, Ian Laviano, the Cavs' leading scorer on the year, notched his 50th goal of the season of an assist from Matt Moore (team leader in that category).  With the clock showing 3:09 to play in the second OT, the final score was 13-12 in favor of Virginia.  Finally, the Blue Devils had been exorcised.

 

After such a magnificent win, the Cavaliers were starting to resemble that team from JPJ.  Cardiac Cavaliers or Comeback Cavs seemed to be a fitting description for the ability to pull the wins out at the end of these playoff battles.  

 

National Finals:

Championship Monday on Memorial Day was the final stop for this Virginia team and a date with destiny.  The Yale Bulldogs stood in the way of the Cavaliers completing the journey to the top of the Lacrosse mountain.  

 

The Bulldogs had been here before and their claim to fame was their offense.  The offense had scored 59 goals in the first three rounds of the tournament and were looking like a juggernaut after dispatching the #1 team in the country, the Penn State Nittany Lions, 21-17 in the semifinals.

 

The Elis (Yale's nickname) sported the one of the best players in the country in TD Irelan, a faceoff specialist who had won a mindboggling 75% of the faceoffs and was a finalist for the player of the year award, The Tewaaraton Award.  Yale took an early 1-0 lead before Matt Moore scored two goals to give UVA a 2-1 lead.  Then Yale tied the game when all tourney player, Matt Brandau assisted Matt Gaudet for the tying score.

 

Virginia then took over and scored the next four goals in the first half.  The Virginia defense was phenomenal and thwarted every attack that the Yale offense attempted to ignite.  With the score at 6-2, the Cavaliers headed into the final 30 minutes with a lead and complete control.

 

The Yale Bulldogs would not go down without a fight and in a blink of the eye, the Bulldogs scored two lightning fast goals and suddenly the mood shifted in the stadium.  In less than 70 seconds, the score was 6-4, Yale was jubilant and the Cavaliers were back on their heels.  

 

UVA collected their thoughts and responded in a grand fashion.  With precision passing and great energy, the Hoos put together a 5-0 streak that knocked the Elis off their high horse and essentially ended the chance of a repeat by Yale.

 

There would be no great comeback or tense moments in this championship tilt.  The Cavaliers had ascended back to the top of the sport with their scintillating performance.  The final score of 13-9 was confirmation of the hard work and long road this team had traveled to be recognized as the Kings of Lacrosse.  They started the season 1-2 and only dropped one more contest over the final 17 matches of the season.  That was to Duke in the regular season and they avenged that loss in the semifinals.  The Cavaliers will look to be the favorite heading into the 2020 season.  Their Sixth National Championship has a sweet taste to it and will be housed in Charlottesville, the new City of Champions.

 

by EMSPORTS.org  5/28/19

 

 

 

                       JUAN THORNHILL GETS SELECTED IN NFL DRAFT

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia senior safety Juan Thornhill (Altavista, Va.) was selected by the Kansas City Chiefs during Friday’s second round of the National Football League Draft. Thornhill was the 63rd overall pick and the first safety drafted out of Virginia since Anthony Poindexter was taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the seventh round, 216th overall, in 1999.

 

Thornhill is the first Cavalier drafted by the Chiefs since 2008 when offensive lineman Branden Albert was taken in the first round. Thornhill is the sixth Cavalier all-time to be drafted by the Kansas City Chiefs.

 

Thornhill finished the 2018 season No. 3 in the nation and No. 3 in the ACC with six interceptions. He set a UVA single-season record for interception return yards with 141 and led Virginia with 98 tackles.  Thornhill was a first-team All-ACC honoree, an honorable mention All-American by College Football News and named to the Associated Press All-Bowl team. Thornhill started in the Senior Bowl and participated in the NFL Combine. He was named the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week after making six tackles and intercepting two passes against No. 16 Miami. Thornhill also recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, blocked a PAT and returned it for a two-point score. He leaves UVA tied for No. 6 all-time at UVA with 13 career interceptions, sharing the spot with Chase Minnifield (2008-11). Thornhill helped spearhead a UVA secondary in 2018 that finished No. 12 in the nation in passing efficiency defense (107.62), No. 16 in passing yards allowed (183.0) and No. 20 in both team defense (330.5) and scoring defense (20.1).

 

NFL DRAFT 2019

 

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.– Virginia senior cornerback Tim Harris (Richmond, Va.) was selected by the San Francisco 49ers during Saturday's sixth round of the National Football Draft. Harris was the 198th overall pick and the first cornerback drafted out of Virginia since Maurice Canady was taken by the Baltimore Ravens in the sixth round, 209th overall, in 2016.
 
Harris is the first Cavalier drafted by the 49ers since 2015 when Eli Harold was taken in the third round. Harris is the sixth Cavalier all-time to be drafted by the 49ers.
 
Harris appeared in 47 career games for the Cavaliers over six seasons. He started the last eight games on 2018 and made 36 tackles, broke up four passes and recorded two interceptions. Harris notched interceptions at Virginia Tech in the regular season finale and against South Carolina in the Belk Bowl. His interception in the Belk Bowl solidified UVA's 28-0 shutout of the Gamecocks. Harris was part of a UVA secondary in 2018 that finished No. 12 in the nation in passing efficiency defense (107.62), No. 16 in passing yards allowed (183.0) and No. 20 in both team defense (330.5) and scoring defense (20.1).

 

by virginiasports.com 4/26/2019

 

Several other standouts from the Cavaliers' football team went undrafted but shall continue their journey in the NFL after signing free agent contracts.

 

Olamide Zaccheaus signed with Atlanta Falcons

Chris Peace signed with the LA Chargers

Marcus Applefield signed with the Baltimore Ravens

Jordan Ellis signed with the Cincinnati Bengals

 

by EMSPORTS.org  4/27/2019

 

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