Cavaliers Win 10 in a Row

CHARLOTTESVILLE-Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski scored a season-high 20 points and sophomore guard Joe Harris scored 17 points and had a game-high seven rebounds to lead Virginia to a 57-50 victory over Towson Friday night (Dec. 30) at John Paul Jones Arena.

The victory was the 10th in a row for the Cavaliers and improved their record to 12-1. The 10-game winning streak is the longest for UVa since the 2000-01 season and Virginia is 12-1 for the first time since the 1982-83 season.

Virginia is ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.

Virginia is back in action on Monday (Jan. 2) when the Cavaliers play at LSU. That game is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. Eastern time (game will be broadcasted by CSS).  

#23 Virginia Improves To 11-1

*Video highlights above from ESPN.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE- Senior forward Mike Scott scored 17 points and had six rebounds, and freshman forward Darion Atkins had career highs with 13 points and seven rebounds to lead Virginia to a 69-42 victory over Maryland-Eastern Shore Tuesday night (Dec. 27) at John Paul Jones Arena.

The victory was the ninth in a row for the Cavaliers and improved their record to 11-1 on the season. Virginia is ranked No. 23 in this week's Associated Press poll and No. 24 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll. The loss dropped Maryland-Eastern Shore's record to 3-10.

Virginia's nine-game winning streak is the longest for the Cavaliers since 2001-02 and UVa is 11-1 for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The Cavaliers have won their last eight home games.

The Cavaliers return to action on Friday, December 30th at home against Towson. The game is scheduled for 7pm and will be available live on ESPN3.com.

Happy Holidays from the 'Hoos!

 

Sights and Sounds from Seattle

Assane Sene performs in front of the original Starbucks store in Seattle

Mike Scott enjoying a coffee from the original Starbucks

Freshman Darion Atkins

No. 24 'Hoos Refuse to Lose in Seattle

Click the picture above to watch video highlights of the win over Seattle

SEATTLE-Senior forward Mike Scott (left) scored a career-high 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead the No. 24 Virginia men's basketball team to an 83-77 victory over Seattle University Wednesday night (Dec. 21).

It was the second game of a two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest for the Cavaliers. UVa opened the trip with a 67-54 win at Oregon on Sunday (Dec. 18).

The victory was the eighth in a row for the Cavaliers and improved their record to 10-1 on the season.

The double-double was the second in a row for Scott, his fifth of the season and the 29th of his career, tying him for third on Virginia's career list with Scott McCandlish (1970-72). Scott was 12-14 from the field and 9-11 from the free-throw line in the game. He had 19 points and seven rebounds in the first half.

"He was in a zone," Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said of Scott. "His touch was great. He adds the versatility of going back to basket and post you up or shoot that mid-range jumper. He hit some shots and kept us in it in the first half."

Sophomore guard Joe Harris scored 14 points for the Cavaliers, senior guard Sammy Zeglinski had 11 points and freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon added 10 points for Virginia. Harris was playing in front of a large contingent of fans from his hometown of Chelan, Wash.

The Cavaliers return to action on Dec. 27 when they host Maryland-Eastern Shore at John Paul Jones Arena. That game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

Cavaliers Enter Associated Press Rankings at No. 24

CHARLOTTESVILLE - The Virginia men's basketball team entered the Associated Press Top 25 this week, coming in at No. 24 in the latest poll released Monday. It marks the first time the Cavaliers have been ranked since November 2007.

Virginia is 9-1 and off to its best start since going 9-1 to open the 2003-04 campaign. The Cavaliers have won seven consecutive games, including a 67-54 win at Oregon on Sunday.

Eight of Virginia's nine wins this season have been by double-digits. The Cavaliers rank second nationally in scoring defense at 48.5 points allowed per game as they have held all 10 opponents under 60 points.

The last time Virginia was nationally ranked was on November 19, 2007, when it was No. 23 in the AP poll.

The Cavaliers conclude a two-game road trip to the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday when they play Seattle University. Game time at KeyArena is 10 p.m. ET.

