DURHAM, N.C. — Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett stood by the bench for long stretches of the Cavaliers’ game Saturday night, his hands clenched behind his back as he stared in frustration at what was unfolding amid the frenzied atmosphere at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Virginia
Virginia sputters into March by getting rolled at No. 10 Duke
Virginia (21-9, 12-7 ACC) lost for the third time in four games after permitting 44 points in the paint and 49.2 percent shooting to a team it had been chasing for second place in the conference. The Cavaliers instead are assured to finish no higher than third in the race for seeding in the ACC tournament.
The schools with the four best records in the conference receive double byes in the ACC tournament, which begins March 12 at Capital One Arena. With one game remaining, the Cavaliers have much to fix if they are to make a deep run.
Reece Beekman led the Cavaliers with 18 points to go with seven assists and six rebounds. The senior guard and reigning ACC defensive player of the year shot 7 for 15 and committed four of Virginia’s dozen turnovers that led to 16 points for the Blue Devils (23-6, 14-4). Sophomore guard Isaac McKneely added 12 points but was 3 for 11 from the field.
No other Cavaliers reached double figures in points on a night Virginia went 5 for 17 (29.4 percent) on three-pointers and 9 for 13 (69.2) at the foul line. The Cavaliers are the worst foul shooting team in the conference, a major concern for a team that favors low-possession games.
Virginia shot 30.9 percent overall to fall to 1-3 against ranked opponents, including 0-2 in the ACC. It led for just 15 seconds in its failed bid to win two games in a row at Cameron Indoor for the first time since 1982. The Cavaliers won, 69-68, here in 2022, when Beekman made a three-pointer with 1.1 seconds left.
The Blue Devils had three players score in double digits Saturday, led by Kyle Filipowski’s game-high 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting to go with seven rebounds. The 7-foot sophomore center, last season’s ACC rookie of the year, was playing his second straight game since requiring assistance reaching the locker room following getting caught in a court storming by Wake Forest fans celebrating a triumph Feb. 24.
Guard Tyrese Proctor had 15 points on 6-for-8 shooting for the Blue Devils, who held a 42-29 advantage in rebounding. Four Duke players finished with at least five rebounds.
The outcome was all but a formality after Virginia wilted at both ends of the court on the way to falling behind 40-18 at halftime. The Cavaliers permitted 28 points in the paint, including four dunks, and yielded a 13-2 run that pushed the Blue Devils’ lead to 38-13 with 4:32 to play in the first half.
The Cavaliers missed five layups and went 1 for 6 on three-pointers in a disastrous opening 20 minutes. They also committed seven turnovers after entering the weekend leading the country in fewest turnovers per game (8.2).