No. 16 Virginia starts fast, holds off No. 20 Louisville

No. 16 Virginia scored the first 14 points of the game and held on for a 79-70 victory at No. 20 Louisville in Atlantic Coast Conference action Tuesday night.

Malik Thomas scored 19 points as the Cavaliers (15-2, 4-1 ACC) won their fourth straight game and matched their win total from last season. Thomas was 6 of 8 from 3-point range.

Johann Grunloh added 16 points and Sam Lewis had 15 as Virginia defeated a ranked team for the first time since a 59-47 win against No. 14 Texas A&M on Nov. 29, 2023. The Cavaliers blocked nine shots and limited Louisville to 35.8% shooting.

Isaac McKneely, who played for Virginia the previous three seasons, scored a season-high 23 points to pace the Cardinals (12-5, 2-3). Ryan Conwell contributed 14 points and seven rebounds while J'Vonne Hadley added 11 points for Louisville, which fell to 9-2 at home and 2-4 against Top 25 foes.

Thomas hit 3-pointers on three consecutive possessions to put the Cavaliers up 46-34 with 16 minutes to play.

A putback by Thijs De Ridder gave Virginia its biggest lead at 56-41 with 12:25 remaining.

Conwell's 3-pointer with 3:29 left pulled the Cardinals within 71-64, but Virginia's Sam Lewis blocked Conwell's layup to keep Louisville from getting closer.

The third 3-pointer of the game for the 7-foot Grunloh gave the Cavaliers a 74-64 cushion with 2:30 to play.

Two McKneely free throws pulled Louisville within 74-68 with 1:19 remaining. After McKneely and Conwell missed 3-pointers, Grunloh's free throws put Virginia up 76-68.

Both teams put up more 3-point attempts than shots inside the arc. The Cavaliers shot 14 of 34 (41.2%) from 3-point range and the Cardinals made 10 of 38 (26.3%).

Virginia's 14-0 start featured four 3-pointers, including a pair from Grunloh, while Louisville missed its first seven shots from the field.

The Cavaliers cooled off and the Cardinals pulled within 29-24 on Kasean Pryor's jumper with 2:39 left in the half. Virginia led 33-28 at the break.

Jacari White returned for the Cavaliers after missing five games with a broken wrist on his left, non-shooting hand. He finished with five points in 12 minutes off the bench.

Freshman star Mikel Brown Jr. (16.6 points per game) missed his seventh straight game for Louisville with a lower-back injury.