John Paul Jones Arena lit up Saturday afternoon as the Virginia Cavaliers took on the Pittsburgh Panthers. The Cavaliers were initially scheduled to play the Louisville Cardinals, which was postponed when the Cardinals reported complications with Covid-19, so the Panthers stepped in instead. After 40 minutes of dominant play, Virginia secured another victory at home and remain no only on top of the ACC Conference but undefeated at home (8-0) this season.
Virginia has been consistently solid all year, being ranked 14th in the nation and 1st in the ACC, up by three games on Florida State who is behind them in standings. With a win today, they have extended their lead to 13-3 overall and 9-1 in their conference. Pittsburgh has had a tough season; they are 9-6 overall and 5-5 in the ACC Conference, placing them at 8th with a loss after this game.
Odds for this game were definitely in the Cavaliers favor, as they not only were top in the conference and ranked, but also had the home advantage. They stood their ground on the court and did not back down, earning 30 points in the first half and coming back even stronger in the second, putting up 43 to end with a total of 73 for the game. The Panthers were not too far off, but their efforts were not enough to match Virginia’s, and they only managed 27 in the first half and 39 in the second.
Every man on both squads got a chance on the court on Saturday, but for the Cavaliers, one man, in particular, led his team to victory, and that was Forward Sam Hauser. Hauser has been up on top for the leading scorer for Virginia all season, and a standout since transferring from Marquette to play with the Cavaliers his senior season. In this match against the Panthers, he completed 23 points, 8 out of 9 field-goal attempts, and 3 out of 4 three-point shots. Hauser also had the most minutes on the court for his team with 38.
The Panthers did well to keep up with their opponents, but came up just short by 7. Forward Justin Champagnie obtained 18 points, made 8 out of 18 field goals, and had 10 rebounds. His teammate Ithiel Horton also kept the Panthers alive with 15 points and 4 rebounds, and an assist.
Since Louisville’s game was postponed, they are expected to meet and play each other on March 6th instead. This match is set to start at 4:00 ET and be played at Louisville’s home arena at KFC Yum! Center.
Up Next
Virginia will travel to face Georgia Tech on Wednesday, February 10th at 7:00 ET at McCamish Pavilion Arena. It is not yet known what channel(s) will be broadcasting this game.
Pittsburgh looks to recover from their loss and take on the Louisville Cardinals on February 10th at 9:00 ET at KFC Yum! Center Arena. This match can be watched live on ESPN.
