A fanbase held its breath as the ball began its flight toward the hoop. The buzzer sounded as it reached the apex of its parabola, and now there was nothing anybody could do to change the outcome of the game. Virginia led by two, but the Wahoo players stood helpless, the ball floating out of reach above their heads.
A game hung in the balance. If the shot found nylon, Virginia Tech would edge past Virginia and sink the Hoos into a two-game losing streak. If it missed, Virginia would claim victory and send its rival reeling into an 0-4 ACC record.
It missed.
Virginia fans heaved a sigh of relief. Their team had rallied from a 4-point deficit over the last three minutes, ending the game on a 6-0 run. The Hoos had battled the whole way through, displaying grit and mental toughness to power through the ebbs and flows of a charged rivalry game. At the end, smiles radiated from the players, exuberant high-fives were exchanged and the Hoos bounded back to the locker room one win richer.
It was an important one. Virginia improved to 10-6 on the season and 4-2 in the ACC with the win. They cemented themselves as a team firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble, if not quite ready to break into the field of 68. And perhaps most important of all, they rebounded from a demoralizing loss to North Carolina.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
Caffaro comes up huge
On a night where Kihei Clark and Jayden Gardner were neutralized, other Virginia players rose to the challenge. None more so than Francisco Caffaro, who—for the second time in a row—impressed as a replacement for the foul-ridden Kadin Shedrick.
Caffaro entered the game a few minutes in, after Shedrick committed the second of two quick fouls. A career night ensued, the 7’1” center muscling his way to 16 points and 9 rebounds in 31 minutes.
It was a performance of the largest proportions. Caffaro brought a jolt of energy to Virginia, injecting the Hoos with raw energy that they channeled to victory. He did it on offense, wrestling aside opponents for rebounds and drawing fouls at the rim; and on defense, doing his best to contain the implacable charge of Keve Aluma.
Shedrick was pedestrian in comparison, relegated to the bench for long stretches because of his foul trouble. Tony Bennett will likely stick with Shedrick as the starting option, but Caffaro’s emergence has given Virginia a reliable second option. Against Virginia Tech, his will to win simply overpowered the Hokies.
Beekman is here to stay
Mike Young and Virginia Tech evidently exerted a lot of effort devising a plan to stymie Kihei Clark. Clark’s impact on the game was barely felt as a result, but his backcourt partner smoothly filled the gap.
After 13 points, 4 assists and 3 steals against UNC, Beekman went for 11, 5 and 2 to help lift the Hoos over the Hokies. His propensity for poking the ball away from opposing players is extraordinary, and has drawn national recognition. Through the first couple months of the season, he’s progressed as a passer, a scorer and even a shooter.
One of the main factors in Virginia’s resurgence has been the guard play. Last season, neither Clark nor Beekman shot well, and Beekman struggled to create off the dribble. This year, Clark is hitting shots from deep with regularity, and Beekman has come into his own when attacking off the dribble.
Virginia has a long way to go this season, but being able to rely on Beekman as a scorer is a good sign of things to come.
Defense, rebounding the keys
After the traumatizing experience of getting bullied into submission by Armando Bacot, Virginia responded by winning the rebounding battle four days later. The Hoos hauled down the greater share of the rebounds against the Hokies, even collecting a shocking 9 offensive boards.
There are few things more frustrating than allowing an opponent extra opportunities to score points. Failing to come down with rebounds has been an issue for Virginia all season. Basketball is a game of fine margins, and in games like these, a couple of boards can be the difference. Virginia has to replicate this performance on the glass.
The Hoos also need to continue playing good defense. They did a lot of that against the Hokies, holding them to 52 points even in the face of Keve Aluma’s charge. A shaky start to the game saw Virginia Tech gifted four open shots from deep (all misses, luckily), but Virginia clamped down from there.
College basketball fans are used to seeing Tony Bennett’s Virginia ranked near the top of defensive efficiency standings. But with the Hoos currently in the 50s on KenPom, that hasn’t been the case. There’s still plenty of room for improvement, and much of this game was a step forward.
It’s valid to label Virginia as offensively challenged, but defense and rebounding have always been areas where Tony Bennett teams could hang their hat. Having those two things to fall back on when the offense dries up is essential. The 54-52 win—a grinder, by all accounts—felt the way Virginia basketball should feel.
It was rarely flashy, but the Hoos brought relentless fight and unbridled emotion. They presented a sturdy front defensively and made clutch plays down the stretch. And—in true Cardiac Cavs fashion—they sent hearts pounding and nerves jangling in the game’s final moments.
They walked out of the arena with the win, a seat in the top half of the conference standings and a whole lot of hope going forward.
Virginia is back in action on Saturday. They’ll host Wake Forest at 4:30 pm EST at JPJ.
Image – Virginia Athletics