NCAA
Virginia 70, Notre Dame 49
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Sparked by a 28-2 second-half run, the No.14 Virginia Cavaliers cruised to a 70-49 victory over Notre Dame on Saturday at sold out John Paul Jones Arena.
It was the Cavaliers’ second win over the Fighting Irish this season and gave Virginia a school-record 14 Atlantic Coast Conference victories.
Forwards Akil Mitchell and Anthony Gill led the Cavaliers with 15 points each, while guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 13 points, giving him a streak of 15 games scoring 11 or more points.
Notre Dame took a 36-32 lead with 16:56 left to play in the game and it appeared the Irish would give Virginia a fight until the end.
That wasn’t the case.
The Cavaliers outscored the Irish, 38-13, the rest of the way, which included a stretch where Virginia scored on 15 straight possessions.
Virginia (23-5, 14-1) shot a blistering 64 percent for the game and knocked down seven 3-pointers.
Notre Dame (14-14, 5-10) shot only 39 percent from the field and went a stretch of almost nine minutes without a point in the second half.
Guard Pat Connaughton was the only Notre Dame player in double figures with 11 points.
The first 20 minutes was a half of runs, as both teams put together impressive spurts.
After Notre Dame led, 7-5, with 16:36 to play, Virginia used a 14-0 run to take a 19-7 lead. The Irish answered with a 23-11 run to close out the first half and the teams were tied, 30-30, at the break.
The Cavaliers shot 52 percent in the first half, while Notre Dame made 48 percent of its shots. Both teams were hot from beyond the arc, as Virginia made 4-of-9 and Notre Dame knocked down 5-of-8.
Mitchell led Virginia with eight first half points and Gill added six for the Cavaliers.
Notre Dame was led by Connaughton, who had eight points on 3-of-5 shooting in the first 20 minutes.
NOTES: This was Notre Dame’s second trip ever to Charlottesville; the Fighting Irish fell to Virginia, 83-56, on Jan. 18, 1992. … Nine of Virginia’s 13 ACC wins have come by 10 or more points. … Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon has scored 11 or more points in all 15 ACC games. … Notre Dame guard Pat Connaughton is averaging 19.5 points per game in his last two games.
