Maybe it’s the ocean breeze blowing in from Charleston Harbor or something in the Lowcountry cuisine, but whatever it is, the Virginia basketball team has found its offensive touch at the Charleston Classic. For the second straight night, after all, the Cavaliers topped 55% shooting and easily dispatched an opponent in the process. Friday night’s semifinal contest saw UVA dismantle Long Beach State, 87-52.
The Hoos have scored at least 80 points in three of four games this season, a barrier they reached just twice in 34 games last season.
“They showed the depth we’ve talked about and they were unselfish,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. “On the defensive end, they really helped each other and made Long Beach earn on almost every possession. A few breakdowns, but that’s what we preach.”
The No. 6 Cavaliers carved up the 49ers throughout the game and finished at 55.7% shooting, which was just a shade less than the 56.6% number they had against Bradley on Thursday night. Ball movement keyed the dissection Friday as the team logged 23 assists on 34 made field goals. As a result, five different Hoos put up double-digit points in the win.
Marial Shayok led all scorers with 17 points as he set a new career-high for the second straight game. Shayok lit it up from the corners where he made 3 of 4 3-pointers. He added a career-best 5 assists as well. London Perrantes made 6 of 9 shots and 3 of 6 treys to add 15 points, while Devon Hall came off the bench to make 4 of 5 triples en route to 12 points. Anthony Gill chipped in 11 points and 5 rebounds, while Malcolm Brogdon added 10 points, 4 rebounds, and tied his career-high with 7 assists.
As those stats partially show, UVA had it going from the 3-point line where the players canned 13 of 25 attempts. That’s a stellar 52% performance , led by Hall and Shayok as they only missed one bonus ball shot each. Overall, the Wahoos have drained 19 of 40 3-pointers in Charleston, a 47.5% success rate. In the season’s two opening games against Morgan State and George Washington, they connected on just 10 of 38 3-point attempts, a 26.3% clip.
“I think we wore down Long Beach and started getting more and more open looks, which is a help,” Bennett said on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. “When the ball is going in from 3, you’re getting inside stuff, and you’re balanced with a lot of assists to fewer turnovers, that’s a big stat.”
While the offense is clicking, the defense appears to be settling in as well. Virginia held the 49ers to 31.3% shooting, including 23.8% in the first half when Long Beach made just 5 of 21 shots. The Cavaliers didn’t allow a point in the paint until more than 30 minutes had passed. Isaiah Wilkins contributed to the strong effort Friday as he tied his career high with 3 blocked shots. Freshman Jarred Reuter added 6 rebounds too.
The past two games have been big steps in that regard after some clear struggles with positioning and the new rules emphasis in a loss to George Washington earlier this week.
“You grow and you learn,” Bennett said per The Associated Press. “That’s what this early season is about. That’s what playing multiple games in a short amount of time will reveal to you.”
The Hoos will play for the tournament title on Sunday night at 9:30 p.m. against George Mason, who defeated Oklahoma State in overtime to reach the final.
