CHARLOTTE, N.C. – With so many guards and wing-type players on the floor for Belmont, UVa turned to a small ball lineup with greater frequency Friday. That meant the Cavaliers’ primary physical impact had to come from Darion Atkins and Anthony Gill. Clearly the two standouts are not a bad tandem to lean on.

The duo combined for 26 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocked shots, and 2 steals in UVa’s 79-67 victory in the NCAA Tournament.

“They did a great job today,” said Mike Tobey, who played only 5 minutes in a tough matchup for him. “They’re very mobile big men so they were able to guard them defensively, and I think they did a great job of attacking and being real physical.”

Atkins scored 6 points and pulled down 5 rebounds in the first half and finished with 10 points and 7 boards on the night. While Atkins did the heavy lifting in the first half, Gill exploded out of the locker room, scoring the Cavaliers’ first four points and swatting a monster block in the first two minutes of the second half. He finished with 16 points and was rock solid at the free throw line, hitting 8 of his 11 attempts.

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