Virginia coach Tony Bennett watched his team get off to a slow start in the title game of the Corpus Christi Challenge. So he swapped out four pieces of the line-up early in the first half and that move created a complete turn-around as the Hoos destroyed Missouri State in an 83-63 victory.
UVa trailed 11-3 when Bennett made the changes, which seemed to steady a shaky defensive effort in the early minutes. The Bears jumped out to the lead on the strength of some hot long-range shooting and they already had made 5 3-pointers when they led 19-14. By the time that fifth triple fell, however, the Hoos already had started to reel in the deficit and moments later they took the lead for good.
“Our energy was just a little low at the beginning of the game,” Virginia’s Justin Anderson said. “I just wanted to bring some energy and life to our team, and I stepped up and shot the ball with confidence. We just got rolling and played like we knew how.”
Anderson provided the biggest spark off the bench. Anderson made 10 of 13 shots en route to a game-high 23 points. That included 3-of-6 shooting from 3-point range. It didn’t take long for Anderson to get hot either. He logged a steal and a lay-up moments after checking in and then moments later took a London Perrantes’ steal and pass head in for a dunk. He followed that up with a 3-pointer and a pull-up jumper on the next two possessions, giving him 9 points in 5 minutes. When he knocked home a pair of triples less than one minute apart later in the half, Anderson was well on his way to 17 points before intermission.
That outburst helped UVa take a 32-22 advantage into the locker room and the lead never dipped into single digits the entire second half.
“Obviously, Justin was dialed in from long range,” Bennett said. “He’s got the ability to impact the game on both ends. He was really setting our tone defensively. He was a spark with those other guys and then he continued to play soundly the rest of the game.”
While Anderson had it going, Joe Harris missed his first 3-pointer of the week. As it turned out, that was his only missed 3-pointer of the week. Harris made 4 of 5 triples and 5 of 6 shots overall to finish with 15 points for the second straight night in this tournament. He added 4 rebounds and 3 assists too. In three games this week, Harris made 11 of 12 3-pointers and 16 of 19 shots overall.
That consistency led to tournament MVP honors for the Cavalier senior.
Mike Tobey and Malcolm Brogdon also scored in double figures against Missouri State. Tobey chipped in 14 points and 6 rebounds off the bench, while Brogdon finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. UVa also got 8 points from Anthony Gill and 6 more from Darion Atkins. That balance from a deep roster is becoming the norm early this season. Six Cavaliers are averaging 6.0 points or better in the 7-1 start to the year. The Hoos tallied 20 assists on 30 made field goals against the Bears on Saturday night.
“I thought we responded after a very sluggish start,” Bennett said. “We have to have an edge to our play. I thought we played with some purpose offensively, too. We really shared the ball and moved hard.”
