Pittsburgh, PA – The Virginia Cavaliers used their stifling, pack-line defense to smother Pitt, limiting them to one first half field goal en route to a comfortable 66-37 victory Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh. Freshman De’Andre Hunter scored 14 points and pulled down 10 rebounds. Guards Ty Jerome and Nigel Johnson had 13 and 12 points respectively for the Cavaliers, with each knocking down a pair of three-point baskets. Pitt freshmen Parker Stewart was the only Panther in double figures, scoring 12 points on 4-of-8 from long range. Pitt scored only seven points in the first half and shot a record-low 4.5 percent in the half.
Virginia freshman Hunter is an athletic 6-7 combo forward with the ability to play inside-out. He is strong and physical enough to finish plays at the rim, while also having range out to the three-point line. Hunter is an active rebounder and plays bigger than his height due to his leaping ability and athleticism. He also displayed good passing ability aided by good offensive awareness.
Sophomore Jerome is a smooth 6-5 point guard who uses his craftiness, three-point ability, and a nice floater and in-between game to be effective. Jerome has high offensive awareness and the ball is secure in his hands. Jerome is strong at running the offense and getting teammates shots. He displays good passing ability and is strong defensively on the ball.
Pitt guard Stewart is a pure shooter with good size at 6-5. Stewart possesses great form on his jumper and can get hot from deep. Stewart can also put the ball on the floor and finish with a floater. He is also a solid rebounder for his position and is both a willing passer and defender.
Virginia visits Louisville on Thursday while Pittsburgh concludes the regular season at Notre Dame on Wednesday.
This article was written by Nate Toth, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter. We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout certification program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
