Rapid Takeaways from No. 11 Virginia's 77-51 Loss to No. 1 Duke

The long-awaited Virginia-Duke matchup on Saturday afternoon was just as invigorating as expected. The Blue Devils didn't take long to pull ahead from the Cavaliers during the first, and catching would continue to be taxing.

Virginia walked away with a frustrating 77-51 loss to Duke, bringing their winning streak to a screeching halt. The Blue Devils are now the No. 1 seed, while UVA now adds another loss to their ACC record.

Let's take a look at the key takeaways from the Virginia-Duke matchup.

1. UVA struggles to pressure Cameron Boozer and Isaiah Evans

Early on in the matchup, sophomore Isaiah Evans caught fire right off the bat and posted the first nine points for Duke, immediately putting them on the board ahead of UVA. Boozer, of course, brought physicality to the court. With their level of intensity, the Blue Devils took a significant 18-9 lead with 9:05 left on the clock in the first half. Once the game wrapped up, Evans led both programs with 19 points.

2. Thijs De Ridder lands himself in early foul trouble

Fouling has been a major point of concern for the Cavaliers this year. But freshman Thijs De Ridder struggled more than anyone early on in this matchup with fouling. With 12:40 on the clock in the first, De Ridder had already picked up his second foul, ultimately landing himself on the bench. Once he returned at the 8:02 mark, many wondered if having to sit out pushed him out of sync.

3. UVA unable to sink open shots

With a program as dominant as Duke, it's no surprise that Virginia struggled to shoot. However, there were plenty of wide-open opportunities for the Cavaliers to post some points, but many shots were missed from deep. With 3:30 on the clock in the first, the Hoos were running 3-of-14 from the three. UVA shot 20% from the three by the end.

4. Duke's defense unlike one Virginia has seen this year

Although the Cavaliers missed open shots, they were also pressured incredibly hard by the Blue Devils' defense. Offense tends to be a strong point for the Hoos, so this was a turn of events when they arrived—this was unfamiliar territory for Virginia.

5. Physicality throughout the game was at a high

This wasn't a major surprise for either program, as both teams are known for being physical competitors. Virginia exerted itself and held their own, but it simply wasn't enough to take down the No. 1 team in the country.