Well, that was closer than expected for UVA. A rudderless first half left Virginia down at half to the #16 seed, with fears from onlookers that history would repeat itself in the 2019 version of March Madness. It was not to be – UVA’s players have learned from last year’s debacle, and were ready for the challenge. They walloped Gardner-Webb in the second half, and now have to contend with #9 Oklahoma for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.
How to Watch the NCAA Tournament Second Round:
Oklahoma vs. UVA
Date: Sunday, March 24
Time: 7:45 p.m. ET
Location: Columbia, SC
TV Channel: CBS
Live Stream: fuboTV – start your 7-day free trial to watch every NCAA Tournament game
#9 Oklahoma
There were very few expectations about this Oklahoma season after losing superstar point guard Trae Young to the NBA and not recruiting any top talent for the 2018-19 campaign, but the Sooners still found a way to finish with a 19-13 record and earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament. And entering March Madness, expectations were still low – maybe they would squeak past Ole Miss but surely they would flame out to #1 UVA. But they shellacked Ole Miss to set up a second-round matchup with a Virginia team that didn’t exactly impress against their #16 first-round foe. Maybe the Sooners do have a deep NCAA Tournament run in them.
#1 Virginia
David has been slayed. Virginia, a year removed from the most shocking and humiliating NCAA Tournament loss of all time, for any team, was never scared. Down 14 in the first half and six points at halftime, UVA’s season’s vets regrouped at the break and went on a Goliath-sized run in the second half to put any concerns to rest. March Madness will have to wait one more year for a potential 16-over-1 upset, and Virginia made sure of that. Coach Tony Bennett’s went 29-3 overall and won the Atlantic Coast Conference for the second season in succession but were unable to retain the tournament championship. They beat NC State in their first match but suffered what was only their third loss of the entire season when they fell 69-59 to Florida State in the semi-finals. Nobody knows what to expect against #9 Oklahoma, but fans will hope they’re ready to bottle up the Sooners’ hot hands.
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