Virginia returns home on December 27 when it hosts Maryland-Eastern Shore at 7 p.m. at John Paul Jones Arena.

Courtesy of VirginiaSports.com

Virginia 67, Oregon 54: Cavs Pass First Road Test

 Click the picture above to watch video highlights of Virginia's victory over Oregon

EUGENE, Ore. -- Mike Scott had 17 points and 13 rebounds and Virginia overcame a slow first half to defeat Oregon 67-54 on Sunday.

Joe Harris added 15 points for the Cavaliers (9-1), and Jontel Evans had 12. Devoe Joseph scored 16 to lead the Ducks (6-3), who lost at home for the first time in six games. Virginia trailed at halftime, 30-28, for the only the second time this season. It was the most points allowed by the Cavaliers in the first half.

After Oregon went up 32-28 in the opening minute of the second half, the Cavaliers went on a 7-0 run, led by four points and an assist from Evans, to take a lead they wouldn't lose. Virginia secured the victory with a 13-4 run that made it 61-47 with 5:14 to play. (from ESPN.com)

Cavaliers Head to the Pacific Northwest

The Cavaliers (8-1), who have yet to play a true road game this season, leave Friday for the Pacific Northwest. Virginia plays Sunday at Oregon (6-2) on Fox Sports Net (5:30 PM Eastern). Three nights later, UVa will take on Seattle (2-6) at KeyArena (10:00 PM Eastern; ROOT Sports Northwest/DirecTV). Click the picture below to watch Head Coach Tony Bennett talking about the Holiday break and the upcoming trip to Oregon.

Shots from the Heart

Associate Head Coach Ritchie McKay participates in the opening round of the 2011 Shots from the Heart Tournament. To view the bracket and learn more about Shots From the Heart go here: http://www.collegeinsider.com/shots/assistants.html

Cavaliers End Homestand With 68-48 Victory Over George Mason

Click the picture above to watch the video highlights of our win over GMU.

Defense Never Rests As Virginia Takes Down #14 Michigan (Video Highlights & Photo Gallery)

 

By Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com (Click here for full article)

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- At the Maui Invitational, Michigan scored 73 points against Memphis, 75 against Duke and 79 against UCLA, and John Beilein's basketball team beat two of those perennial powers.

In the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, the 14th-ranked Wolverines connected on two bombs in the final minute Tuesday night and still didn't reach 60.

"They haven't seen a defense like ours," forward Mike Scott said after UVa's 70-58 win at John Paul Jones Arena. "That's no disrespect to the teams in Maui, but we watched film, and they didn't go against a defense like ours."

Beilein, who had a successful run as coach at the University of Richmond, saluted his counterpart, Tony Bennett, when asked about the Cavaliers' defense.

"It's always going to be good as long as that man is coaching this team," Beilein said. "They do a tremendous job. I'm not crazy about scoring 58 points, but not a lot of teams may score 58 points against them. Thank goodness we made some 3s to be able to do that. They're tough to get easy baskets against, and when you get them, you can't miss them and we had several of those in the game."

Suffocating defense has become a trademark of this UVa team, which in seven games has yet to allow an opponent to score 60 points.
 

Offensively as a team, Virginia had twice as many assists (16) as turnovers (8), a statistic that delighted its third-year coach. Four players scored in double figures for UVa, led by Scott and sophomore swingman Joe Harris with 18 points apiece. Freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon contributed a career-high 16 points and uncanny poise off the bench, and senior guard Sammy Zeglinski, playing on a sore right ankle, added 11 points, 6 assists and only 1 turnover.

"We were getting pretty good looks. We just didn't knock 'em down [in the first half]" Zeglinski said. "But we knew if we stuck to our defensive principles and kept wearing [Michigan] down, shots would eventually fall, and that's exactly what happened in the second half."
 

"One game doesn't make a season, but it was an opportunity, a great barometer for us. Where are we at? We're playing a team that is good. You watched them in Maui, and they played well against some good teams, so we needed to see where we were at."

