Road Sweet Road: Hoos Win At Ohio State

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Malcolm Brogdon had at least 20 points for the third straight game as he tallied 22 points at Ohio State. ~ Kris Wright

Perhaps, Virginia basketball coach Tony Bennett will ask to play all of his team’s Big Ten-ACC Challenge games on the road. The Cavalier won their fourth straight road game in the yearly series by ousting Ohio State 64-58 on Tuesday night. UVA took the lead for good with 12:13 to play and led by at least two possessions for the final 6:31.

The Hoos have wins at Minnesota (87-79 in 2010), Wisconsin (60-54 in 2012), Maryland (76-65 in 2014), and Ohio State under Bennett in the Challenge.

“We knew coming into this ACC-Big Ten challenge that it would be a good atmosphere,” Bennett said. “Thad Matta is a heck of coach and what [Marc] Loving did tonight was impressive. We haven’t gone against a team that is able to block shots like [they did] yet.”

While Bennett was rightfully impressed by Loving, who led the Buckeyes with 19 points on 7-of-11 shooting, Matta was equally effusive toward Virginia’s Malcolm Brogdon. And why not? Brogdon put up a game-high 22 points behind 6-of-10 3-point shooting. He added 6 rebounds and 2 assists as well.

Just as important, however, was how he once again set the tone for a team that is seemingly unfazed in almost any situation. On Tuesday night, that meant playing without starting point guard London Perrantes, who missed the game after having an appendectomy on Sunday. The Hoos barely blinked without their steady guard in the mix. Darius Thompson stepped back into the starting lineup and along with Brogdon kept the team on course with its usual approach.

Brogdon was on point from start to finish. He hit a pair of 3-pointers to open Virginia’s scoring and had an answer for a couple of Ohio State surges. When the hosts took a 32-31 lead early in the second half, Brogdon nailed a 3-pointer just 17 seconds later to put UVA back on top. With OSU back within 52-49 later in the half, he hit another to make it a two-possession game again.

“That’s one of the best kids, honestly, that I’ve seen because he’s so patient, he’s so smooth,” Matta said per The Associated Press. “He’s so efficient when he plays.”

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Darius Thompson recorded 12 points and 6 assists as the Hoos played without London Perrantes. ~ Kris Wright

Virginia’s senior guard wasn’t alone with a strong showing in the backcourt with Perrantes out of action. Thompson responded with 12 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds, and just 2 turnovers. He made 2 of 3 triples as well. Along with Brogdon’s 36 minutes, he logged 34.

Devon Hall, meanwhile, came off the bench for 24 minutes and contributed significantly, especially during a key second half stretch. Hall finished with 4 points and 3 rebounds, but he had a very active turn during the middle of the second half. With the Buckeyes leading 42-40, Hall scored at the 12:57 mark to tie things up for the final time. Then at 8:35 and the score at 48-46, he made another shot to give his team a little cushion on the scoreboard. He also had a couple of defensive rebounds down the stretch.

All in all, it was a night where Virginia’s depth – Anthony Gill posted 10 and 8 despite foul trouble, while Mike Tobey and Isaiah Wilkins chipped in 6 points each – shined on the road.

“We have a really deep team,” Wilkins said per The Associated Press. “Of course, we’ll miss him but we have guys who can step up for as long as he’s out and when he’s back, we’ll have a full team again.”

“It was an opportunity to show that we are a legitimate veteran team with depth,” Bennett said. “It showed tonight against a team that is talented but not a veteran team.”

The Cavaliers also withstood a good shooting night for the Buckeyes, who shot 50% in the loss. In addition to Loving’s 19 points, Ohio State picked up 15 points from Keita Bates-Diop on 4-of-8 shooting and 12 points from Jae’Sean Tate on 5-of-9 shooting. Everyone else, however, hit just 5 of 14 shots and the Hoos made up for OSU’s shot making with 7 more offensive rebounds and 5 fewer turnovers.

Virginia is back in action on Saturday with a 2 p.m. game against William & Mary, who defeated NC State 85-68 in November. The Tribe is 5-2 on the season after a win against Old Dominion on Tuesday.

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  1. “On Tuesday night, that meant playing withOUT starting point guard London Perrantes, who missed the game after having an appendectomy on Sunday.”

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