CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Virginia Cavaliers barely had to break a sweat in their previous two meetings with NC State, a 15-point victory in Raleigh on January 3rd and a 29-point rout in Charlottesville on February 24th. But in round three on Thursday afternoon in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals, the Wolfpack made the ’Hoos fight for it.
A sleepy start from UVA allowed NC State to take an early six-point lead, as the Wolfpack built off the momentum from their Wednesday afternoon win over Pittsburgh.
But the ’Hoos clawed their way in front, leading by one heading into halftime, and came out hot after the break.
Virginia would hit 17-of-31 (54.8%) shots in the second half and led by as many as a dozen midway through the period. The Wolfpack never quit, getting within four in the final minute, but a critical late offensive rebound by Malik Thomas helped fend off Will Wade’s highly-motivated squad and finish the 81-74 victory.
With the win, UVA improves to 28-4 on the season and keeps its hopes of an ACC Tournament title alive in Charlotte. Here are five takeaways from Virginia’s first postseason win under head coach Ryan Odom:
UVA continues to find new ways to win
It wasn’t a pretty start for Virginia, and it took a while for the ’Hoos to get settled after the early 12:00 PM tip-off. Yet despite facing an early deficit against a Wolfpack squad that hadn’t presented much of a challenge in two previous meetings, UVA never wavered.
“Our guys, they’re veterans,” Odom said after the game. “We’ve had situations throughout this season where we’ve been behind. We’ve had situations where we’ve had big leads and lost them. It’s all part of the process. I think our guys just come into every huddle ready to listen. They have ideas, and they communicate with one another. They listen to one another in those time-outs.”
After some sloppy turnovers in the opening minutes, the ’Hoos began attacking the basket, working inside out to create open shooters and take advantage of their significant size advantage. Virginia would finish the game 12-of-25 from beyond the arc and with six players scoring at least eight points.
The balanced attack, with someone new stepping up nearly every game, has allowed the ’Hoos to remain calm in close games all season long. And that strength was once again on display Thursday afternoon.
The Wolfpack played their tails off
It hasn’t been the season that many expected for NC State, but Virginia had its hands full with a hungry Wolfpack on Thursday. It’s hard to beat a team three times in one season, especially one that seemed to have the right mindset to pose a threat this week in Charlotte.
“We realized we’re not going to get these moments back,” NC State guard Quadir Copeland said after advancing to face the ’Hoos yesterday. “So, it’s back against the wall, full throttle down.”
Competing against a squad with that type of nothing-to-lose mentality can only benefit the ’Hoos going forward. Learning what it takes to beat a team that’s playing with March Madness-level intensity will serve UVA incredibly well, not only this week, but heading into next week’s NCAA Tournament as well.
Ugonna Onyenso came up huge
After being celebrated as the ACC’s Bob Bradley Spirit and Courage Award winner before tip-off, Ugonna Onyenso turned heads with an incredible performance against the Wolfpack.
With starting center Johann Grunloh picking up two early fouls (and a third mere seconds into the second half), Onyenso was forced into a season-high 30 minutes of action. The 7-footer took full advantage of the opportunity, finishing with eight points (4-8 FG), six rebounds, and a season-high eight blocks.
Virginia fans are familiar with Onyenso’s difference-making on the defensive end, but Thursday was a special performance. The senior from Nigeria is averaging nearly 2.8 blocks despite seeing fewer than 18 minutes of action per game this season, and his energy on and off the court has been irreplaceable for the ’Hoos.
“I played some years overseas,” Thijs de Ridder said postgame. “And that’s probably the best shot blocker I ever saw in my life. He’s making us better in practice, too. We have to score over him.”
Jacari White loves the Spectrum Center
In a December 6th neutral site non-conference matchup with Dayton inside the Spectrum Center, Jacari White went a perfect 9-for-9 from the field and 7-for-7 from 3-point range, finishing with 25 points.
Feeling right at home back in Charlotte, White knocked down 3-of-5 triples against the Wolfpack on Thursday, scoring 13 points in 20 critical minutes of action off the bench.
“I think it was just a testament to the work I put in every day,” White said on returning to the Queen City. “Just coming in and having that confidence. I feel like shooting is a confidence thing, and I feel like my teammates put their confidence in me to make those plays and hit those shots.”
As NC State dealt with White’s flamethrowing, Sam Lewis and Malik Thomas were in attack mode for the second-straight game. Thomas, especially, seemed determined to get into the paint and build off his 16-point outing to close the regular season against Virginia Tech. He, once again, finished with 16 points against the Wolfpack, using his slashing ability to collapse the Wolfpack defense.
Lewis, meanwhile, lit it up from beyond the arc, knocking down 4-of-5 attempts from distance.
“Lewis has killed us every game from three,” Wade said. “The only difference is he didn’t make his first one like he usually does.”
With White, Lewis, and Thomas all clicking, it’s very hard to stop the ’Hoos. Whether their shots fall or not, having those three being aggressive with the ball in their hands does wonders for the Virginia offense.
On to the semis
The ’Hoos will be making their ninth appearance in the semifinals in the past 12 ACC tournaments on Friday evening against either Miami or Louisville, who took the floor immediately after Virginia’s win.
While the early tip on Thursday might have contributed to a lethargic start for the ’Hoos, the benefit now is a few extra hours to rest up before tomorrow night. With unfortunate injuries to UNC’s Caleb Wilson and Duke’s Patrick Ngongba and Caleb Foster muddying the waters on the other side of the bracket, the path is there for Virginia if it can take care of business in the semis.
Tip-off on Friday night at the Spectrum Center is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST, with coverage on ESPN.
