StLouHoo set forth the keys to getting the win in his preview. How did he and the Hoos do?

1) Slow down their 3-point shooting. 

2) Be aggressive offensively.

3) Dominate the glass.

It was a righteous ass-kicking from start to finish, a welcome change from the non-conference slate. Virginia dominated on both ends of the floor, holding the Hokies to 27% shooting while putting up 65 points.

1) Slow down their 3-point shooting.

Virginia Tech came into the game as one of the best three-point shooting teams in the country, able to put five players on the floor who can bury an open look. They crawled off the floor with a 16% performance from the arc as the Cavaliers shut down the drives that feed good looks to the shooters and pressured them all over the floor. Without a steady diet of three point shots, Tech’s diminutive lineup was barely able to keep pace with the dynamic duo known as Keyhei. Virginia’s three-point defense was absolutely critical to the outcome.

Grade: A+

2) Be aggressive offensively.

Speaking of Keyhei, the same pair who combined to finally pull away from Navy continued to make things happen. Braxton Key and Kihei Clark led the Hoos with 18 points each as they attacked the basket aggressively. Tech’s defense was blowing up the ball screen action and taking away the roll, leaving creases to the basket. Clark aggressively slithered through them all afternoon, getting to the rim time and again. Meanwhile, Key was all over the floor, going to the basket and getting to open spots for good looks off of Kihei’s passes. Together, Keyhei were 13-21 from the floor, with 3-6 from the three-point arc. Behind the attacks of Keyhei, the Cavaliers fashioned an effective offense for most of the game, a welcome development as conference season gets underway.

Grade: A-

3) Dominate the glass.

The Hokies did a good job of keeping the Cavaliers off the offensive glass, giving up less than 25% offensive rebounds, but the Hoos did even better, outrebounding Tech by 38-25, and allowed a minuscule 13.5% offensive rebounding percentage. With a three-point percentage in the same neighborhood, the visitors were not able to reach 40 points for the first time in ther ACC history. Virginia Tech had not been held to 40 points since the 1960s. Key and Mamadi Diakite had 10 boards each, and Kody Stattmann chipped in with 8 of his own.

Grade: A

By Seattle Hoo

A fan of UVA basketball since Ralph Sampson was a sophomore and I was in high school, I was blessed to receive two degrees from UVA and attend many amazing games. Online since 1993, HOOS Place is my second UVA sports website, having founded HOOpS Online in 1995.