Instant Takeaways From No.3 Virginia's 82-73 Victory Over No.14 Wright State

Virginia survives upset-minded Wright State in Philadelphia after securing an 82-73 win. Let’s take a look at some of the takeaways from the game.

1. Jacari White carries the Cavaliers with a season-high 26 points

What a performance for White off the bench for Virginia, when they needed it most on Friday afternoon. White had 11 first-half points on 4-5 shooting and 3-4 from three-point range. He continued his stellar play in the second half, scoring 10 points and giving the Cavaliers the lead multiple times. He hit a number of clutch buckets late in the game to give the Hoos breathing room. He was operating at a different level for Virginia and carried them to the win. White finished with 26 points on 10-12 shooting and even more impressive 6-8 from three-point range. When White is playing at that level, the Cavaliers are tough to beat.

2. Virginia 15-3 run to close out the game

In the final 5:32 of the game, Virginia trailed 70-67 and was searching for answers. It was a tough time because Sam Lewis was assessed a technical foul, and the game could have gone south from there. Instead, the duo of Johann Grünloh and Jacari White took over. Grünloh was making impact plays on defense and finishing around the rim. When he coveted the attention, the Cavaliers leaned on Jacari White, who hit a number of big buckets, including a vital corner three-pointer to give the Hoos an eight-point lead that capped an 11-0 run. Their defense was good as well, as they took away driving lanes for Wright State, a team that had shot it unconscious from three-point range. Virginia held the Raiders to just three points in five minutes.

3. Wright State Guard Duo Gave Virginia Fits

Wright State guards played at a high level on Friday afternoon and were making plays on both sides of the ball. Offensively, Solomon Callaghan carried the load in the first half, scoring 16 points and was the go-to guy for the Raiders. In the second half, he sat for a good amount and wasn’t as effective, but he gave the Hoos all they could handle in the first half. In the second half, TJ Burch came alive and continued to attack the defense and get to the rim for buckets. His impact was felt defensively, however, as he was a pest for Virginia, finishing with five steals. His final stat line was 15 points, six assists, five steals, and two rebounds. The duo was dynamite, and the Cavaliers didn’t figure out an answer for them until late in the game.

4. Turnovers were an issue for Virginia.

Virginia had 14 turnovers, which was double the amount Wright State had in the game. It was one of the reasons the Raiders were able to stay in the game. They converted those 14 turnovers into 12 points. Some of them were self-inflicted for Virginia, with players slipping, losing the handle of the ball, or not getting the ball into play. It was a bit head-scratching to see the Cavaliers, a team that is usually careful with the ball and turns other teams over. Going forward, if they want to go deep in the tournament, they must be better at taking care of the ball and setting up the offense so that it can run more smoothly.

5. Dallin Hall second half performance

This will go largely overlooked, but Hall did a great job of getting Virginia into great actions and finding the best play or person to get it to every time in the second half. After a foul-plagued first half for Hall, in the second half, he did a better job of not getting into foul trouble and defending. Even though the shot wasn’t falling, Hall continued to drive to the rim and draw contact. He went 6-6 at the free-throw line. On the pick-and-roll action, Hall found the open man and made the pass to assist each time. He finished with eight points, three rebounds, and three assists.