The defending champion is eliminated after one game.
Virginia, winner of the 2019 NCAA men’s basketball tournament, suffered another shocking first-round loss on Saturday, dropping to Ohio, 62-58, in Bloomington, Indiana.
The Cavaliers had a seven-point lead early in the second half, but then went more than 10 minutes without a field goal, a stretch that enabled Ohio to take a seven-point lead of its own. Virginia cut the lead to two with eight seconds left on a Trey Murphy 3-pointer, but Ohio iced the game with two Lunden McDay free throws.
“Man, that game, the atmosphere, even with the limited fans, it’s a dream come true to play the game I love here,” said Ben Vander Plas, an Ohio forward. “I have some family members in the stands, playing with a team I love, playing for a coaching staff that I love to play with. Man, it was a special moment out there. We’re just going to keep going.”
Virginia, the 4-seed in the Western region, didn’t arrive in Indianapolis until Friday afternoon, after a positive COVID-19 test and subsequent contact tracking forced most of its roster into quarantine until Thursday. The Cavaliers trained as a team in Charlottesville on Friday morning, underwent COVID-19 tests upon arrival in Indianapolis, then again at 1:15 AM on Saturday morning, and then had a shootaround on Saturday afternoon.
However, Virginia coach Tony Bennett wouldn’t blame the loss for rust or lack of practice time.
‘We came in, you know, we thought we had a chance. We sure did, ”Bennett said. “I don’t know if it would have mattered if it was a normal preparation or not. How can you say that? We played a good team, and that’s this tournament.”
“We prepared as best we could. Again, Ohio played a better game when they had to make plays, they made the plays and we left some on the table. So again, I’m grateful we got the chance. “Go back and make a change. I thought our boys were as ready as they can, given the circumstances.”
This is the second time in the last three NCAA tournaments that Virginia has lost to double digits in the first round. In 2018, the Cavaliers were the first 1 seeds to fall to a 16 seed when they lost to UMBC. They also now become only the third team since 1979 to turn first-round losses into double digits around a national championship in three consecutive tournaments, joining 1986-88 Indiana and 1994-96 UCLA.
“I’ve had so much joy in this tournament so many times,” said Bennett. “I’ve also had the grief. Again, like I said, you always have to be willing to accept them both, know that when your career is over, it doesn’t define you, whether you win or lose all or everything. what you do, you do it with love, joy and passion, you don’t let it define you further than it should. “
Ohio finished fifth in the Mid-American Conference during the regular season, but the Bobcats won three games in three days to win the conference tournament and earn the league’s automatic bid. They had some COVID-19 issues during the last month of the season, but have now won 10 of their last 11 games and play some of the best basketball players in the country.
Point guard Jason Preston has established himself as a name to watch in the NCAA tournament, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists for the Bobcats. Preston only scored 52 points in total as a senior in high school, but has now played himself on the NBA radar and is one of the best point guards left in the tournament.
“I told him this is where stars are born, legacies are made,” Ohio coach Jeff Boals said of Preston. “Give them a lot of credit. [Kihei] Clark is a very good defender. But Jason managed to get around a few in the second half, had some massive rebounds … Just a phenomenal effort. He is the heart and soul of our team. The world today has seen who it is and what it can do. Just very proud of him. “
Vander Plas, a player whom a MAC coach told ESPN earlier this week that he was a “Virginia-esque player,” was arguably the best player on the floor for long periods on Saturday. He finished with 17 points, five rebounds and four assists, good for three 3-pointers. At one point in the second half, Vander Plas scored 10 consecutive Ohio runs.
He is sure the Bobcats can hold out too.
“I think we go into each game expecting to win, preparing to win. So we’re going to try to win the whole game,” said Vander Plas. “That’s what we have to do here. We’re going – what is it, five more games? We’re going to try to win another five games one at a time.”
Virginia will have to make enough staffing decisions in the coming weeks. The Cavaliers have three seniors in their rotation, including starters Sam Hauser and Jay Huff. Murphy, a junior, is also a projected second-round NBA draft pick in ESPN’s draft rankings.
However, for a team that started the season as a top five preseason team, this is a disappointing end to the campaign.
“You know there will probably be better times to talk to them more clearly about what they meant and who they are as men and as players,” Bennett said. “After the game, not much is heard. It’s just trying to encourage and thank them and tell them that they will always be a part of this. Again, they will have an ACC Championship for the regular season, and they have a chance to play in the tournament. That will sting how it ended, but that was the magnitude of it. I said I wish I had some magic words to make the sting go away, but I don’t know. The time heals all things. “
Ohio moves on to play Creighton with 5 seeds, which defeated UC Santa Barbara by one time on Saturday. And with Ohio State getting upset by 15-seed Oral Roberts on Friday, the Bobcats are wearing the mantle for The Buckeye State.
“I think we are just happy to move on. We are very grateful. Our boys came in expecting to win a game,” Boals said. “The fact that we are the only one left is great for social media and fans. But our cart just keeps coming. We want everyone to support us when we can. I think this is great for our university. . “