Virginia Earns Much-Needed Bounce Back Win Over Louisville, 77-53

Ryan Dunn posted a double-double and Isaac McKneely scored 18 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 77-53 win over the Cardinals

Coming off of an unexpected and lopsided defeat that at least threatened to derail the season, the Cavaliers knew they needed a strong bounce-back performance, if only to regain confidence heading into the rest of ACC play. And while UVA's problems are not at all solved by manhandling an overmatched opponent, the significance of a comfortable and convincing victory against any ACC foe cannot be overstated. 

Needing a pick-me-up after Saturday's surprising 22-point loss at Notre Dame, the Cavaliers got exactly what they needed as they had no trouble dispatching the struggling Cardinals. Virginia (11-3, 2-1 ACC) got double-digit scoring efforts from four players, including 18 from Isaac McKneely and a double-double from Ryan Dunn, and cruised to a 77-53 victory over Louisville (5-8, 0-2 ACC) on Wednesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. 

"It was a step in the right direction for sure," said UVA head coach Tony Bennett after the game. "I just thought we were more ready and obviously it helped being at home, but guys responded."

In last Saturday's loss at Notre Dame, Virginia watched as the usually poor-shooting Fighting Irish started the game red-hot, racing out to a 13-0 lead. When the Cardinals made their first two shots, there were undoubtedly some UVA fans who thought history was doomed to repeat itself. Instead, Louisville missed its next five shots and went on a scoring drought of nearly five minutes, allowing the Cavaliers to string together a 7-0 run. 

As usual, Reece Beekman drove the bus for the UVA offense, scoring or assisting on five of his team's first six baskets. Skyy Clark got the Cardinals back into the game with a pair of threes and then it was Virginia's offense that experienced a cold spell, as the Cavaliers struggled to adjust to Louisville's zone defense. 

A deep three from Isaac McKneely and a lob from Beekman to Ryan Dunn helped UVA build a 10-point lead, but Louisville worked that deficit back down to six thanks to a couple of tough shots from Mike James. 

Beekman then took matters into his own hands, sparking Virginia to a 9-0 run with a strong layup plus a foul, a three-pointer from the left wing, and a steal that led to an alley-oop dunk to Dunn. McKneely put the finishing touches on the run by elevating over his defender for a heavily contested corner jumper that swished through. It was ruled a two-pointer after review, but nonetheless capped an 11-2 surge to put Virginia up 37-22 at the half. 

Dunn had 10 points on 5/6 shooting at the half and Beekman had nine points and five assists, orchestrating a Virginia offense that shot 51.6% from the field and made five threes in the first half. 

Louisville scored the first four points of the second half and Isaac McKneely quickly picked up his third personal foul. But Blake Buchanan made back-to-back nice plays, first drawing a foul and making both free throws and then making a quick pass to a slashing Dunn, who slammed home an emphatic one-hand dunk. 

It was an outstanding all-around performance for Dunn, who posted a double-double with 15 points on 7/8 shooting, 10 rebounds, three blocks, and a steal. Reece Beekman nearly had a double-double as well, finishing with 11 points, eight assists, and three steals. 

Any attempt by Louisville to climb back into the game was stymied by Virginia, largely thanks to the efforts of McKneely and Taine Murray. After going cold and shooting 23.5% from three over the last four games, McKneely returned to his usual sharpshooting self in the second half, scoring 13 of his game-high 18 points, and finishing with four three-pointers. Murray, meanwhile, came into the game averaging 2.3 points per contest. The junior guard had one of his finest games in a UVA uniform, making his first five shots and finishing with 12 points and two assists. 

"So happy for Taine and he just works and works," Bennett said of Murray. "And he gave us a good lift and played well you know, his physicality, his toughness was good."

Virginia had 20 assists as a team and turned the ball over just three times. The Cavaliers shot 51.7% from the floor and made ten three-pointers. 

Read Val's Plus/Minus breakdown of the game here: The Plus/Minus: Virginia Bounces Back Against Louisville

After getting back in the win column, the key will be for Virginia to sustain that momentum moving forward especially as the Cavaliers head back out on the road this weekend. Up next, Virginia visits NC State on Saturday afternoon in Raleigh. Tipoff is set for 2pm on the ACC Network. 

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