The Virginia basketball team wrapped up a share of the ACC Regular Season Championship with its 73-68 win against Louisville on Saturday. That secured the No. 1 seed in this week’s ACC Tournament as well. Before the Hoos take the floor in Charlotte, however, it’s time for one last regular season Double Bonus.

Jerome In Spread Ball Screens

Trailing 55-49 near the midway mark of the second half after Louisville surged ahead for the second time since intermission, UVA turned to its junior point guard for answers. Over the final 11 minutes, in fact, the Cavaliers put the ball in Ty Jerome’s hands at least six times with simply a high ball screen as the call. Jerome delivered the right decisions on those plays over and over again as the hosts erased the deficit and moved in front.

Of the six possessions I counted as high ball screens with Jerome, the team scored on four of those trips. Those four scoring possessions added up to 11 points in the final 11 minutes. The first one came near the 10:15 mark with Jay Huff setting the screen. Jerome pulled the defense along with the dribble and then patiently flipped the ball back to Huff, who had popped above the top of the key for a 3-pointer that he made. With 6:58 to go, Jerome came off a ball screen from Huff again, drew in the defense with a drive threat, and kicked the ball to Kyle Guy in the corner for another made triple.

With 5:34 to go, Jerome used a Huff ball screen and pulled the defense toward the right while Huff rolled to the rim. Jerome attempted to make a throw-back pass to De’Andre Hunter making a replacement cut into the hole left by Huff, but Louisville fouled him on the pass attempt. Jerome made both ends of one-and-one free throws. With 5:07 remaining, Jerome refused the ball screen set-up from Huff (dribbled away from it) and drew in the defense before he threw the ball back to Huff above the top of the key again. Even though the pass was deflected, Huff still canned the 3-pointer.

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