This was the championship game that many people wanted to see, and it did not disappoint.
Virginia got off to a hot start and built an early eight-point lead, but Duke slowly crawled back into the game. The Cavaliers went almost seven minutes without making a field goal, which allowed the Blue Devils to come back and tie the game.
The offensive picked up after the under-4:00 minute TV timeout as both teams traded threes and layups, but UVA still went into the break with a 28-25 lead, holding Duke to their lowest first half point total of the season.
Malcolm Brogdon led the Wahoos with nine points in the half, eight of which came in the first five minutes of the game. Point guard London Parrentes was more aggressive than usual, chipping in seven points along with two assists.
Virginia's stout defense really limited Rodney Hood and Jabari Parker in the half as Duke's two stars combined for 14 points on 4-18 shooting. The big news for the Devils in the opening frame was that three of their starters - Parker, Rasheed Sulaimon, and Tyler Thornton - each picked up two fouls, putting them in trouble.
That foul trouble continued into the second half...
Despite the foul problems, Duke stayed neck and neck with Virginia as the game went back and forth for the first 14 minutes of the second frame.
With the game tied at 53 and just over six minutes to play, the Cavaliers went on a big 11-4 run that swung the momentum and they never gave it back, holding on for the 72-63 win.
Brogdon finished with 23 points on the night, but UVA was led by Akil Mitchell who grabbed 15 rebounds, seven points, and two blocks, as well as playing smothering defense on Jabari Parker. Senior Joe Harris also scored 15 for the Cavs, and Anthony Gill chipped in 12 points and seven boards off the bench.
Parker rebounded from a tough first half to finish with 23 points and eight rebounds, but he did only shoot 9-24 from the floor. Hood also continued his first half struggles, recording 13 points on 4-12 shooting.
The win marked Virginia's first ACC Tournament championship since 1976, and they played with the determination and drive you'd expect from a team trying to make history.
Their defense was absolutely smothering as we've come to expect from them this year, and their ability to limit Parker and Hood, as well as the rest of Duke's weapons, was spectacular.
Virginia's offense also doesn't always get enough credit, but they execute at such a high level that they always seem to get the shots they want. They don't rush or take bad shots, but rather force the defense to play 35 seconds of solid defense and capitalize on their opposition's weakest point.
The win also propels UVA into the conversation for the last one-seed, although they will most likely be slotted on the two line. Duke will likely stay on the two line as well, although they may drop to a three depending on where the tournament committee seeds teams like Louisville, Villanova, and Wisconsin.
The ACC season is over, and the Virginia Cavaliers are the undisputed conference champions.
But now, it's time to change focus to a national championship.
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