Franklin’s Hot-Shooting Lifts Virginia over Radford 73-52
Virginia needed to see a good performance out of Armaan Franklin after the sharpshooting transfer from Indiana was ice cold in his Cavalier debut in Virginia’s season-opening loss to Navy on Tuesday.
Franklin delivered that and much, much more against Radford.
Armaan Franklin made five threes and led all scorers with 21 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 73-52 win over Radford on Friday night at John Paul Jones Arena.
For a moment, it seemed like the Hoos might have another sluggish start, as the Highlanders hit two three-pointers and took an 8-3 lead to begin the game.
The Hoos had other plans.
Virginia went on a 24-5 run, including a streak of 15 straight points to take a commanding lead. Franklin was instrumental during the run, hitting three three-pointers and scoring 13 points in the first half. The explosion of hot shooting from the junior guard was a very comforting sight after he shot just 1/7 from three-point range in UVA's 66-58 loss against Navy in the season-opener.
Franklin was not the only transfer to deliver a solid performance for the Cavaliers. For the second game in a row, Jayden Gardner recorded 18 points. The East Carolina transfer also had seven rebounds in a follow-up of his 18-point, 10-rebound double-double against Navy on Tuesday. Franklin and Gardner combined to score 24 points in the first half.
After giving up 42 points in the first half against Navy, Virginia was much improved on the defensive end against Radford. The Cavaliers held the Highlanders to just 21 points on 39.1% shooting in the first half.
Reece Beekman led Virginia’s defense with four steals, showing impressive instincts to jump passing lanes and pounce on loose balls. Beekman filled the stat sheet with seven points, three rebounds, three assists, four steals, and a block.
Virginia led Radford 41-21 at halftime.
It seemed that Franklin’s hot three-point shooting was contagious, as Virginia made nine threes and shot 47% from beyond the arc as a team. Five different Cavaliers made threes in the game, including Franklin, Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, Carson McCorkle, and Taine Murray, who drained a three late in the first half for his first career points.
Radford never got closer than 19 points in the second half and Virginia led by as many as 24. But, the Cavaliers were not as sharp overall in the second half as they were in the first half. Virginia turned the ball over six times after halftime and allowed Radford to collect eight offensive rebounds, leading to nine second chance points in the second half alone. Virginia continued to play solid defense and shot the ball well enough to keep Radford from mounting a comeback, but UVA did go on a drought of more than seven minutes without a field goal down the stretch in the second half.
Thankfully, the game was already well in hand and the Cavaliers captured their first victory of the season.
It was a good bounce-back win for Virginia and a step in the right direction, but the Cavaliers still certainly have work to do as they prepare to face the No. 15 Houston Cougars on the road on Tuesday night.
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