By Jerry Ratcliffe

Playing four games in a span of eight days, Ryan Odom was curious to see how his No. 6-ranked Virginia basketball team would respond, especially after a blowout win over 12th-ranked Arkansas on Sunday.

Odom liked what he saw as the Cavaliers (4-0) got off to a 14-3 getaway against zone-heavy Bucknell (0-3) and never looked back in a 95-61 rout of the Bison in a late-night Tuesday contest. Eleven different UVA players scored as they posted at least 89 points for the fourth time this season, while stacking up 52 rebounds (most since 59 vs. Maryland in 2003) and 30 assists (tied for second-most all-time).

“We talked a lot about people turning the TV on, or they choose to come to the game to watch us … are they going to get the same Virginia?” Odom said. “I think for the most part we did. You can have ups and downs throughout the season, but it can’t be because you’re not ready to roll.”

Nearly 12,000 fans showed up at John Paul Jones Arena for a weeknight 9-p.m. start against a winless Patriot League opponent, and they were treated to the “same” Virginia that demolished John Calipari’s Arkansas squad, 91-72, two days before in a big, early-season clash in Washington, D.C.

The Cavaliers answered the bell quickly, bolting to an 11-0 start, followed moments later by a 17-2 run for a commanding 31-8 lead midway through the first half en route to a 53-31 halftime score. UVA never took its foot off the gas, mushrooming its lead to 37 points in the second half as four players finished in double figures.

Point guard Chance Mallory led the scoring parade with 16 points, followed by Thijs De Ridder’s 15 (also 8 rebounds and 4 steals), Nolan Adekunle’s 14 (5 for 6 FG) and Johann Grünloh’s 13 (plus 9 rebounds). The only starter who didn’t hit double digits was sharpshooter Sam Lewis, the team’s leading scorer on the season, who finished with 4 points.

Odom was particularly impressed that his team handled Bucknell’s 1-3-1 zone defense without much preparation.

“We knew [Bucknell] was going to be heavy zone in this particular game and we haven’t quite honestly had a ton of practice versus the 1-3-1,” the coach said. “We just had to literally [prepare] in a walkthrough situation as opposed to giving them live reps at it, so that was challenging.”

With so many games within such a short period (three games in the past five days), Odom felt good about his team’s readiness through mostly mental preparation, physical walkthroughs and videos.

Odom couldn’t recall any other time during his career when one of his teams put up 30 assists in a game.

After such a dominating performance against the nationally ranked Razorbacks on a national stage just two days hence, it would have been understandable if the Cavaliers had slept-walked through this one, but it was just the opposite.

They shot 50.7 percent from the field and made a dozen triples, controlled the paint by outscoring the undermanned Bison 46-16 in the paint and put up 27 points off of 16 Bucknell turnovers.

Virginia had a size advantage with 7-foot-1 Grünloh and 6-9 De Ridder, and it showed.

“I think the crashing (of the boards) was pretty good,” Odom said. “They were looking for one another down there. Chance was finding them. When zones are extended that high, it leaves the bottom area susceptible to size issues. We ended up with some open threes because of that as well.”

Virginia made a dozen threes in the game to compliment its strong inside game, which was too much for the Bison.

“We knew going in that we would lose the physicality battle, the age battle, the athleticism battle … the list goes on and on, and it can be daunting when you’re preparing for a team like this,” said Bucknell coach John Griffin III. “I guess the physicality, and one of the things that’s very real in today’s world of college athletics is the age gap.

“So I have 18-year-olds going against 24-year-olds. When it comes to the decision-making part of the game, which is the separator, their decisions are quick. Something as simple as catching to shoot on time, the passes on target. For many young players that can be pretty complex.”

De Ridder, one of the 24-year-olds that Griffin referred to, said the team accepted Odom’s challenge about being the same Virginia team every game.

“We have to face every game the same like we do if it’s Arkansas, if it’s Duke, if it’s Maryland,” said De Ridder, who made 6 of 10 field-goal attempts in 21 minutes. “We want to win those games and if you take care of business, you can see how much fun we have. That’s always an amazing feeling.”

Virginia won’t have much time to rest on its laurels, having jumped from No. 9 to No. 6 in the national polls, with a trip to former ACC rival Maryland on Friday night.

Team Notes

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

• Virginia improved to 4-0
• Virginia’s 30 assists tied its second most all-time and most since George Mason (30) on Jan. 28, 1995
• The Cavaliers are 23-2 under Ryan Odom when scoring 80 or more points and 10-0 when scoring 90 or more
• UVA (12 3-pointers) has made 10 or more 3-pointers in all four games
• UVA has scored at least 89 points in each of its first four games, totaling 372 points—its highest scoring output through four games to start a season since 2001-02 (377)
• UVA scored 51 first half points, marking its third half with 50 or more points this season
• UVA had 23 offensive rebounds, the most since 24 vs. North Carolina on Jan. 15, 2009
• UVA had 52 rebounds, the most since 59 against Maryland on March 9, 2003
• At least 11 Hoos scored points for the third time this season
• The Cavaliers opened the game with an 11-0 run followed shortly by a 17-2 run
• UVA forced their fourth shot-clock violation of the season
• Virginia has recorded 10 or more steals in four consecutive games (18 vs. Drexel, 12 vs. Northeastern, 11 vs. Arkansas and 12 vs. Bucknell) for the first time since five consecutive games in November of 1999 (15 vs. Elon, 15 vs. VMI, 12 at South Carolina, 15 at Providence and 10 vs. Arizona State)

Series Notes

• UVA is 3-1 all-time vs. Bucknell in a series that dates to 1961
• With the win, UVA takes a three-game win streak in the series
• The Cavaliers improve to a 20–game winning streak against current Patriot league teams

Player Notes

• Double-Figure Scorers: Chance Mallory (16), Thijs De Ridder (15), Nolan Adekunle (14), Johann Grünloh (13)
• De Ridder has reached double figures in all four games (32 career)
• De Ridder tied his career high with four steals
• Mallory recorded three steals to increase his total to an NCAA-leading 13 steals
• Mallory reached double figures for the third time (23 career)
• Grünloh has reached double figures in all four games (13 career)
• Grünloh (three blocks) has 2+ blocks in 23 career games
• Grünloh reached double figures in four consecutive games for the first time
• Gertrude recorded a career-high seven assists
• Carrere recorded a career-high seven points and six rebounds
• Adekunle tied his career high with three 3-pointers
• Sam Lewis (15 of 15) is one of five players to be 100% from the free throw line with at least 15 attempts
• UVA had four players in double figures for the fourth consecutive game
• Adekunle, Mallory, De Ridder, Lewis and Grünloh have started all four games

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