Malik Thomas had 13 points and six rebounds as No. 15 Virginia extended its winning streak to six games with a 70-66 nonconference victory over Ohio State on Saturday night in Nashville, Tenn.
The game was part of the inaugural Nashville Hoops Showdown, a neutral-site game designed to boost NCAA Tournament resumes.
The Cavaliers (22-3) got 12 points apiece from Chance Mallory and Sam Lewis. Ugonna Onyenso added eight points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.
Bruce Thornton carried the Buckeyes (16-9) with 28 points. Amare Bynum had 15 points and six rebounds, while Christoph Tilly added 11 points.
Virginia shot 23 more free throws than Ohio State (32-9) and outscored the Buckeyes 22-6 from the line. The Cavaliers also held a 40-26 rebounding edge.
The score was knotted at 37 at the half. Thornton and Bynum led Ohio State with 10 points apiece. All nine of the Cavaliers that entered the game had at least one basket at the midway point with none scoring more than seven points. Virginia’s reserves provided the spark, outscoring the Buckeyes’ bench 21-2 in the opening 20 minutes.
Neither side had more than a four-point advantage in the second half until a Thornton layup gave the Buckeyes a 49-44 lead with 13:47 remaining. Another Thornton layup nudged the lead to six, 59-53, midway through the half.
Virginia then had an 8-0 spurt that included four points from Thomas. Mallory hit a jumper with 4:43 remaining to give the Cavaliers a 63-61 lead.
Both sides came up empty for the next 3:32 until Lewis made a steal to set up a Dallin Hall fast-break layup. Hall then split free throws with 41 seconds left to give Virginia a five-point lead.
Bynum ended the Buckeyes’ scoring drought of over four minutes with a 3-pointer from the top of the key to cut the Cavaliers’ lead to 66-64 with 33 seconds left.
Lewis made one of two free throws before Onyenso blocked a Thornton shot. Lewis then made two more free throws.
Tilly scored inside with six seconds left. A Mallory free throw with 1.8 seconds left clinched Virginia’s win.
