Brogdon brings swagger to surging Cavaliers
By Sean McGoey | February 3, 2014Sophomore Malcolm Brogdon has served as the catalyst behind Virginia’s resurgence to national relevancy, putting up stellar individual numbers in the process.
Sophomore Malcolm Brogdon has served as the catalyst behind Virginia’s resurgence to national relevancy, putting up stellar individual numbers in the process.
After an emotional meet last weekend against rival North Carolina, the Virginia swim and dive teams had mixed results Saturday against North Carolina State. The No. 9 Virginia women’s team defeated the Wolfpack, 178.5-115.5, while the No. 20 Virginia men’s team fell to No. 21 NC State, 157-141.
Neither team led by more than four points during the entirety of Sunday’s game in Pittsburgh. The score changed hands seven times and was tied 17 different times. This was the type of game that the Cavaliers usually come out on the wrong side of.
The Virginia women’s basketball team scrapped the suspense early Sunday afternoon against Clemson, reeling off 17 straight points to transform a one-point deficit with 15:19 to play in the first half into a 16-point lead with 11:37 to go. The Cavaliers carried their advantage into the break and then piled on the points in the second half to win 80-43.
The No. 13 Virginia wrestling team, coming off its first ACC loss of the season, captured a pair of home wins against Maryland and Bucknell this weekend. The Cavaliers (15-3, 3-1 ACC) narrowly escaped a late comeback by the Terrapins (5-8, 1-3 ACC) to prevail 16-15 Friday. Virginia then easily downed the Bison (7-9, 3-2 EIWA) 29-12 Sunday.
Redshirt sophomore guard Malcolm Brogdon nailed a 3-pointer with 0.4 seconds left on the clock as the Virginia men’s basketball team posted its most important win of the season thus far, a 48-45 nail-biter on the road against No. 18 Pittsburgh.
The Virginia women’s basketball team scored a 64-59 victory against Wake Forest Thursday night in Winston Salem, N.C. to level their win and loss totals in ACC play. The Cavaliers built a 17-point lead midway through the second half, watched it all but disappear, and then iced the game by sinking five of six free throws in the final 29 seconds.
A look at this weekend’s upcoming sporting events.
Virginia football coach Mike London added Mike Archer to his staff Thursday as a defensive assistant coach, the team announced in a press release. Archer — an assistant at the school from 1991 to 1992 under George Welsh — was most recently the defensive coordinator at North Carolina State University from 2007 to 2012, under current Virginia associate coach Tom O’Brien.
Following a 15-point win against Notre Dame, the Virginia men’s basketball team will travel Sunday afternoon to take on another unfamiliar conference foe, the No. 17 Pittsburgh Panthers. The game pits two defense-oriented teams who are and neck-and-neck in the ACC standings. This is the first meeting between the schools since 1991.
Virginia’s next challenge is to travel back to the state of North Carolina to face North Carolina State. The No. 20 Virginia men will face the No. 21 N.C. State men, while the No. 9 Virginia women will face a N.C. State women’s team that just dropped out of the rankings after a loss to Minnesota last weekend. This will be Virginia’s fourth meet in as many weekends, but the physical toll on the swimmers seems to be minimal.
Here’s something about me: I’m a girl. My somewhat ambiguous name has been known to cause confusion when unaccompanied by my headshot, but rest assured that I am definitely a girl. Here’s something else about me: I love sports.
The No. 13 Virginia wrestling team returns home to battle a familiar foe in Maryland on Friday. The Cavaliers, who have not wrestled in Memorial Gym in nearly three months, aim to hand the Terrapins a decisive loss in a known arena.
Continuing the tradition of my fallen comrade Fritz Metzinger, the #GoACC Power Rankings will rank our beloved conference’s teams last to first, with a dash of snark.
Much ado was made heading into the season about the Big East’s invasion of the ACC. Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame all joined with the intention of breaking up the traditional Duke-UNC power structure, and through the early goings, it seems effective.
Within the first 15 minutes of its first ACC matchup with Notre Dame, the Virginia men’s basketball team led by as many as 20 points. The Cavaliers then withstood a 12-2 Irish run to end the half, blowing past the conference newcomers, 68-53.
For the second straight week, a Virginia swimmer was recognized as ACC Female Swimmer of the Week. The ACC announced Tuesday that this week’s honor would be given to junior Ellen Williamson for her performance against Duke and rival North Carolina last weekend. Williamson led the Lady Cavaliers to victories in both of their dual meets.
Third-year College student Carl Walrath, the Virginia lacrosse player who pleaded guilty to assault and obstruction of justice last Friday, was dismissed from the team today.
The annual North Carolina meet receives the most hype of any meet for the Cavaliers, but Virginia first had to take care of business against Duke Friday before they could go head-to-head against the rival Tar Heels.
The Virginia men’s and women’s track and field butted heads with some of the country’s best at the Rod McCravy Memorial Meet in Lexington, Ky.