Virginia vs Drexel Live Updates: Score, Analysis and Highlights

Tracking every update from Charlottesville

Feb 21, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) celebrates with teammates during the first half against the Miami (FL) Hurricanes at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

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Virginia Cavaliers

Virginia men's basketball aims to start the season with a dazzling 1-0 exposition. Follow along for every update from John Paul Jones Arena as the Cavaliers battle Drexel.

First half: UVA 14, Drexel 2

17:38: The Cavaliers lead 14-2. De Ridder has 12 minutes in the first two and a half minutes. Mallory and De Ridder each have a steal, while Grunloh has his first offensive rebound. Virginia is currently on a 10-0 run.

19:55: Just five seconds into the game, De Ridder drives for a layup to score Virginia's first points of the season.

Pregame

The Cavaliers are expected to start PG Chance Mallory, SG Sam Lewis, SF Nolan Adekunle, PF Thijs De Ridder and C Johann Grunloh.

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Published 1 hour ago | Modified 1 minute ago

XANDER TILOCK

Xander Tilock serves as the lead editor for Virginia on SI. He previously spent four years as a Senior Writer/Sports Editor for The Cavalier Daily, where he authored the publication’s most articles since 2017 and was named Literary Writer of the Year in 2023. Xander has been referenced on ACC Network, Yahoo Sports, Sirius XM ACC Radio, UVA Today, The Virginian-Pilot, and dozens of other publications nationwide. Outside of journalistic endeavors, Xander graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia in 2026. He is also a proud owner of the Green Bay Packers — and for a final twist, you can find him acting, writing, directing, and producing films and plays. Follow Xander on X @xandertilock

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