Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Opportunity knocks for Virginia
CHICAGO — Before every game, the door knocker comes out, and each of the Virginia Cavaliers takes a turn.
The swings are different for each player, but the message is the same. Just keep going. “We don’t want to take steps back,” junior guard London Perrantes said Saturday. “We want to keep on knocking until the door opens for us.”
The next door for the No. 1 seed Cavaliers (29-7) leads to the Final Four in Houston, but standing in the way is resurgent No. 10 seed Syracuse (22-13) after a late slide almost led to another empty March for the Orange. With Coach Jim Boeheim pulling the right strings on his 2-3 matchup zone, Syracuse is allowing just 53.7 points per game in the NCAA Tournament.
The Orange appeared to be in big trouble in the Midwest Regional semifinals against Gonzaga, but they used fullcourt pressure to rally for a 63-60 victory and an all-ACC rematch with Virginia.
“They’re a very disciplined team, and we’ve just got to be smart defensively and offensively, as well,” said Michael Gbinije, who scored 20 points against the Bulldogs, including a go-ahead layup with 22 seconds left.
The Orange visited Virginia on Jan. 24, and the Cavaliers used a strong finish to secure a 73-65 victory. Syracuse trailed 49-48 with 5:58 to go before Malcolm Brogdon hit consecutive three-pointers to help Virginia pull away.
The Cavaliers shot 56.8 percent from the field in their third consecutive victory against the Orange. It was the highest shooting percentage against Syracuse since North Carolina State shot 57.7 percent in the Orange’s 88-72 victory on Dec. 17, 2011.
“It’s a good zone. You have to be able to attack it in different ways,” Virginia Coach Tony Bennett said. “You have to knock down some shots. The ball has to move, you have to dent it off the dribble, get on the glass, different kinds of things.
“I just think I have the guys that have the right spacing and the right mindset, and these are the guys who have made the shots and made the plays.”
Mostly known for its defense since Bennett took over in 2009, Virginia is averaging 80.7 points and shooting 55.7 percent from the field in the NCAA Tournament. Led by Anthony Gill’s 23 points, the Cavaliers had four players with 10 or more points in their 84-71 victory against Iowa State in the regional semifinals.
“They have a very, very good defensive system, and they have a much better than people think offensive system, as well,” Boeheim said, “and that’s why they’ve had the success they have.”
Other things to watch when the Cavaliers and Orange play their third NCAA Tournament game in the series between the schools:
Virginia is going for its third consecutive 30-victory season and the school’s third appearance in the Final Four. It also made it in 1981 and 1984.
Syracuse is trying for its first Final Four since 2013 and No. 6 overall. It also made it in 1975, 1987, 1996 and 2003.
Gbinije also had 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots against Gonzaga. The graduate student, who is from Richmond, Va., leads the Orange with 17.8 points and 4.3 assists per game.
“I enjoy playing against teams from Virginia just because I’m from Virginia, and there’s a sense of familiarity,” said Gbinije, who scored 24 points in the January loss to the Cavaliers.