Beekman and Shedrick Lead Virginia to 71-61 Win at Louisville in Season Finale
Heading into the regular season finale, the Virginia Cavaliers (18-12, 12-8 ACC) needed a good performance against the Louisville Cardinals (12-18, 6-14 ACC) to snap a two-game losing streak and get some positive momentum going heading into next week's all-important ACC Tournament.
Early in the game, however, you would’ve thought it was Louisville that had everything to play for. The Cardinals came out of the gates hot, going up 7-0 after the first four minutes. Virginia started out 0/4 from the field and desperately needed someone to step up and get them back in the game.
On Saturday afternoon, that “someone” happened to be redshirt sophomore center Kadin Shedrick. Coming off the bench, the big man gave the Cavaliers the offensive boost they needed to right the ship against the Cardinals. In the first half alone, Shedrick matched his career-high of 16 points on a perfect 7-7 shooting and would finish with a career-high 20 points as Virginia took down Louisville 71-61 on Saturday afternoon at the KFC Yum! Center.
Shedrick had a personal 7-0 run as part of a 36-10 swing for the Cavaliers to close the first half with a 36-17 lead.
While Kadin Shedrick stole the show in the first half, the second half spotlight belonged to Louisville junior Sydney Curry. Curry singlehandedly kept the Cardinals in the game with his interior presence, challenging Shedrick in the low post. Every time it appeared as though Virginia had put down the Cardinals, Curry was there with an emphatic dunk or sneaky putback finish to keep things close.
Curry, who came into the game averaging just over six points per contest, recorded his second-straight double-double, notching 24 points and 14 rebounds.
For the Cavaliers, they relied on three point shooting in the second half. While they only attempted one shot from behind the arc in the first half, they shot 6/11 from the three-point line after halftime.
Reece Beekman led the sharpshooting effort, going 3-3 from behind the arc. Beekman delivered an incredible performance, recording 15 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, five steals, and a block.
Louisville threatened to mount a comeback in the second half and even got as close as eight points, but the Cavaliers managed to hold the Cardinals off thanks to some late forced turnovers by Beekman and the UVA defense. Virginia survived Louisville's late surge and went on to win the regular season finale 71-61.
With the win, Virginia finishes the regular season 18-12 overall and 12-8 in ACC play. The Cavaliers have locked up the No. 6 seed in the ACC Tournament and will face the winner of No. 11 Louisville and No. 14 Georgia Tech in the second round of the tournament on Wednesday at 9:30pm.
Want to share your thoughts on Virginia's win over Louisville? Join the conversation at Cavaliers Now Forums
See more Virginia men's basketball news and content: Virginia Men's Basketball on Sports Illustrated
See more Virginia sports news and content: Virginia Cavaliers on Sports Illustrated
Read more from Cavaliers Now
No. 18 UVA Men's Tennis Sweeps Duke in ACC Opener
Big Fifth Inning Helps Virginia Crush Penn State 10-1 in Series Opener
Joe Harris to Undergo Season-Ending Ankle Surgery
Jelani Woods Stands Out at NFL Combine With Record-Breaking 40-Yard Dash
