Virginia routs Wofford

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. -- Virginia put together a complete game on both ends of the court as it cruised to a 74-39 non-conference win over Wofford Sunday afternoon at the John Paul Jones Arena.

The Cavaliers shot 63.8 percent (30-of-47) from the field for the game, including 70.8 percent (17-of-24) in the second half. Virginia (10-3) also hit 53.3 percent from three, making 8-of-15.

While the offensive output was remarkable, Virginia coach Tony Bennett was even more pleased with his team's defense. The Cavaliers limited Wofford (6-7) to 33.3 percent (14-of-42) shooting, and the Terriers made just 5-of-19 from three.

"I knew we'd have to really work defensively, whether it was single screens, double screens, and be in a (defensive) stance," Bennett said. "That's what I was pleased with. We were there on the catch and didn't give them too many uncontested shots. I thought that made the difference on the defensive end."

Its last time out, Virginia gave up 43 second-half points to Old Dominion in a 63-61 loss. It was the most points the Cavaliers have surrendered in a single half this season.

The upset loss last Saturday snapped an eight-game winning streak and provided Virginia with some motivation coming out of the holiday break.

"We were a little frustrated with that," Virginia senior walk-on Doug Browman said. "So, we decided to come out here and not compound our mistake and make it two in a row."

Browman really set the tone defensively. He came in off the bench and was charged with slowing down Wofford leading scorer Karl Cochran, who was averaging 17.1 points per game heading into Sunday.

Browman played a career-high 23 minutes, 10 more than his previous career-high. He did not attempt a shot, but he helped hold Cochran to five points on 1-of-11 shooting.

"I knew I was probably going to have a significant role (Sunday)," Browman said. "Just being with their players and the amount of screens that they set, I'm pretty good chasing people off screens. I had an idea."

Freshman center Mike Tobey came off the bench to score a career-high 19 points for Virginia, making 9-of-10 shots. The 6-foot-10 Tobey showed a nice array of offensive moves, scoring on the block with both hands and knocking down jumpers.

"They were small," Bennett said of Wofford. "I thought we took advantage of the mismatches. Mike showed his soft touch. He really has nice touch."

Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell each had 15 points for the Cavaliers.

Virginia outscored Wofford 39-6 over a stretch of 16:28 that spanned both halves. The Terriers trailed 17-15 after freshman Spencer Collins hit a three with 6:28 to play in the first half, but they managed just two field goals during Virginia's run.

It was a disappointing result for Wofford, which had won four of its last five heading into Sunday's game. Their last time out, the Terriers won at Xavier 56-55.

"With 12 freshmen and sophomores, you think you've got it figured out," Wofford coach Mike Young said. "This is a humbling game, and about the time you think you've got it figured out, you get a baseball bat across the kneecaps. That's what happened to us. Virginia got us in every way, obviously."

Freshman Spencer Collins had 17 points to lead Wofford. No other player scored more than five.

Virginia led 31-17 at the half. The Cavaliers quickly fell behind 5-0 but tightened up on defense to limit the Terriers to 30 percent shooting in the opening period.

As a team, the Cavaliers shot 56.5 percent from the field in the first half. Harris led the team with 11 points on 4-for-5 shooting. Mitchell had nine points and five rebounds while Tobey came off the bench to hit all four of his shots and scored eight points in 13 minutes.

Collins had 10 points to lead the Terriers, making three of his four shot attempts. His teammates combined to go 3-for-16 from the field and 1-for-7 from three in the first half.

Notes: This is the second all-time meeting between the schools. Virginia won the first meeting 87-65 on Jan. 2, 2003. ... Virginia senior point guard Jontel Evans missed his ninth game of the season with a foot injury. ... Virginia starting forward Darion Atkins did not play in the second half. Bennett said he is dealing with a shin injury.