Player Stats That Defined Virginia's Second Round Loss to Tennessee

The Virginia Cavaliers will not be making an appearance in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament, as they faced a 79-72 loss to the Tennessee Volunteers on Sunday night. This was a gripping matchup with the lead occasionally flipping, but the Hoos were unable to pull ahead toward the end. Despite the loss, Virginia should walk away with its head held high.

"These guys, I don't know that I've ever had this much fun coaching a team. I've been very fortunate in my life. Last year we won a lot of games, and that was a fun year. These guys took it to another level. The respect that they have for everyone is evident," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference. "I can't tell you how many times I get e-mails from people, just random people that come across these guys in situations, and literally send me an e-mail out of the blue just saying, man, I was so impressed with your guys in this interaction. I think that says a lot about them and their character, and one of the reasons that we brought them to Virginia. Their families it's just really special. I think that's what helped us win overall as much as anything. These guys are just good people."

As hard as the Cavaliers fought, there were a few numbers on the stat sheet that undoubtedly contributed to their loss. Three players, in particular, had a hard time performing as well as they usually do.

Jacari White's 10 Points

Virginia Cavaliers Jacari White jumping to shoot a basketball — Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

White hit the ground running early on in the matchup, but is drastically slowed down as the game progress in terms of points. By the end of the game, he had recorded just 10 points, two rebounds and one assists, while shooting 25.0% from the floor. Compared to his previous matchup against the Wright State Raiders, this was a notable drop. For reference, against the Raiders, he logged a jaw-dropping 26 points, three rebounds and one assist.

Ugonna Onyenso's Two Blocks

Virginia Cavaliers Ugonna Onyenso dunking a basketball — Virginia Cavaliers center Ugonna Onyenso | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Onyenso is widely known for his striking ability to block shots. On March 14, while playing against the Duke Blue Devils, he posted a whopping nine blocks, and on March 12 against the NC State Wolfpack, he logged eight blocks. Unfortunately, his prowess did not carry into this matchup, as he was only able to successfully block two shots.

Sam Lewis' Five Points

Virginia Cavaliers Sam Lewis dunking a basketball — Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Sam Lewis isn't generally a leading scorer for the Cavaliers, but hopes were held high that he'd be able to surge ahead, as he's done in previous games. The 6'7" guard finished the season averaging 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game, while shooting 46.2% from the floor. On Sunday, he only logged five points, and compared to his March 14 performance when he registered 17 points, this was a disappointing night.