Things were ugly early, but Virginia overcame a 14-point first half deficit to pick up a dominating 71-56 over Gardner-Webb. The Hoos came out tight, turning the ball over early and letting the Running Bulldogs get some momentum. Virginia closed within six at the break, and outscored Gardner-Webb 41-20 in the second half thanks to a strong 17-point second half performance from De’Andre Hunter.
Hunter had 23 in the game, followed by Mamadi Diakite with 17 points (13 in the second half), and Ty Jerome with 13 points and six assists. Kihei Clark played 36 minutes and provided a spark on defense and added a huge three late in the first half to close the Hoos within six.