By Jerry Ratcliffe

No. 16 Virginia bolted to a 14-0 getaway Tuesday night and never looked back, leading wire-to-wire as the Cavaliers defeated favored Louisville 79-70 for UVA’s fourth straight ACC win.

The host No. 20 Cardinals (now 12-5, 2-3), a 3.5-point favorite, had averaged nearly 90 points per game, but struggled against Virginia’s defensive pressure. Louisville made 35.8 percent of its field-goal attempts (24 for 67) and only 26.3 percent from the 3-point arc (10 for 38).

Meanwhile, the Cavaliers (15-2, 4-1) scored an important Quad 1 win, while outrebounding the Cardinals 44-36, and used their pressing tactics to prevent Louisville, one of the nation’s fastest-paced teams, from getting into the flow of its high-geared offense.

Once again, UVA’s defense met the challenge in taking away an opponents’ offensive strengths. Another somewhat hidden factor was 9 blocked shots by one of the nation’s top teams in that category, 7 of those from the Cavaliers’ two seven-footers, Johann Grünloh (4) and Ugonna Onyenso (3).

“Huge,” Virginia’s Ryan Odom said of the blocks. “Teams can get inside of your defense and get near the rim. The metrics will tell you those are usually baskets or fouls. So when you have guys back there that can protect the rim and understand how to do that without fouling, certainly can be a weapon for your defense.”

Virginia now has 113 blocked shots in 17 games.

Another aspect was also huge for the Cavaliers passing the road test, containing Louisville’s ability to run. The Cardinals came into the game ranked in the 96th percentile in how often they got into transition. Meanwhile, Odom’s Cavaliers have held teams to a 37th percentile transition frequency.

Translated, when Louisville can’t run, it has to play half-court, ball-screen creation offense, not a strength, particularly minus Mikel Brown, a lottery pick player missing from its lineup due to injury (Brown has missed the last eight games).

The Cardinals didn’t score a single fast break point against Virginia.

Offensively, Virginia was efficient, led by Malik Thomas with 19 points, Grünloh 16 and Sam Lewis with 15. Dallin Hall scored 5 points but added 12 rebounds (10 offensive). While Thijs De Ridder was off his field-goal accuracy (3-10), he still managed to score 9 points and grab 8 rebounds.

Thomas was 6 for 8 from the arc, while Grünloh was 3 for 4.

Former Virginia sharpshooter Isaac McKneely scored a season-high 23 points for Louisville, hitting 5 of 14 shots from the arc.

After jumping to a 14-0 start, the Cavaliers kept their foot on the gas with Thomas and Sam Lewis hitting back-to-back 3’s for a 24-11 lead with 8:25 to go in the half. Jacari White, playing with a splint on his left hand (non-shooting hand), made his first appearance since breaking his wrist during a dramatic dunk against Maryland on Dec. 20.

White made his lone basket (a 3-pointer) at the 3:56 mark for a 29-19 lead as the Cavaliers fought off a Louisville surge and led 33-28 at the break.

Thomas drilled back-to-back triples early in the second half to open a 43-32 gap. A 9-0 run midway through the half saw UVA’s lead balloon to 56-41, the Cavaliers’ largest lead of the night. Louisville could get no closer than six points the rest of the way as the Cardinals dropped their third game in their last four outings.

Louisville had been difficult to beat at the Yum Center, where the Cardinals had been 9-1 this season. Virginia has had amazing success at the Yum over the years and walked out of the building with a 12-5 record on Louisville’s home court. Virginia is now 20-4 against the Cardinals since they joined the ACC.

Virginia next plays at SMU on Saturday.

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• Virginia improved to 15-2, 4-1 ACC
• UVA has a four-game win streak
• Virginia is 5-2 on the road and 2-1 in true road contests
• The win ended UVA’s nine-game losing streak vs. ranked opponents
• Prior to tonight, UVA’s last win vs. a ranked foe was against then-No. 14 Texas A&M (59-47) on Nov. 29, 2023
• UVA is 54-53 against ranked opponents since 2009-10
• UVA went 14 of 34 from the 3-point line
• UVA has made 11 of more 3-pointers in nine games
• UVA has shot 30 or more 3-pointers in seven contests
• UVA led 33-28 at halftime, improving to 14-1 when leading after the first 20 minutes
• UVA started the game on an 14-0 run, highlighted by 3-pointers by Johann Grünloh (2) and Ugonna Onyenso
• Louisville started 0 for 7 from the field and scored its first points when Ryan Conwell banked in a 3-pointer at 16:13
• The Cardinals answered UVA’s 14-0 run with an 8-0 run 
• UVA won the rebound battle 44-36

Series Notes

• The win ended Louisville’s two-game win streak in the series
• Virginia is 25-7 all-time vs. Louisville in a series that dates to 1923-24
• UVA has won 19 of the last 22 meetings
• The Cavaliers are 12-5 vs. the Cardinals in Louisville, including a 9-3 mark at KFC Yum! Center.
• UVA is 20-4 vs. Louisville since the Cardinals joined the ACC.
• Former Cavalier Isaac McKneely scored 23 points for Louisville

Player Notes

• Double Figure Scorers: Malik Thomas (19), Johann Grünloh (16), Sam Lewis (15)
• Thomas drilled a career-high six 3-pointers
• Thomas has reached double figures in 12 games (68 career)
• Lewis has reached double figures in nine games (42 career)
• Grünloh matched a career high with 16 points
• Grünloh had a career-high three 3-pointers
• Grünloh (4 blocks) has 12 multi-block games
• Grünloh has reached double figures in six gams
• Onyenso (3 blocks) has 10 multi-block games
• Dallin Hall had a career-high 12 rebounds
• UVA started Thijs De Ridder, Hall, Grünloh, Thomas and Lewis for the 16th time
• Jacari White (5 points) returned to the lineup after missing five games with a wrist injury

This Week’s Remaining ACC Schedule

Wednesday
Pitt at Georgia Tech, 7 p.m. (ACC Network)
North Carolina at Stanford, 9 p.m. (ACC Network)
Virginia Tech at SMU, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Duke at California, 11 p.m. (ACC Network)

Saturday
Virginia at SMU, Noon (ESPN2)
Notre Dame at Virginia Tech, Noon (ACC Network)
Georgia Tech at NC State, Noon (The CW)
Syracuse at Boston College, 2 p.m. (ACC Network)
Miami at Clemson, 2:15 p.m. (The CW)
North Carolina at California, 4 p.m. (ACC Network)
Duke at Stanford, 6 p.m. (ACC Network)
Wake Forest at Florida State, 6 p.m. (ESPN2)
Louisville at Pitt, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)