With just over five minutes left in the second half, the offensive woes that had plagued Virginia seemed like a distant memory. The match had become a gritty contest where every play held game-changing implications. After missing his first free throw, senior guard Dontrez Styles of NC State prepared to take his second. In front of him, the Virginia band screamed and waved their instruments wildly — for the first time this season, free bacon was on the line, and everybody in John Paul Jones Arena knew it.
Styles missed the free throw. Pandemonium ensued, and the Cavaliers (8-5, 1-1 ACC) stormed back from a 12-point deficit to earn their first ACC win of the season Tuesday over the Wolfpack (8-5, 1-1 ACC). Junior forward Elijah Saunders led the charge, scoring 22 points and knocking down two late free throws to put Virginia back in the driver’s seat. Additionally, junior guards Isaac McKneely and Andrew Rohde scored 14 and 11 points respectively — plus a collective effort from the rest of the Cavaliers proved sufficient in their final game of 2024. The result was a signature 70-67 win.
However, Virginia’s prospects were far from rosy for the majority of the game. The Cavaliers played a competitive game through the first few minutes, but NC State took the lead seven minutes in courtesy of a three-point shot by graduate guard Michael O’Connell. A combination of stagnant offense by Virginia and high-percentage three-point shooting by the Wolfpack prevented the Cavaliers from keeping the game close, and NC State quickly extended its lead to 10 at the half.
The Wolfpack picked up right where they left off to start the second half, notching two quick baskets. At 14 points, the deficit was swiftly becoming insurmountable. After a few back-and-forth possessions, it was back to 10 points.
Faced with the possibility of recording their second consecutive conference loss and a record just one game above .500, Virginia finally flipped the switch.
The Cavaliers went on a 10-0 run over the next three minutes to tie the game. Initiated by two Saunders free throws and capped off by a Rohde three-point shot, the energy at JPJ palpably shifted as the sparse crowd came alive in support of Virginia’s revival on offense.
The tidal wave surged as McKneely hit a clutch three-point shot to give the Cavaliers a one-point lead, their first since early in the first half. The Virginia defense stifled the Wolfpack, and after three-point shots were downed from freshman guard Ishan Sharma, McKneely, Saunders and Rohde — seemingly in the blink of an eye — the Cavaliers held a 10-point lead.
Asked what made the difference, Interim Coach Ron Sanchez emphasized defensive changes and a reduction in turnovers.
“We made a couple of small defensive adjustments in the second half,” Sanchez said. “We only had one turnover in the second half. Seven for the game, six in the first half.”
Just as quickly as Virginia’s newfound offensive prowess arrived, though, it slipped away. NC State methodically worked its way back into contention, cutting the lead to just three points with a minute left. Saunders hit two free throws to give the Cavaliers a two-possession lead, which was immediately cut to three points.
With ten seconds remaining and Rohde inbounding the ball, the Wolfpack appeared to successfully trap senior guard Taine Murray in the corner. The play was whistled down, however, as an NC State player made contact with the ball while out of bounds. A subsequent foul on Saunders with three seconds left sent the ball to the other side of the court, and a late heave by O’Connell fell well short of the basket.
The victory was quintessential Virginia — flashes of potential were clear, occasionally igniting into torrid offensive runs, but miscues on both ends of the floor limited the Cavaliers’ ability to deliver a knockout blow. Still, more went right than wrong for Virginia, and Sanchez appeared happy with the progress made Tuesday despite the late struggles.
“We’ll celebrate the things that we do well and the things that we need to improve on,” Sanchez said. “It’s a 12-round match, and we kind of wobbled out at the end, but we went 12 rounds.”
Virginia will look to make a habit out of winning in 2025, beginning with another home contest Saturday versus Louisville. Coverage begins at 4 p.m. on ACC Network as the Cavaliers receive an opportunity to ascend the conference standings.
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