Vander Plas leads Virginia’s second-half surge over Tar Heels

By Kenneth Cross
JerryRatcliffe.com Correspondent

One advantage that No. 13 Virginia has over most opponents is an abundance of experience, and in Wednesday night’s 65-58 win over North Carolina, Ohio University transfer Ben Vander Plas became the latest to push his basketball mantra forward in the clutch.

This Virginia team has seven, even eight players who can be a difference on any evening considering its matchups and how it can exploit those matchups. 

Vander Plas led four Cavaliers in double figures as he had 17 points and eight rebounds while making 6 of 10 field goals, with three of those coming from 3-point range. 

The Tar Heels were in a struggle when talented Armando Bacot went down with 18:42 remaining in the first half as he had suffered an apparent ankle injury.

Bacot averages a double-double with 17.6 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. He joined another injured Tar Heels starter in Pete Nance, who was out with a lower back injury that he suffered last week in a win over Wake Forest.

With the injuries in the Tar Heels’ middle, coach Hubert Davis inserted freshman forward Jalen Washington. 

The 6-10, 225-pound center, used his athleticism in the first half to patrol the middle where he gave North Carolina the lead at 12:10 on a dunk. He was also able to use his athleticism in the lane to score 10 first-half points and help to give UNC a 29-27 halftime lead.

Various lineup changes took place in the second half as Virginia became more physical and aggressive with Vander Plas in the paint against Washington. 

While the Tar Heels were 5 of 12 from deep in the second half, the physicality of Vander Plas was a major key, especially after Cavalier coach Tony Bennett kept the same lineup of Vander Plas, Armaan Franklin, Reece Beekman, Kihei Clark, and Isaac McKneely for around the last 15 minutes of the game.

“He made a heck of a pass to Armaan to get us a bucket and his ability to pass in the thick of the game, use his hands, use his mind — that’s his greatest asset,” said Bennett.

After Virginia asserted more physicality in the second 20 minutes, Vander Plas scored seven of his points in a 3:08 stretch that saw him hit a triple from the top of the key to give Virginia a 42-40 lead with 12:43 remaining.

“He’s had some games that he’s … I don’t want to say won by himself, because they’re all won,” noted Bennett. “He’s been the difference for us in a number of games.”

Washington had a tough time adjusting to the physicality that every Cavalier lent to the game in the second half as he was 0 for 4 from the floor and had trouble getting the ball in the paint against the aggression of Vander Plas.

“It came down to just who was going to be able to kind of gut it out and be that way,” summarized Bennett. “I think the crowd helped, but I liked what I saw on the glass.”

The Tar Heels average 39.5 boards per game (29th in Division I) and hold a 4.4 advantage on the boards each game. The Heels outrebounded Virginia, 36-32, but the Cavaliers controlled the glass in the second half with a 17-13 advantage.

Franklin had a career-high nine rebounds, while Vander Plas had eight inside of Virginia’s attack.