Virginia Athletics
Virginia Basketball Falls to KK Mega Basket 92-73 in Italy
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After winning the first two games of the Italian exhibition tour by a combined margin of 147-65, the Virginia Cavaliers faced a tough challenge against a talented and experienced KK Mega Basket team from Serbia on Thursday in Rapallo. The first three quarters were close and competitive, but then KK Mega Basket pulled away for a 92-73 victory, handing the Cavaliers their first loss of the Italy tour.
With first years Ryan Dunn, Isaac Traudt, and Leon Bond sitting out this game, Virginia went with a starting five of Kihei Clark Reece Beekman, Armaan Franklin, Ben Vander Plas, and Kadin Shedrick. The Ohio transfer Vander Plas got his first opportunity to start for the Cavaliers as normal starter Jayden Gardner came off the bench.
KK Mega Basket's roster features several players with multiple years of professional basketball experience and who could end up being NBA prospects in a few years. The club has produced 15 NBA draft picks in the last 15 years, including a few notable players such as Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot, Boban Marjanović, and Nikola Jokić, who was named the Most Valuable Player of the NBA for the second-consecutive season last spring.
KK Mega Basket, a team that boasts a balanced mix of size, athleticism, strength, and skill performed well against UVA's defense, which had been averaging just 32.5 points per game allowed through the first two games of the tour, admittedly against lesser competition. KK Mega Basket led 27-26 in the first quarter, with Kadin Shedrick helping the Hoos keep things close with 11 first quarter points, including a three-pointer. Shedrick was in double figures for the third-consecutive game, finishing with 19 points, 12 rebounds, and two blocks.
Virginia trailed 44-39 at halftime and KK Mega Basket extended that lead to double digits by the end of the third quarter, building a 69-59 advantage. KK Mega Basket continued to pull away down the stretch and went on to win 92-73.
UPDATE: Stats from the game have been released:
Kadin Shedrick: 19 points, 12 rebounds, 2 blocks
Taine Murray: 10 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists
Jayden Gardner: 10 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists
Kihei Clark: 9 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds
See full highlights from the game courtesy of Virginia Sports TV below:
UVA's offense managed to keep its pace from the first two games and Kadin Shedrick's play on that end of the floor was certainly a positive, but seeing a Tony Bennett-coached team give up 92 points to any opponent in any setting is a surprise and not a good one.
The outcome is likely a disappointment for the Hoos, but the reality is that this loss to a high-quality KK Mega Basket team is a much more valuable experience for Virginia than the team’s two previous victories on the Italy tour combined. The good news is that the Cavaliers will get another opportunity against this same KK Mega Basket team on Friday in the fourth and final game of the exhibition tour in Italy.
Hear from Tony Bennett and Kadin Shedrick following Thursday's game in the video below:
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