The most lopsided major conference battle of Saturday matched Virginia (26-2, 15-1) against Pittsburgh (8-22, 0-17). Not only was this a “clash” of the ACC’s best and worst teams, but it was also a “showdown” between the country’s top defense and a Pitt offense that has ... umm ... struggled.
Virginia’s defense held Pitt to 7 first half points. Tony Bennett didn’t think it was good enough
Only a shutout will appease the defensive-minded Cavaliers coach.
Amber Searls-USA TODAY Sports
The game went as you might expect.
In the first half, Pittsburgh made just one field goal, shot just 4.5 percent, and scored just seven points. It was the Panthers’ third-lowest point total in a half ever.
Morale inside the Petersen Events Center was understandably low.
Shockingly, one of the people inside the building who was upset was Virginia head coach Tony Bennett. Despite the suffocating defensive effort that led to an embarrassing 30-7 halftime deficit for Pitt, Bennett thought his Cavaliers could have been better.
Imagine how pissed Bennett must have been when Pitt scored 30 second half points to cut Virginia’s final margin of victory to a measly 29 points (66-37).
Perhaps Bennett was comforted after the game by the fact that the win locked up Virginia’s third outright ACC regular season title in the last five years. It also made Bennett just the sixth coach in league history to accomplish that feat.
Yeah, but it would have been even sweeter if Pitt hadn’t scored at all.
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