Bennett's message to his players at practice Monday: Want to win the game more than you fear losing it. "And then before the game I said, 'It's one thing to want it. You gotta play to win this one. Play it to win.' "

During the game, Bennett challenged his team to play with humility and passion. "I kept repeating that," he said, "and that was our little chant when we came in, and I think that's always going to be the key for our team: understanding how we have to play to be successful, and then having the passion and heart to carry it off."

 Click the picture above to watch video highlights of the win on VirginiaSportsTV.com

PHOTO GALLERY:

Virginia Takes Down #14 Michigan, 70-58 in Opening Game of Big Ten-ACC Challenge (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS)

Associated Press

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Mike Scott had 18 points and 11 rebounds Tuesday night and Virginia used a 19-2 second-half run to take command and beat Michigan (No. 15 ESPN/USA Today, No. 14 AP) 70-58 in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge.

Joe Harris added 18 points and freshman Malcolm Brogdon had 16 for the Cavaliers (6-1), who trailed 39-34 before Harris' floater sparked the burst. Brogdon had eight points in the run, which made it 53-41 with 6:43 remaining. Scott had six points and Harris five.

The Wolverines (5-2), who used a 16-10 run starting the second half to match their biggest lead of the game, went 6 1/2 minutes without a point during one stretch as Virginia repeatedly rebounded missed shots and went the other way. The Cavaliers outrebounded Michigan 36-26.

ESPN's Big Ten-ACC Challenge: Virginia Hosts #14 Michigan on Tuesday (7PM ET/ESPN2)

UVa Cruises to Thanksgiving Weekend Victory Over Green Bay on ESPNU (Video Highlights)

 Click the picture above to watch video highlights of the win over UW-Green Bay.

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Coach Tony Bennett got the best of his alma mater as Virginia — behind Mike Scott’s 15 points and 10 rebounds and KT Harrell’s 14 points — defeated Green Bay 68-42 Friday night.

Bennett, Green Bay’s all-time leading scorer, was coaching against the Phoenix for the first time. He helped lead Green Bay to its first NCAA Tournament in 1991 while playing under his father, Dick Bennett.

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...Virginia (5-1) came out smoking. The Cavaliers hit 10 of their first 15 shots and jumped out to a 27-7 lead.

Green Bay cut the lead to 33-23 by halftime, but Virginia opened the second half with a 10-0 run capped by a pair of buckets from center Assane Sene.

“I challenged them at halftime to regain their defensive edge and their ability to keep the ball out of the lane,” Bennett said, “and I think they did a pretty good job of that.

Virginia shot 51 percent (23 of 45) and held Green Bay to 30-percent shooting (15 of 50).

“I think we got some second-chance points and guys found their rhythm and got to the paint and did a decent job certainly in stretches,” Bennett said.

Virginia, which has won five of its first six games, hosts Michigan in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge on Tuesday.

Excerpts from article by The Washington Post. For full article click here.

More Photos from the Virgin Islands

Doug Browman, Thomas Rogers, Darion Atkins, and Paul Jesperson get some time in the pool.

View from "Paradise Point"

Coach Bennett takes a look out Paradise Point

Doug Browman, Jontel Evans, and Mike Scott 

Mike Scott talks to VirginiaSportsTV.com

Ferris Wheel Ride

Assane Sene on the "Paradise Jump"

Sky ride

Assane Sene (L), Doug Browman (Middle), and Mike Scott (R)

Sophomore Joe Harris

Freshman Malcolm Brogdon

'Hoos Conclude Paradise Jam on Winning Note (VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS)

Click the picture above to watch video highlights of the Cavalier victory over Drake

By Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com (For full article click here)
ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands -- At the end of practice Sunday night, Tony Bennett called his players together in the spartan gym of a local high school and reminded them of recent events on the mainland -- specifically, UVa's victories over Florida State in football, Tennessee in women's basketball and Virginia Tech in NCAA women's soccer.

