No. 6 Virginia moved to 5-0 on the season after a dramatic 87-83 comeback victory against Maryland on Friday night.
The Cavaliers struggled early at the Xfinity Center, trailing 47-36 at the halftime break after committing eight turnovers and dealing with significant foul trouble, “according to Yahoo Sports.”
Virginia flipped the momentum in the second half by shooting 20-of-26 from the field and outscoring the Terrapins 51-36.
The comeback was fueled by Sam Lewis, who recorded a career-high 28 points on 12-of-16 shooting.
Lewis served as the primary engine for the offense during the second-half surge, despite battling seven turnovers throughout the contest.
Chance Mallory provided the go-ahead basket with a clutch step-back three-pointer late in the game.
The Cavaliers relied heavily on their core rotation, as Thijs De Ridder, Lewis, Mallory, and Johann Grünloh played significant minutes to secure the win.
Maryland, which fell to 1-2, struggled to maintain its offensive rhythm after the intermission, finishing just 4-of-17 from three-point range.
Defensively, Virginia adjusted to limit Maryland to 38 percent shooting in the second half, a marked improvement from the 46 percent allowed in the first.
The game featured a high volume of whistles, with Virginia committing 27 fouls and Maryland sending the visitors to the free-throw line frequently.
The Terrapins converted 31-of-39 free throws, while Virginia made 17-of-27 from the charity stripe, “as noted by the Yahoo Sports report.”
The victory marks Virginia’s 10th win in the last 11 meetings against Maryland.
Head coach Ryan Odom leaned on his veteran players down the stretch to navigate the hostile environment and overcome the early 11-point deficit.
The win serves as a vital learning experience for the Cavaliers as they move forward in their non-conference schedule.
Virginia will look to build on this performance as they continue their season following this high-stakes road test.