Key Takeaways From Virginia's 104-78 Win Over Marshall

Virginia moves to 4-0 on the season after a 104-78 win over Marshall on Saturday afternoon. The Hoos hit 100 points for the first time since December 31st, 2018, against Marshall. There were some positives and negatives in the win for the Cavaliers. Let’s take a deeper look.

1. Johann Grünloh continues elite defense

Grunloh finished with 16 points and seven rebounds. Most importantly, he was elite on the defensive side of the ball, where he made his impact felt. Grünloh finished with three blocks. Coming into the game, he had 14 blocks through the first three games. Grünloh had a seven-block performance against North Carolina Central, which was a career high. In just four games, he leads the NCAA in blocks per game with 4.25 after the performance on Saturday. With Grünloh playing at a high level, the Hoos will have a chance in any game to come out on top.

2. Virginia Guard Malik Thomas ignites

What a performance from Thomas on Saturday afternoon. He was a key spark for the Cavaliers on the offensive side of the ball, providing instant offense and a player who got the team going. Thomas started the game with 13 points on 5-5. He finished the first half with 16 points on 6-7 shooting and 4-4 from beyond the arc. He finished with 18 points on 7-9 shooting. Thomas has remained in conversations as one of the best shooting guards in the ACC, and on Saturday, he showed why.

3. Virginia first half offense was scintillating

Virgina’s offense was rolling in the first half against Marshall. The Hoos had four scorers with at least eight points in the first half. Virginia shot 63% from the field and 54% from beyond the arc. The Hoos scored 60+ points in the first half since 2007, and the most ever for a half at John Paul Jones arena. The Hoos had four players who had eight or more points in the first half as they continued to share the basketball and play at a high level.

4. Virginia Points Off Turnovers A Key Component to their victory

A key piece of Virginia’s success this season has been their ability to create chaos and havoc on the defensive side of the ball. They have continued to be one of the best defenses this season in college basketball. They had eight steals in the first half against Marshall. In the first half alone, the Hoos had 23 points off turnovers. The Hoos finished with 25 points off turnovers and had nine steals. One of the leaders on the defensive side of the ball has been true freshman Chance Mallory, he had a game-high three steals for the Hoos.

5. Virginia Second half offense is concerning

The Hoos shot 13-31 from the field in the second half, and 5-15 from beyond the arc. It was a struggle to get buckets, which allowed Marshall to cut the deficit under 20 points. Outside of Thijs De Ridder and Dallin Hall, it was tough sledding for Virginia on offense. They also turned the ball over at a high level and finished the second half with seven turnovers. Virginia went more than eight minutes without a field goal despite all of the talent they have on the offensive side of the ball. Don’t get me wrong, Virginia is a talented team and has been playing at a high level under head coach Ryan Odom, but they still have to finish out games at a high level, especially when the competition intensifies in December.

The Hoos will be back in action next Friday night against Northwestern.

More Virginia Basketball News:

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•The Plus/Minus: Virginia Takes Down Hampton

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