"Hopefully we can cap off a great weekend for Virginia sports," Bennett said before the team headed back to its hotel on this Caribbean island.

UVa's third-year men's basketball coach got his wish Monday. It may not qualify as a marquee victory, but the Cavaliers beat Drake 60-52 in the Paradise Jam to end their stay in St. Thomas  on a positive note.

"We lost a tough game the first game," senior guard Sammy Zeglinski said, "but I liked the way we responded the next two games, and we got wins that we needed to get."

Off the Court at Paradise Jam (VIDEO)

Click the picture above to watch some of the off-court activities the Cavaliers participated in at the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands.

Paradise Jam Update: Virginia Wins Defensive Battle over Drexel (VIDEO)

 

Click picture above to watch the video highlights

ST. THOMAS, U.S. Virgin Islands-Virginia senior forward Mike Scott scored 21 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers to a 49-35 victory over Drexel at the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Saturday (Nov. 19). UVa limited the Dragons to just 25.9 percent (14-54) shooting from the field in the consolation bracket victory.

The double-double was the 25th of Scott's career and moves him into a tie for fifth place on Virginia's career double-doubles list.

The Cavaliers never trailed in the game and the win improves Virginia's record to 3-1 on the season. Drexel is now 1-2.

The 35 points are the fewest allowed by a Tony Bennett coached Virginia team and the fewest the Cavaliers have allowed since defeating UMBC 57-34 on Dec. 21, 1996.

Sophomore guard Joe Harris added 12 points for the Cavaliers and senior guard Sammy Zeglinski scored eight points.

Virginia plays its final game in the U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam on Monday (Nov. 21) at 3:30 p.m. Eastern time against Drake.

Game Day in the Virgin Islands

ST. THOMAS, USVI - The Virginia men's basketball team plays on the road for the first time tonight as part of the Paradise Jam. The Cavaliers open the tournament at 6 p.m. ET as they meet TCU. If they win, they would meet the Drexel/Norfolk State winner in the semifinals at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. If they lose, they would meet the Drexel/Norfolk State loser in the consolation bracket on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. ET. Virginia will play its final game of the tournament on Monday against Drake, Marquette, Ole Miss or Winthrop.

Fox College Sports and FSN will televise both semifinals on Sunday, and the final and consolation game on Monday. In Virginia, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will air both semifinals. CSN+ will air both the final and consolation game.

Virginia is making its first appearance in the Paradise Jam. The Cavaliers have played in the Caribbean twice before, playing in tournaments in Puerto Rico in 1999-00 and 2006-07.

Wahoos Arrive in St. Thomas (Day 1 Photo Album)

Team Bus

Assane Sene (L), Doug Browman (Middle), and Mike Scott (R)

Practice at UVI

Cavs Head to the Virgin Islands with a 2-0 Record

 

To view more pictures from last night's win over Winthrop click here.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- By late Thursday afternoon, Tony Bennett's basketball team will be in the tropics, far, far away from UVa's Grounds and John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers played their first two games of the season at home. Their next three will be at the University of the Virgin Islands in St. Thomas, site of the eight-team Paradise Jam tournament, starting Friday night against TCU (2-0).

UVa is 2-0, too, after convincing victories over South Carolina State (75-38) and Winthrop (69-48) at JPJ. UVa found itself seriously tested in the second half of the Winthrop game. Back-to-back 3-pointers by freshman guard Andre Smith gave Winthrop a 44-41 lead with 10:28 to play, and the crowd of 7,983 grew uneasy.

About a minute earlier, after the Eagles pulled to 39-38, Bennett had reassured his players during a timeout.

"I said, 'We need to be in this spot. We need to be able to get stops, come up with big buckets,' " Bennett told reporters after the game. "I said, 'We're fine.' We talked about that: 'Keep playing, don't yield, and it's OK we're in this spot, and we need to mature in this situation,' and I thought the guys did a nice job."

