Using its size and athletic advantage, the Virginia men's basketball team led from tip off to the final buzzer in its 85-62 victory over East Tennessee State yesterday.
"Virginia is a very talented team," Buccaneers coach Ed DeChellis said. "We knew we were facing a top 10 team. We don't have the athletic guys they have so we can't really simulate that in practice."
Virginia (2-0) did not control the game early on with its physical superiority. The Cavaliers looked sluggish and lackadaisical for most of the first half. They committed nine turnovers in the half and finished with 19 in the game.
"We were a little sloppy with the ball on offense," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "They changed defenses and played a lot of zone to take away our post players."
The East Tennessee State zone defense was able to slow the Virginia big men most of the game, but a 14-1 run late in the first half broke open the Cavaliers' lead to 36-19.
"They're so much bigger and stronger and faster and more athletic," DeChellis said. "We couldn't keep up the pace the entire game and eventually got worn down."
Outmatched physically, the Buccaneers were forced to foul early and often whenever a Cavalier got the ball inside. Virginia shot 31-of-41 from the line in the game.
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On the other side of the ball, the Cavalier defense did an admirable job in shutting down the efficient half-court offense of the Buccaneers.
"We did a good job defensively," Gillen said. "Our defense was strong. We were able to wear them down with some talented players."
The Cavaliers used their airtight defense and some easy buckets on turnovers to break the game open for good in the second half. Virginia went on a 14-2 run in the beginning of the second period, highlighted by nine points from senior forward Adam Hall during the spurt.
"Adam is a great athlete," Gillen said. "He had a tremendous second half and was really active. He was terrific."
Hall was one of four Cavaliers to score in double figures. Roger Mason Jr. led Virginia with 20 points. Chris Williams contributed 13, and Travis Watson added 14 points and 13 rebounds.
Virginia also won its opening game 105-74 on Friday night against Wagner (0-1). Senior captain Williams led the Virginia attack with 26 points. Mason also scored 24 points while starting at point guard for the Cavaliers.
"Obviously these games are going to be learning experiences," Mason said. "I think we're playing pretty well, but we got a long way to go. It's good to get these two wins"
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