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This has been an incredible week for athletics at the University of Virginia. So much winning. Everywhere. That makes my job this Monday morning VERY easy. Here are some highlights.
Wrestling won twice this week with a 16-15 victory over Maryland (A-C-C! A-C-C!) and 29-12 over Bucknell. The home win was in front of a huge crowd at Memorial Gym, and the squad has one more home match, against UNC, February 7th.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Great capacity crowd at mem tonight for the first home <a href="https://twitter.com/UVAWrestling">@UVAWrestling</a> match of the year. <a href="http://t.co/2avK8M5Xfb">pic.twitter.com/2avK8M5Xfb</a></p>— VirginiaSportsTV (@VaSportsTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/VaSportsTV/statuses/429413603503255552">February 1, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Women's Basketball also snagged two wins, taking down Wake on the road (64-59) and utterly dominating Clemson at home (80-43). The Lady Hoos travel to BC on Thursday. They also got to wear something that some of us here at Streaking the Lawn have been inquiring about for a while now...ORANGE UNIFORMS.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Orange Unis! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23UVa&src=hash">#UVa</a> RT <a href="https://twitter.com/UVaWBBHoops">@UVaWBBHoops</a>: We are underway at Wake. <a href="http://t.co/DhfqrsemlT">pic.twitter.com/DhfqrsemlT</a></p>— Andrew Ramspacher (@ARamspacher) <a href="https://twitter.com/ARamspacher/statuses/429043101630758912">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Friday night, the UVA baseball team held their annual 'Step Up to the Plate' dinner fundraiser. A plethora of former Wahoos returned including Ryan Zimmerman, Jeremy Farrell, and WILL CAMPBELL, Y'ALL!! Sean Doolittle and Red Sox Manager John Farrell (Jeremy's father) headlined the event, which featured a silent auction that even 'Doc' got into...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>things are really heating up at the <a href="https://twitter.com/UVABaseball">@UVABaseball</a> auction! <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23StepUp14&src=hash">#StepUp14</a> <a href="http://t.co/KmvPFModAZ">pic.twitter.com/KmvPFModAZ</a></p>— Sean Doolittle (@whatwouldDOOdo) <a href="https://twitter.com/whatwouldDOOdo/statuses/429395454464638976">January 31, 2014</a></blockquote>
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A dinner with the three coaches (O'Connor, McMullan, and Kuhn) at Coach Oak's house went for $5,500 dollars in a live auction.
John Farrell, coming off that incredibly awesome, amazing, and 2013 World Series-winning season with the Red Sox, spoke about preseason expectations. Ranked preseason number one for the first time in Virginia history, the Wahoos and Red Sox will both have to deal with a bullseye through the 2014 season.
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Saturday, men's lacrosse traveled to Annapolis to face the Naval Academy in a tune-up scrimmage before the season opener on February 6th. The Hoos handled the Mids easily, rolling to a 14-5 (unofficial) victory behind a hat trick from Mark Cockerton. First years Zed Williams (one goal), Matt Barrett (0 goals against, about 5 saves in the first half), and the shifty Joe French all impressed (see below).
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>RT <a href="https://twitter.com/Lokolugi">@Lokolugi</a>: Nice bury here by fellow Canadian <a href="https://twitter.com/_JoeFrench">@_JoeFrench</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Dean_French">@Dean_French</a> <a href="http://t.co/UTZuOTth7d">pic.twitter.com/UTZuOTth7d</a>" sweet fakes = tidy finish-congrats!</p>— Mark Dixon (@DixonLacrosse) <a href="https://twitter.com/DixonLacrosse/statuses/430058725383360512">February 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Now what you're all waiting for. Let's gets to men's basketball.
Virginia took their show on the road this week with games at Notre Dame on Tuesday and at Pitt on Sunday. As the Wahoos had done in all six of their previous ACC wins, the team went up big early and never looked back. London Perrantes played like he had the theme song to the Harlem Globetrotters playing on repeat in his head, dishing out dimes like it was going out of style. Take another look at my favorite one:
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The Hoos strolled to a cool, casual 15 point win over the Irish, behind an epic stat line from Malcolm Brogdon (16 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, and 5 steals) and 14 points from Mike Tobey.
Sunday, the Cavaliers traveled to the 'Zoo' in Pittsburgh to face a tough, number 18 ranked, Panther team. Akil Mitchell said it best post game, stating, "We were talking the whole game about how much fun this was...kind of like playing ourselves."
The entire game was a knock-down, drag-out, slug fest with neither team leading by more than four at any point, and both teams finishing below 50 points. When "Uncle" Brogdon went full Hollywood on Pitt and buried that cold-blooded three pointer with four tenths of a second left, all of Wahoo Nation couldn't believe that the Hoos were finally on the right side of a game winner.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I'm telling you the truth I honestly did not know UVa was allowed to win like that. Thought it was some bizarre NCAA code section thing</p>— Tucker Martin (@jtuckermartin) <a href="https://twitter.com/jtuckermartin/statuses/430063336948908032">February 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
Brogdon was (rightfully so) stoked, and the entire team was enjoying the whole scene. The first twenty seconds of this video might be my favorite thing ever. Malcolm had never made a game winner in any game in any stage of his basketball career before yesterday afternoon, and even London Perrantes playfully ribbing him off camera couldn't get him down.
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Taking down Pitt on the road should be the last bit needed for the Cavaliers to climb into the rankings, and the experts are (finally) noticing.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>I was sold on Virginia in person in the loss to Duke. Love this team's toughness, discipline, strong guards. Solid squad. Buy Virginia.</p>— Andy Katz (@ESPNAndyKatz) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNAndyKatz/statuses/430061818418327552">February 2, 2014</a></blockquote>
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Buy Virginia.
I will just leave you with this. Try not to grin like an idiot watching those extended arms and that high step. Enjoy it, 'Hoos. It's a fun ride.
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