Indeed, the 'Hoos held Winthrop (0-2) to four points in the final 10 minutes. On a night when Bennett had only eight scholarship players available, he got significant contributions from most of them, including junior point guard Jontel Evans, senior forward Mike Scott, senior center Assane Sene, freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon and sophomore forward Akil Mitchell.

"The guys really did pay the price in the offseason," Bennett said. "It's not just lip service. Everybody says they go to work, but they took it upon themselves and they really were purposeful in the areas they needed to address. So you can see the physical maturity, the skill maturity, and I think even emotionally they're in a better place."

Virginia's next opponent is TCU in the opening game of the Paradise Jam tournament in the US Virgin Islands.

Paradise Jam Announces Television Broadcast Schedule

ST. THOMAS, USVI -- The U.S. Virgin Islands Paradise Jam announced Tuesday (Nov. 15) the tournament's television broadcast schedule. Fox College Sports and FSN will air both semifinals on Sunday, and the final and consolation game on Monday.

In Virginia, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic will air both semifinals. CSN+ will air both the final and consolation game.

Sunday's semifinals are slated for 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm ET. The Virginia/TCU winner will play the Norfolk State/Drexel winner in the first semifinal. The Drake/Mississippi winner will play the Marquette/Winthrop winner in the second semifinal.

The consolation game is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday with the championship game to follow at 8:30 p.m.

-Excerpts from article by Jeff White, VirginiaSports.com (Link to Full Article)

Click to watch video highlights of Tuesday night's win over Winthrop

Cavaliers Back in Action Tonight Against Winthrop

CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia men's basketball team is back in action on Tuesday (Nov. 15) when the Cavaliers host Winthrop at John Paul Jones Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.

The game will be broadcast by the Virginia Sports Radio Network and televised by the Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic in Charlottesville).

UVa opened its 2011-12 season with a 75-38 victory over South Carolina State Sunday afternoon (Nov. 13) at John Paul Jones Arena. The 37-point victory is the largest margin of victory in the Tony Bennett era. 

Sophomore guards KT Harrell and Joe Harris each scored 13 points and senior forward Mike Scott had 15 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers to their 14th consecutive season-opening victory.

Harris, who also had six rebounds and four assists, scored 11 of his points and Scott had 12 of his rebounds in the first half as the Cavaliers took a 33-18 halftime lead.

South Carolina State senior forward Omar Sanders scored the first basket of the second half before Virginia scored 24 consecutive points to take a commanding 57-20 lead with 13:01 left to play in the game. Harrell made three three-pointers during the UVa run.

Among the players making their collegiate debuts for Virginia were freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon and redshirt freshman forward James Johnson. Brogdon scored nine points and had four assists for the Cavaliers, while Johnson scored six points and had three rebounds.

Scott, junior guard Jontel Evans and sophomore forward Akil Mitchell each scored eight points for UVa.

Virginia out-rebounded South Carolina State 44-29 and held the Bulldogs to 25.5 percent (13-51) shooting from the field. UVa shot 49.0 percent (25-51) from the field, including 42.1 percent (8-19) from three-point range, and 73.9 percent (17-23) from the free-throw line.

Virginia's game with Winthrop on Tuesday will be the third in the series between the two teams. UVa won the first two games at University Hall. The Cavaliers defeated the Eagles 93-47 during the 1990-91 season and 92-68 during the 1992-93 season. 

Winthrop, a member of the Big South Conference, opened its season with a 71-59 loss at home to Eastern Kentucky on Saturday (Nov. 12). Senior center Matt Morgan scored 14 points and had eight rebounds to lead the Eagles. Senior guard Andre Jones scored 13 points, had five rebounds and five assists, and senior forward George Valentine had 10 points and seven rebounds.

Randy Peele is in his fifth season as head coach of the Eagles.

After the game with Winthrop the next competition for Virginia is in the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Cavaliers play TCU in the U.S. Virginia Islands Paradise Jam on Friday (Nov. 18). The game is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. Eastern time.