Virginia takes Belmont in second round, 79-67
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Forward Anthony Gill’s five key points down the stretch helped Virginia stay out of danger and fend off Belmont 79-67 in an NCAA East Regional second-round game Friday afternoon at Time Warner Cable Arena.
Guard Malcolm Brogdon poured in 22 points for Virginia, which saw a double-digit lead shrink to two points with less than five minutes to play.
After guard London Perrantes hit a shot, Gill’s five points — two free throws followed by a three-point play in a 42-second span — helped the Cavaliers stretch their lead to 69-60. Brogdon followed with two free throws, putting Belmont too far behind with 1:32 remaining.
Gill ended up with 16 points. Cavaliers guard Justin Anderson chipped in with 15 points off the bench, scoring for the first time in three games since returning from a broken finger. Virginia forward Darion Atkins added 10 points.
Second-seeded Virginia (30-3) advances to meet seventh-seeded Michigan State, which defeated Georgia 70-63 in the first game of the session. The Virginia-Michigan State game will be a rematch of last year’s East Regional Sweet 16 game won by the Spartans.
Guard Craig Bradshaw racked up 25 points for 15th-seeded Belmont (22-11), which had a seven-game winning streak snapped. Guard Evan Bradds added 10 points.
A 9-0 run for Belmont in the second half pulled the Bruins within 51-48, creating some anxious moments for the Virginia contingent.
It was 60-57 with five minutes to play. Bradshaw’s second 3-pointer in a 40-second span cut the gap to 62-60, but the Cavaliers scored the next nine points.
Earlier, Virginia appeared to have things in good control, building an 11-point lead before taking a 40-32 lead at halftime.
Brogdon had 16 first-half points, continuing a torrid scoring pace that included 22 points in the second half against North Carolina a week earlier when the Cavaliers were eliminated from the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament.
Anderson also gave Virginia a boost, with his first-half 3-pointer breaking his scoring drought since suffering the finger injury on Feb. 7.
NOTES: Virginia had a 9-3 record against other NCAA Tournament teams entering the postseason. … Virginia coach Tony Bennett is a former NBA player with the Charlotte Hornets. He met his future wife in Charlotte. … Virginia improved to 12-16 all time in games played in Charlotte. … Belmont won at least 26 games in the previous four seasons, so the string ended with the 22-11 record. … Belmont arrived at the tournament coming off two one-point victories (over Eastern Kentucky and Murray State) to capture the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship.
