The Hoos came back with a vengeance following their shocking defeat to West Virginia last Saturday, crushing East Carolina 76-53 on Tuesday night. In front of a packed house decked out in orange and blue, the team looked like a completely different group of players than they had three days ago.
The key difference – their shooting. Five players scored in double digits: Kyle Guy (Fr.) led the team with 13 points, followed by London Perrantes (Sr.), Marial Shayok (Jr.), and Mamadi Diakite (RS Fr.), all walking away with 12 points. Jarred Reuter (So.) also scored 10 points. The team had seven 3-pointers in a row, three of which were made by Guy, calling for an excited crowd and a necessary hot streak, helping them clinch the lead in the first half.
For the Pirates, Jeremy Sheppard (Fr.) led the team with 17 points. ECU 7 foot 1 star, Andre Washington was shut out for the entirety of the game by the Cavalier’s disruptive defense.
The Wahoos trailed in the beginning of the first half 16-15 with 9:26 left on the clock. However, with their accurate shooting and fast paced offense, they finished the first half with a solid 42-20 lead over ECU.
In the second half, the Cavaliers continued to maintain their lead, scoring 34 points. Virginia gave up 33 points during the second half, however, showing the Cavalier defense has a bit of work to do for the upcoming games.
Virginia is now ranked 14th, dropping a disappointing eight spots after their surprising and disappointing home loss to West Virginia. But maybe, that loss was a wake up call to the Hoos. After seeing their strong offense against East Carolina, the WVU loss might’ve been just what they needed to spark the fire – with their seven 3 pointers in a row and pressing offense, it is clear to see the Wahoos have bounced back.
UVA will take a break from play while players complete their final exams. The team will return to play on December 17th at JPJ versus Robert Morris.
