Virginia vs Mississippi State NIT First Round GAME THREAD

Virginia Cavaliers vs. Mississippi State Bulldogs

Location: Charlottesville, VA
Date: March 16, 2022
Time: 7:00 p.m. ET
Channel: ESPN2

Online Streaming: WatchESPN.com

Odds from Vegas Insider: UVA -3

The ‘Hoos take on the Bulldogs in the first round of the NIT Tournament with a date with North Texas on the line in the second round. Were UVA to win, the contest with North Texas would be a game between the two teams with the slowest adjusted pace in the country.

Read our preview of tonight’s matchup from earlier today here.

The media notes for tonight’s contest against Mississippi State and Virginia’s NIT history:

For Openers

• UVA will make its 14th NIT appearance and first since advancing to the quarterfinals in 2013.

• Virginia head coach Tony Bennett (Washington State) and Mississippi State head coach Ben Howland (UCLA) coached against each other in the former Pac-10 Conference (now Pac-12).

UVA All-Time in the NIT

• The Cavaliers are 17-11 all-time in 13 NIT appearances, including a pair of championships in 1980 and 1992.

• UVA is 7-4 all-time in the NIT first round.

• The Cavaliers are 10-3 at home in the NIT, including a 2-1 mark at John Paul Jones Arena.

• Virginia associate head coach Jason Williford was a member of the 1992 NIT champion Cavaliers.

• The Cavaliers are 15-8 in NCAA/NIT postseason play under Bennett, including a 2-1 mark in the NIT.

• Bennett is 2-2 all-time in the NIT, including a 68-57 loss at St. Mary’s as head coach at Washington State in 2009.

Virginia All-Time vs. Mississippi State

• The Cavaliers are 1-2 all-time vs. Mississippi State in a series that dates back to Feb. 25, 1928.

• UVA meets the Bulldogs for the first time since an 86-84 loss on Dec. 29, 1988, in New Orleans.

• UVA defeated Mississippi State 81-68 on Dec. 27, 1963, in Owensboro, Ky.

• The Bulldogs topped the Cavaliers 44-28 on Feb. 25, 1928, in Atlanta, Ga.

Last Time vs. The Bulldogs

• Greg Carter scored 16 points to lead Mississippi State to an 86-84 win against Virginia on Dec. 29, 1988, at the USF&G Sugar Bowl Tournament at the Superdome in New Orleans, La.

• Bryant Stith led UVA with 19 points and John Crotty and Brent Dabbs each added 17.

• Carter led five Bulldogs in double figures as Greg Lockhart scored 14 points and Cameron Burns, Tony Watts and Todd Merritt each added 12 points, respectively.

• MSU outrebounded UVA 42-34 and shot 49.1 percent.

Last Time Out

• Brady Manek scored 21 points to lead No. 3 seed North Carolina to a 63-43 win over No. 6 seed Virginia in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals on Thursday, March 10.

• Jayden Gardner led Virginia with 17 points.

• UVA’s 34.6 percent field goal shooting marked a season low

• UVA’s 13 first half points were its lowest in a half since scoring 13 in a first half win vs. William & Mary on Dec. 5, 1984.

• UVA shot less than 20 percent in a half (5 of 27 for 18.5%) for the first time since shooting 18.4 percent (5 of 22) vs. California on Dec. 22, 2015.

• UNC out-rebounded UVA 46-32, including 25-18 en route to its 33-13 halftime lead.