Virginia vs. Ohio State: Score and Reaction from Big 10-ACC Challenge

The cream eventually rose to the top when the Virginia Cavaliers faced the Ohio State Buckeyes in the Big Ten-ACC Challenge on Tuesday. It just took longer than expected.   

The Cavaliers received 22 clutch points from Malcolm Brogdon and handed the overmatched Buckeyes their fourth consecutive loss, 64-58. Ohio State traded runs with the No. 10 team in the country for most of the game and was within three points with less than 30 seconds remaining, but 13 turnovers and the inability to make critical defensive stops on Brogdon down the stretch proved to be the difference.

While Virginia is now 6-1 and still looks like one of the best teams in the country despite an early loss to George Washington, Ohio State is a hapless 2-4 and doesn't appear to be a realistic NCAA tournament threat at this point. There is only one scholarship player who isn't a freshman or a sophomore, and the youth was a problem against a more talented opponent, especially in the turnover department.

Even though the Buckeyes struggled to make plays at the end of a back-and-forth contest, Virginia deserves credit for winning on the road, especially since it was without starting point guard London Perrantes because of an appendectomy, per the team.

As was expected with the Cavaliers facing a Buckeyes team that lost home games to UT-Arlington and Louisiana Tech, Virginia controlled the early going. Ohio State remained within striking distance for the first half, but Virginia went on an 11-3 run and held a 26-17 lead right before intermission.

Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors looked at the initial developments from Ohio State's perspective:

The Buckeyes finished the final two minutes of the half on a run of their own and trimmed the deficit to 26-24. Patrick Murphy of TheOzone.net was impressed with what he saw from the home team:

While Virginia shot 44.4 percent from three-point range in the opening 20 minutes, it also had five turnovers and failed to control the tempo at the end of the half. Douglas Doughty of the Roanoke Times noted it was easy to see how much the Cavaliers missed their point guard on the road. 

The two teams came out firing in the opening minutes of the second half and set the table for a back-and-forth affair. Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch described the action:

However, Brogdon drilled two straight three-pointers to put his team back in the lead, and Land-Grant Holy Land of SB Nation pointed to an area of concern for the Buckeyes:

Whitelaw Reid of the Daily Progress reacted to Brogdon's play:

The Buckeyes battled right back and took a 42-40 lead by hitting a few shots of their own, including a three from Jae'Sean Tate and multiple jumpers from Marc Loving. CavsCorner.com was not a fan of the Virginia defensive strategy:

The two teams continued to trade baskets throughout the middle portion of the second half, and Virginia established a 50-49 lead with less than eight minutes remaining. Blake Williams of the Buckeye Sports Bulletin reacted to Ohio State's missed opportunities in the tightly contested game:

Those missed chances proved costly because Brogdon hit another critical three-pointer to extend Virginia's lead to 55-49. The theme continued as the Cavaliers extended the lead down the stretch, as Murphy recognized:

Virginia had one thing in its corner that Ohio State didn't—a superstar willing to do what was necessary in crunch time. Jeff Rapp of WTVN 610 in Columbus praised Brogdon's efforts:

Despite the onslaught from Brogdon, Ohio State was still in the game after it trimmed the lead to 57-53 with two minutes left. Still, Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors understood Virginia was built for the end:

The difference between the poised Cavaliers and the young Buckeyes was apparent in the closing minute, as Jardy pointed out:

Isaiah Wilkins drilled two clutch free throws to open up a 61-55 lead, but Keita Bates-Diop answered with a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 61-58 with 27 seconds remaining. However, Brogdon played the role of hero again for Virginia and converted two clutch free throws to give his team more breathing room at 63-58.

The Buckeyes didn't have any more timeouts, and Loving air-balled a three-pointer to end any chances at the upset. Virginia hit another free throw and moved to 6-1 with its first road win of the season.

What's Next?

Virginia gets a one-game break against William & Mary before a grueling stretch where it faces West Virginia, Villanova, California and Notre Dame before the conference season. The Wildcats and Golden Bears both have the talent to be among the best in the nation (although California lost its last two), and Virginia will be plenty tested before it faces teams such as North Carolina and Duke in ACC play.

As for the Buckeyes, they are in desperate need of some wins if they plan on competing for an NCAA tournament spot. They have some winnable contests against the likes of Air Force, VMI, Northern Illinois, Mercer and South Carolina State in nonconference play, but they still have to play at Connecticut and against Kentucky before the Big Ten games start.

The Scarlet and Gray must notch a few upsets this season to overcome their early struggles.

Postgame Reaction

It was a difficult loss for the Buckeyes, but Doug Gottlieb of CBS Sports provided a reason for optimism in the aftermath:

"

Ohio State looked much improved- super young team should be very competitive late in Jan/Feb

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) December 2, 2015"

Loving echoed Gottlieb’s sentiment, per Ohio State Buckeyes: “It’s bittersweet. We lost, but know we’re getting better. We have spurts that show what we’re capable of.”

Tate called the showing “a step in the right direction” but noted his team is “not there yet,” per Murphy.

Virginia coach Tony Bennett pointed to Ohio State’s youth as one area the Cavaliers were able to exploit, per Rapp: "We knew they were athletic and talented, just inconsistent with their youth."

Bennett also turned his attention to his own team’s future when discussing Perrantes. Bennett said “he isn’t sure when” the point guard will return but added “I just think it will be how he responds in the next couple days,” per Reid.

As long as Brogdon continues to play like he did Tuesday, the Cavaliers will survive without their point guard before conference play.