The Result: Second-ranked UVa led by as many as nine in the first half before falling behind by as many as seven in the second, eventually using a 7-2 run to take the lead and then a 7-0 run shortly thereafter to push ahead for good in a 73-68 win over Louisville. With the victory, the Wahoos wrapped up the No. 1 seed in this week's ACC Tournament along with their fourth regular-season title in six years.
The Turning Point: After Kyle Guy and Braxton Key hit back-to-back 3s to give UVa the lead, the Cardinals got an and-1 from Christen Cunningham to push back in front with 5:46 left. But the Hoos went on a 7-0 run fueled by a crucial 3-pointer from Jay Huff to stretch the lead to six and all but end any doubt.
The Stat That Tells the Story: After a number of games of late where turnovers have been an issue, the Cavaliers flipped it on Saturday afternoon. UVa turned it over only four times and scored 17 points off of Louisville's 10.
Wahoo of the Game: It's Ty Jerome. After nearly doubling Syracuse's assist output on Monday night, the junior guard's six dimes against the Cards were nearly equal to what Louisville had as a team (seven). But it was his 24 points that carried the day. In a game where De'Andre Hunter was uncharacteristically inefficient (3-for-13 shooting), Jerome put the team on his back at several points and had some timely plays on both ends, especially drives to the basket, that proved critical. He also racked up four boards and two steals while turning it over just once in 39 minutes of action.
Why did the Cavaliers win it?
The game started poetically given the storylines that abounded. On Senior Day, Jack Salt won the opening tip and in may end up being their final home game together, the "Big Three" all made contributions in a row to start. Guy hit a 3, Hunter had a block on the other end, and then Jerome found Kihei Clark for a 3 to put the Hoos up 6-0. Still, it was a game effort from the Cards and it spoke to their potential as well as their inconsistency. Simply put: Not many teams in the nation can be as steady as the Cavaliers can be. And even in moments where Louisville made runs, UVa was always ready to respond. After the Cardinals combined to score the last six points of the first half and the first six points of the second, even three straight 3s to build a seven-point lead with 16:11 left weren't enough to truly grab momentum. Virginia just kept grinding and it's that kind of gear that is so necessary in the postseason. A 7-0 run by the Hoos tied the game and then, even after UL scored six of the game's next eight points, UVa didn't go away. Lastly, the contributions of the role players were as massive as they were timely. Huff's 3-pointer with 10:16 left was the start of a 6-2 run and as the Virginia defense swarmed—Louisville went nearly three and a half minutes without a field goal in that stretch—the writing was on the wall. Once Guy and Key hits those 3s, it was only a matter of time before UVa pulled away for good.
What does this mean for UVa going forward?
Not only does the win give the Wahoos the top seed in Charlotte but it gave the team a chance to celebrate in JPJ, something fans haven't been able to do each time there was a regular-season crown. Big picture, though, getting pushed by a Louisville team that played its tail off is a great way to head into the postseason. Sure, 26-point road wins in the ACC when you make 18 of your 3-point attempts are great and all but games where you have to dig deep and role players have to contribute at the right time, those are invaluable. With its best player not having his best stuff, UVa still managed to figure out a way to win. And it looked nothing like the first game between these two teams, with UVa getting beat in the paint (20-16) and on the glass (40-31) after dominating inside in Round 1. The Big Three are obviously critical to UVa's success but if Clark, Key, Huff, and Mamadi Diakite are going to combine to score 26 points, pull in 10 boards, block four shots, and not turn the ball over then the Cavaliers are going to be in pretty good shape.
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