Virginia’s defense has done some extraordinary things in recent years, forming the basis for their success under Tony Bennett. It’s also been the one constant with them, something you can almost put in the category of life’s certainties along with death and taxes. But there was one star on Tuesday night that they couldn’t stop, although they slowed his team just enough.
It was a guy many people around the country may not have heard of until this game. Say hello to Vermont senior Anthony Lamb, who almost lifted the Catamounts to a big win in Charlottesville before the Cavaliers held on 61-55.
Lamb had 30 points and at times gave the Catamounts the lead in the second half. He was 10-21 from the field, including 7-14 from long range, and if a Cavalier defender didn’t respect his ability from long range, he made them pay early in the possession as he hit a couple from well behind the three-point line. You would never know that he came into the night just 3-25 from long range on the season, though he entered the season a nearly 37 percent career shooter from long range.
After a big junior season, he declared for the NBA Draft, then opted to return to Burlington. Helping him out for his NBA potential is the presence of transfer Daniel Giddens, as that takes a little load off him inside at both ends of the floor. Lamb has posted double-doubles in three of their first five games, so he hasn’t just been scoring.
While Lamb shot the ball well, Virginia slowed his teammates enough to win, as the rest of the Catamounts were 10-31 from the field on the night. Virginia also adjusted to him, as he didn’t score after making three free throws with 5:25 left in the game. That, and the Cavaliers’ offense that featured a balanced attack, was enough for the win.
Vermont will get more opportunities for good non-conference wins, as they later take on Yale, Cincinnati, Towson, UNC Greensboro and Lipscomb. Chances are, their NCAA Tournament hopes will come down to the America East Tournament, but a good showing could get them well above the 16-line for the Big Dance. They will be led by Lamb, who will get a few more opportunities to show fans of the game outside the northeast what he can do, like he did on Tuesday night.
Side Dishes
While Virginia, Kansas (75-63 winners over East Tennessee State) and Alabama (81-73 winners over Furman despite 33 points by the Paladins’ Jordan Lyons) all held off good mid-majors, Northwestern and South Carolina couldn’t do the same. Radford went to Evanston and beat the Wildcats 67-56 behind 20 points and seven assists from Carlik Jones, and Boston University went to Columbia and beat the Gamecocks 78-70.
In a classic case of one team being hot and the other team being cold, Northeastern hammered Holy Cross 101-44 in Worcester, scoring 63 first-half points and placing five in double figures. The Huskies shot 60 percent from the field, including 16-29 from deep, while Holy Cross shot just under 30 percent including 2-27 from long range.
Other results of note on the evening: George Mason improved to 5-0 by edging Loyola (Md.) 65-61; College of Charleston went on the road for a 76-66 win over Marshall; Delaware remained undefeated by winning 79-64 at Saint Francis U; Gonzaga held off UT Arlington 72-66; and USC held off Pepperdine despite 38 points from Colbey Ross.
Louisville is on the verge of having their full team together, as Malik Williams and David Johnson are now practicing without restrictions. Williams, in particular, will be a nice addition as an inside presence, while Johnson will add depth on the wing to an already deep team.
Tonight’s Menu
The slate features a few notable rivalry games.
- Florida State gets a test early on as Chattanooga visits Tallahassee (6:30 p.m.)
- Princeton hits the road to challenge Indiana (7 p.m.)
- Former CAA rivals meet as James Madison travels to Old Dominion (7 p.m.)
- Arch rivals meet in the Peach State as Georgia hosts Georgia Tech (7 p.m.), and a little later in the Battle of the Boulevard as Lipscomb hosts Belmont (7:30 p.m.)
- Later on, a couple of good ones are on tap out west as UC Santa Barbara travels to Oregon State, UNLV hosts Texas State, Boise State hosts BYU (10 p.m.) and Saint Mary’s travels to Fresno State (11 p.m.)
- Another local rivalry is on tap to close the night as San Diego hosts San Diego State (11 p.m.)
