Strong Defense Propels Virginia to 59-47 Win Over No. 14 Texas A&M

UVA's entire starting five scored in double figures to lead the Cavaliers past the Aggies in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge

On a night when the 14th-ranked Aggies rolled into Charlottesville and outrebounded the Cavaliers by 12, grabbed 18 offensive rebounds, and scored 16 second-chance points, UVA still managed to come away with a convincing victory thanks to a smothering team defensive performance and double-digit scoring efforts from its entire starting lineup. That starting five proved to be the magic formula for the Cavaliers on both ends of the floor, as Virginia (6-1) knocked off No. 14 Texas A&M (6-2) 59-47 in the inaugural ACC/SEC Challenge on Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. 

Virginia jumped out to an early 8-2 lead thanks to Isaac McKneely knocking down three-pointers on back-to-back possessions, both times off of assists from Reece Beekman, who was reportedly a game-time decision with a right knee injury. UVA was without the services of backup point guard Dante Harris, who was seen using crutches and with a boot on his right foot, due to an apparent rolled ankle in practice that "swelled up" according to Tony Bennett. Those guard injuries resulted in freshman Elijah Gertrude, who was originally going to redshirt this season, burning his redshirt and making his Virginia debut on Wednesday.

UVA made four of its first six three-point attempts and executed at a high level offensively early on, with Ryan Dunn knocking down a three and throwing down a one-handed dunk on consecutive possessions. But the Aggies stayed close thanks to a strong first half from Richmond native Henry Coleman III, who led all scorers with 10 points on 5/8 shooting at halftime and finished with a game-high 16 points. The rest of team shot just 5/19 from the floor in the first half. 

Eventually, Virginia's offense came back down to earth and the Cavaliers sustained a pair of three-minute long scoring droughts. UVA kept its lead through the first drought, but the Aggies capitalized on the second one, stringing together a 10-0 run that included three free throws from Wade Taylor and a three-pointer from Hayden Hefner that gave Texas A&M its first lead of the game. Taylor, who came into the game averaging 20.0 points per game and scored 35 points in a game against Florida Atlantic last week, was largely held in check by Reece Beekman, scoring nine points on 2/10 shooting from the floor. 

With the shot-clock dwindling on Virginia's final possession of the first half, Ryan Dunn pulled up from well beyond the arc on the left wing and drilled his second three-pointer in as many attempts to give UVA a 27-26 lead at halftime. Virginia made five three-pointers in the first half on 45.5% shooting, while Texas A&M was just 2/11 from beyond the arc in the first half. 

That brief lead the Aggies obtained in the first half ended up being their only lead of the game as the Cavaliers stormed out of the gates after halftime, scoring seven-straight points and putting together a 14-2 run to build a 41-28 lead. That run included a three from Jake Groves, back-to-back layups from Reece Beekman, a bank shot three from Andrew Rohde, and long jumper from Isaac McKneely, as the starting five continued to be the key for UVA. 

Like clockwork, another scoring drought arrived for Virginia and this time it was a stretch of more than five minutes without scoring for the Cavaliers. Despite that, UVA's defense managed to protect the lead and it was the fifth member of that starting five, Ryan Dunn, leading the way for Virginia defensively. Dunn delivered five blocks and three steals for a UVA defense that forced 16 Texas A&M turnovers and blocked eight shots. 

The Aggies, who came in as the No. 1-ranked offensive rebounding team in the nation, seemed poised to take advantage of a Virginia team that had struggled with defensive rebounding this season. That trend continued with Texas A&M grabbing 18 offensive rebounds, rebounding 49% of its own missed shots. But that wasn't enough to overcome the turnovers and poor shot selection, most of which was forced by UVA's swarming and active defense. Texas A&M shot 30.4% from the floor and 17.4% from beyond the arc. 

Ryan Dunn finally ended that scoring drought for Virginia, as he slashed past Coleman and threw down a thunderous one-hand jam. That sparked the Cavaliers, who soon went on another 7-0 run, capped by a pull-up three from Rohde, to push their lead up to 14 points at 55-41 with just over five minutes remaining. Virginia's defense did the rest, holding Texas A&M to just 21 points on seven made field goals in the second half as the Cavaliers came away with the 59-47 victory. 

Virginia's entire starting five played 32 or more minutes and each scored in double figures. Rohde was the leading scorer with 13 points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Groves finished with 12 points on 5/8 shooting to go along with four boards and three assists. Beekman and Dunn spearheaded Virginia's defensive effort, with Beekman registering two blocks and three steals to go along with his 12 points and five assists, while Dunn contributed 12 points, five rebounds, five blocks, and three steals. Isaac McKneely rounded out the group with 10 points and two assists. 

Up next, Virginia (6-1) hosts Syracuse in the ACC opener on Saturday at 12pm at John Paul Jones Arena. 

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