It used to be that when the Virginia men's basketball team scored 90 points or more at home, Taco Bell would offer every fan in attendance a free taco. Friday night, the Cavaliers earned their fans a taco lush with toppings, as they defeated Lehman College by 92 points in an exhibition matchup at University Hall, 121-29.
The Lightning struck early, scoring the first four points of the game, but managed only 10 more in the duration of the first half, as every Virginia player stifled the ball on defense and contributed to a 25-9 rebounding advantage and a 69-14 lead for the Cavaliers at the half.
Virginia used a plethora of different lineups during the game to keep the offense running and their defensive legs fresh. One lineup was large, with forwards Jason Clark and Tunji Soroye and big wings Gary Forbes and Adrian Joseph alongside point guard Sean Singletary. Another featured less size and more speed, with both point guards T.J. Bannister and Singletary, who combined for 16 assists, on the court together.
"I feel like the trip to Canada had us really prepared for this game because up there we played a lot of different combinations," senior tri-captain Clark said. "I feel comfortable with anyone on the team out there on the court."
Clark said he was especially impressed by the performances of Bannister and Singletary.
"They started up the defense, and they ran the offense, and I feel that both of them did a good job as a whole," he said. "Everyone keeps saying the ACC has a rack of solid point guards, but they're not talking about our point guards, and I feel like we have two of the most talented point guards in the ACC."
Forbes went a perfect 9-9 from the field and scored a quiet 21 points to lead the Cavaliers, who shot 64.1 percent from the field on the game, including 10 for 20 shooting from three-point territory.
Senior forward Miguel Jorge was the only player to score in double figures for Lehman, a Division III competitor. Jorge finished with 11 points, but those tallies came from four for 15 shooting. His performance was representative of Lehman's night, as the Lightning shot a dismal 17.9 percent from the field.
Six other Cavaliers scored in double figures, and all but one Virginia player to enter the game got on the board. Sophomore point guard T.J. Bannister failed to tally any points, but finished with a team-leading nine assists and three steals.
But it wasn't all lollipops and alley oops for the Cavaliers.
Although the offense thrived well overall in its motion offense and on the fast break, there were moments of sloppy play that Virginia won't be able to give up during the regular season against Division I competitors. One play in the second half featured a missed scoring opportunity for the Cavaliers when Singletary couldn't execute a feed to Joseph for a fancy dunk.
"It's all about communication," Singletary said. "It's a long season. We've got to get to know each other better, and down the road we might be able to make those plays."
Besides the few miscues, Virginia coach Pete Gillen said he was pleased with the performance of Singletary, who marked his career home debut with 10 points, seven assists and only one turnover.
"I thought he saw the floor very well," Gillen said. "He threw it ahead nicely and found some people. I thought he pressured the ball well. He's quick as a cat, and he can shoot a little bit from the outside. ... If he makes threes, that makes him more dangerous."
Singletary and the Cavaliers will have a second chance to show their dangerous potential when they host Marymount University Friday at 7:30 p.m. in the final tune-up game before the regular season opener.