Cavaliers Now

The Plus/Minus: Virginia Basketball Holds on Late, Downs Wake Forest

Virginia was always in control despite a spirited performance from Wake Forest, and secured a workmanlike 75 – 70 victory.
Val Prochaska|
Dallin Hall
Dallin Hall | Virginia Atheletics

Plus

A win is a win is a win.

Plus

In the memory of Virginia fans, this game will soon fade away.  Virginia returned to the JPJ after a humbling loss at Duke and did what they had to do: grind out a win against an intriguing, yet flawed, Deamon Deacon team.  Good teams win when they aren’t playing particularly inspired ball and this game was definitely a case in point.  Yet with the win, Virginia has clinched the second seed in the ACC Tournament.

Plus

Virginia jumped out early as they controlled the boards grabbing four offensive rebounds in the game’s first three minutes.  Despite shooting poorly for the first 20 minutes --  36% from the floor and 17% from deep – Wake was just as anemic and a 10 – 2 run to end the half let the Hoos walk into the locker room with a 32 – 24 halftime lead.  Both teams shot better in the second half, just because they had to (no where to go but up…) and the game got a little more interesting.

This was the back-breaker for Wake.  Their defense isn’t good in the best of times, but when Dallin Hall is breaking ankles, it just isn’t your night.

Plus

Late in the game, Wake made two three-point plays.  One of the old-fashioned And-1 variety by Mekhi Mason to bring the game to 71 – 67 and then a three pointer by Sebastian Akens to get the Deacs to 73 – 70.  Both times it was Hall who came through at the foul line, canning all four of his free throws to secure the win.  It was a poor night for the Hoos at the charity stripe – outside of Hall, the Hoos were 11/19 – but he made the shots when they counted.

Minus

Which brings me to Chance Mallory.  After that Mekhi Mason three-point play, and with 21 seconds remaining, Wake was pressing and looking to foul.  Coach Ryan Odom had both his ball handlers on the court, natch, and Mallory got the ball.  He split two defenders at half-court and he had two guys open, but he chose to keep the ball, thereby ensuring that he would be the guy fouled, that he would be the guy going to the foul line.  It was presumptuous on his part.  He’s a good free-throw shooter in general but he was 1/3 on the night.  And of course he would miss the ensuing free throw.

In high school, this was the right move.  Mallory was most likely always the best player on the court, but here, on this night?  He has to give the ball up.  And this isn’t the first time he’s done this.

Plus

Man, Jacari White can get from half-court to the rim in about eight steps.

This explosiveness is unreal.  On a night when his three wasn’t falling – was 2/7 on the night, but he did start out missing his first four – White consciously took the ball to the rim.  Wake did a reasonable job running Virginia off the three-point line (again, 3/17 in the first half) and White is the first guy the defense is looking for, but it was good to see that White had a plan B.  He finished with 14 points on 6/12 shooting.

Minus

Sam Lewis had a stinker of a day with just two points on 1/5 shooting.  To express how frustrating the day was Lewis, in terms of stats you’ve never seen before, Lewis’ points to fouls ratio was 2 : 5*.  Yes, he did foul out.  And that’s actually an improvement from his Duke performance. 

On the plus side, Lewis could tell it was not his night and he didn’t try to shoot himself out of a bad performance.  He played within himself and he didn’t try to force anything. Lewis actually had the highest box plus/minus of the game at 11.  And that’s a marker for maturity and experience.

*  Lewis didn’t actually have the worst night in terms of points-to-fouls.  That dubious honor goes to Wake’s Omaha Biliew, who had four fouls and zero points.

Plus

Johan Grunloh had a tidy game.  He scored 12 points on 4/5 shooting and he made a three (which were scarce on the night) while grabbing a game-high nine boards and blocking three shots.  (Grunloh and his partner Ugonna Onyenso, who also had three, continue to provide the best rim-protection in college basketball.)   I really don’t see him as an NBA player, but he is reading the game better and he’s scored in double figures for three of the last five games.

Next Up:  Virginia concludes the regular season with a re-match against Virginia Tech at the JPJ on Saturday, March 7th.  Gametime is 12 noon and you’ll have to find your way to the CW.

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Published
Val Prochaska
VAL PROCHASKA

Val graduated from the University of Virginia in the last millennium, back when writing one's senior thesis by hand was still a thing. He is a lifelong fan of the ACC, having chosen the Tobacco Road conference ahead of the Big East. Again, when that was still a thing. Val has covered Virginia men's basketball for nine years, first with HoosPlace and then with StreakingTheLawn, before joining us here at Virginia Cavaliers on SI in August of 2023, continuing to cover UVA men's basketball and also writing about women's soccer and women's basketball.

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