After a soul-crushing, last-second loss Saturday against hated rival Virginia Tech, Virginia Interim Coach Ron Sanchez noted sophomore guard Dai Dai Ames’s ability to energize the team’s offense.
“He gave us a good injection of some transition baskets,” Sanchez said. “I think he did a really good job today. I’ll watch it, we’ll compliment him, and hopefully he keeps growing as well.”
Whatever Sanchez and Ames found on the tape, they will surely continue to implement. Ames constituted a significant majority of the Cavaliers’ (11-12, 4-8 ACC) offense against Pittsburgh, shredding the Panthers’ (14-8, 5-6 ACC) defense Monday night en route to 27 points and a 73-57 victory — Virginia’s first Quad 1 win of the season and just its second road victory.
It was a stirring offensive breakout. True to his typical fashion, though, Sanchez primarily complimented Ames’s unselfishness and defense.
“He got really good looks today, but he also shared the ball,” Sanchez said. “And then he defended… I think he did a good job today.”
Ames averages 6.2 points per game. Entering Saturday, he had not scored in double figures since a Nov. 29 game against Holy Cross. But he scored 11 points Saturday, and the reins seemed to come off a little, as he probed and tried tough shots. This, though, was another level.
“Can Dai Dai score more for us?” Sanchez said. “Hopefully he can repeat this. But what I really want for him is for him to guard. And I think he did a good job today.”
In a season dogged by lows, this was a night where the right type of firsts showed up in the box score. Ames recorded a career high in points, and junior guard Andrew Rohde notched a career high in assists, with nine. Redshirt freshman forward Anthony Robinson and sophomore forward Blake Buchanan combined for 19 points and 17 rebounds — their impact was most noticeable in the paint, where Virginia imposed its will by outrebounding the Panthers, 33-21.
For a team so reliant upon a strong defense, the win was exactly the flash of hope the Cavaliers were looking for. Pittsburgh averaged 79.6 points per game entering Monday night’s matchup, good for fourth in the ACC. Physical defense in the paint and an improved defensive effort against the three-point shot were key for Virginia after struggling in both areas Saturday.
All this came without junior forward Elijah Saunders, an imposing interior presence and key offensive contributor that the Cavaliers have sorely missed over the last three games. Monday’s victory offers hope that rebounding and interior offense will begin to come more easily, with or without Saunders.
Much of that hope now lies on the shoulders of Buchanan and Robinson. Buchanan played 39 minutes — nearly the entire game — and grabbed 11 rebounds, displaying a level of tenacity in the paint that was severely lacking in the loss to the Hokies. Robinson added six rebounds in just 17 minutes, and Rohde pulled down seven boards
“That’s the kind of effort you need,” Sanchez said. “Whether it was diving on the floor, rebounding with two hands, setting great screens, finding the right guys — this was one where they did a fantastic job as a group.”
As much as Sanchez has talked about progress, practice and continuing to put in the work regardless of the outcome, the results of that hard work had not manifested. That is, not until the Cavaliers stormed into Petersen Events Center and played the physical brand of basketball Virginia fans have been waiting to see. Much of the success came from behind the three-point line — the Cavaliers shot 10-22 from three — but it was second-chance points and interior scoring that made the difference.
The last six games have been a rollercoaster for Virginia, with alternating wins and losses. But with a dominant road win under their belts, the Cavaliers will return to JPJ Saturday to welcome Georgia Tech, another struggling ACC squad in need of a late-season win. The second installment of the Commonwealth Clash looms on the horizon, and a win over the Yellow Jackets could give Virginia the momentum to steal a road win from Virginia Tech with a bid to the ACC Tournament on the line.
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