By Scott Ratcliffe

Virginia is off to a 3-0 start following a 91-53 beatdown of visiting Hampton on Tuesday night at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers led by as many as 44 points and have now surpassed 80 points or more in their first three games of the season for the first time since 2006.

The Pirates, who averaged 94.5 points per game coming into the contest, fell to 1-2 on the young season.

One of the Wahoos’ impressive big-man transfers had a monster night, but it wasn’t Thijs De Ridder or Johann Grünloh, both starters. Instead, it was former Kansas State (and Kentucky) 7-footer Ugo Onyenso, who had a big first half off the bench (12 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks, while sinking the first two 3-pointers of his college career).

Onyenso finished with a game-best — and career-high — 18 points to go along with another game-high, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks.

“He’s more than just a shot-blocker, and I think certainly that was evidenced tonight,” UVA coach Ryan Odom said of Onyenso. “He really played big for us.”

Onyenso was one of five Cavaliers in double figures scoring: Chance Mallory (16), Sam Lewis (13), Malik Thomas (11) and Jacari White (10). Grünloh added 9 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocks, while De Ridder posted season-lows of 5 points (2 for 7 FG) and 3 rebounds. Dallin Hall (3 points) dished out a game-high 7 assists.

UVA limited Hampton’s starting five to 15 combined points for the night, as Michael Eley was the only Pirate in double figures with 16 points. Quintin Cooper added 8 more off the bench.

“Much more of a complete performance across the board from all of our guys,” said Odom. “More importantly, [it was done] collectively, together.”

Odom’s bunch held the Pirates to 32-percent shooting (20 for 63 FG), including just 23 percent from downtown (6 of 26).

Virginia scored the game’s first five points and built its early lead, which stretched to as much as 28 points in the first half. A four-point play by Mallory off an Onyenso screen gave UVA a 16-8 advantage with 12:01 until halftime, marking his second triple of the half. The first-year Charlottesville native has nailed at least a pair of 3-pointers in each of his first three contests.

“Chance, he’s a big factor,” Odom said.

On the Hoos’ next trip down the floor, Onyenso buried an open 3 (the first of his career), then got free for a two-hand jam. Hall hit a 3-ball from the left corner to beat the shot clock, and then White followed that up with his own trifecta from the right corner on the ensuing possession to make it 31-14, forcing Hampton head coach Ivan Thomas to burn a timeout.

Later in the first half, Onyenso registered a block on one end of the floor, and then a thunderous follow dunk off a De Ridder miss on the other end with just over two minutes left, but he wasn’t finished. The big man from Nigeria slammed home a perfectly placed alley-oop from Hall, then capped off the half with another triple to beat the buzzer, and UVA led by a 47-19 margin at the break.

Lewis got things going in the second half with back-to-back 3-pointers, followed by yet another long ball by Thomas, as Virginia knocked down 11 of 22 from beyond the arc.

Later, another Onyenso swat led to a White 3 before the big man scored again on the next sequence to push the advantage to 71-31. Mallory added another and-1 off a Pirate giveaway before Onyenso put the finishing touches on his memorable night, scoring on a nice turnaround in the lane for an 80-37 lead with 8:44 to play. Odom was able to empty his bench for a third consecutive contest, as the Hoos continued to roll to victory.

For the evening, UVA shot at a 55-percent clip from the field (33 for 60) and sank 14 of its 17 free-throw attempts (82 percent), outrebounding Hampton, 49-25. Virginia pulled down 15 offensive boards and put up 17 second-chance points. The Hoos dominated in the paint, 44-24, and scored 20 points off of 11 Pirate turnovers, while giving it away 13 times themselves. UVA’s bench outscored Hampton’s, 50-38.

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• UVA (3-0) scored its most points since scoring 100 vs. Marshall on Dec. 31, 2018
• Ryan Odom is the third UVA coach to start his tenure 3-0, joining Henry Lanigan (1905-06, 4-0) and Ron Sanchez (2024-25, 3-0)
• UVA scored 80 or more points in three straight games for the first time since 2015, when the Cavaliers scored 80 or more in four straight game (Bradley, Long Beach State, George Mason and Lehigh)
• UVA has scored 80 or more points in its first three games for the first time since 2006, when the Cavaliers scored 80 or more in four straight games (Arizona, Morgan State, UNC Asheville and UMES)
• UVA is 43-10 in its last 53 home contests
• UVA is 107-11 at JPJ in non-conference play since 2009-10
• UVA forced two shot clock violations (3 in 2025-26)
• UVA had a pair of 10-0 runs to gain a 47-19 halftime lead
• UVA shot a season-high 50 percent from 3-point range (11 of 22)
• UVA (49 rebounds) has 48 or more rebounds in each game

Series Notes

• UVA is 10-0 all-time against Hampton in the series that dates back to the 1998-99 season
• The Cavaliers are 8-0 vs. the Pirates in Charlottesville
• Head coach Ryan Odom is 1-0 vs. Hampton

Player Notes

• Double Figure Scorers: Ugonna Onyenso (18), Chance Mallory (16), Sam Lewis (13), Malik Thomas (11), Jacari White (10)
• Onyenso scored a career-high 18 points
• Onyenso added 10 rebounds for his second career double-double
• Onyenso had 12 points (2 3-pointers), six rebounds and three blocks in the first half
• Onyenso reached double figures for the second time at UVA (4 career)
• Onyenso made his first two career 3-pointers
• Onyenso and Johann Grünloh each had four blocks, marking the first time since Dec. 22, 1998, a pair of UVA teammates each had four or more blocks (Kris Hunter 5, Chris Williams 4)
• Mallory reached double figures for the second time
• Mallory has made two 3-pointers in each of UVA’s three games
• Lewis reached double figures for the third time (36 career)
• Thomas reached double figures for the second time (57 career)
• Dallin Hall (7 assists) has five or more assists in all three games
• UVA started Hall, Thomas, Lewis, Grünloh and Thijs De Ridder for the third straight game

UP NEXT

The Cavaliers will host Marshall this Saturday, with tipoff moved up to noon (ACC Network Extra) so as not to conflict with the UVA-Duke football game at 3:30.