The Virginia Cavaliers (8-7) suffered a painful 75-61 road loss to the University of California, Berkeley (8-7) late Wednesday night. Despite a strong, high-energy start, the ‘Hoos quickly lost momentum and were out-hustled and, generally, out-coached and out-played. Jacob Cofie, Elijah Saunders, and Andrew Rohde were the reliable top-scorers, but messy plays and a lack of confidence cost the ‘Hoos what should have been a secure ACC win.

Here are our five take-aways from the Wednesday night loss to Cal.

Virginia failed to lock down California’s top scorer

California’s sophomore point guard and leading scorer Andrej Stojakovic delivered a killer 23 points against Virginia (three above his season average). Although he was the obvious defensive priority, the ‘Hoos failed to contain his game. Andrew Rohde, Isaac McKneely, and Taine Murray had their turn on Stojakovic coverage but were consistently beaten on the drive.

An obviously talented player, Stojakovic broke through ineffective UVA pressure in the half court. But get this: the 36-percent three-point shooter didn’t attempt a single shot beyond the arc. While in most respects, that highlights a successful defensive performance, it really means that Virginia’s packline defense broke down in its most fundamental sense, allowing nearly two dozen points from midrange from a single player.

Still, Stojakovic didn’t act alone. Cal had three additional players score in double-digits, hitting 43 percent from the field compared to Virginia’s 30 percent.

Virginia’s coaching left something to be desired

Some of Virginia’s faults fall on interim head coach Ron Sanchez, who had some questionable substitutions and struggled to help the Cavaliers control the game’s pace and momentum.

The ‘Hoos were up 9-3 by the first timeout but the energy quickly simmered throughout the half. Although things got sloppy quickly, Sanchez was rather conservative calling timeouts and evidently failed to rejuvenate a spark at the half.

Specifically, Cal went on an 8-0 run to start the second half while the ‘Hoos returned with only more mistakes (including Taine Murray’s immediate foul on a three-point attempt, a quick turnover from Saunders, and two blocked shots – just to name a few).

Plus, Antony Robinson didn’t hit the floor until well into the second half and served only four minutes of playing time. Impressively, he delivered three points and a rebound in that short time – which, to some, may warrant more minutes.

Instead of playing Robinson, Sanchez put TJ Power on the floor into the final stretches of the game – totaling zero points, a turnover, and one rebound in 13 minutes. While Sanchez is flexible enough to test diverse lineups, some decisions seem counterintuitive considering player performance. Wednesday night, in particular, it may have cost Virginia the game.

Rohde steps up while McKneely falls short

Isaac McKneely simply lacked confidence on Wednesday night, which has become a recent struggle for the junior guard. His shooting was unrecognizable, hitting only one of eight and missing the front end of a one-and-one at the line. He felt the defensive pressure from Cal, but failed to convert that into assists, contributing only one for the night. Still, McKneely was on the floor for the majority of the game. But with low scoring and Rohde leading the offense, his presence was quiet.

Despite some questionable rotations, Sanchez may be right to have Rohde bring the ball up. The offensive ball movement was an overall improvement for the ‘Hoos, spearheaded by Rohde at the top of the key and his six assists on the night. He was more aggressive than he has previously been – taking drives to the basket to end scoring droughts and hustling for four rebounds. He has quickly become one of Virginia’s most reliable players and showed grit through the final minutes.

Virginia’s vice: sloppy mistakes and the mental battles

There’s not much else to call it besides sloppy basketball. And Virginia would not (or should not) lose to a low-ranking ACC team like Cal if it weren’t for sloppiness. The ‘Hoos have shown development in particular areas (such as limiting turnovers), but can’t manage to tighten up play across the board. Virginia entered the game fighting for rebounds, an obvious point of emphasis especially against an offensive rebounding threat like Cal, and had more consistent offensive movement. But while those target areas shed some light, losses like this hurt (and happen) because of elementary mistakes.

Even if we attribute Virginia’s foul trouble to some phantom calls, multiple three-point fouls are inexcusable. And the spirit on the court is contagious – with fumbles happening on consecutive plays and ultimately shattering momentum. Nowhere is that more evident than in the second- and third-chance possessions Virginia gives up on the boards, especially on Wednesday night. Losses on the rebounding front were amplified by Cal’s five blocks against the ‘Hoos – contributing to an insecure frontcourt that’s riddled Virginia.

One failure seems to lead to a string of mistakes. In the span of two possessions against Cal, Saunders fouled on an offensive rebound, then he fumbled the ball out of bounds after a free throw before the team then gave up a wide-open dunk. Tony Bennett used to coach for three consecutive defensive stops but, recently, it feels Virginia is on the receiving end of that philosophy.

Christian Bliss’ absence is a shame

Christian Bliss was expected to be a valuable ball-handler for the ‘Hoos after redshirting under Tony Bennett last season. Nevertheless, he is still out with a foot injury that has delayed his debut beyond what fans had hoped.

“He’s just not feeling good enough to get on the floor,” Sanchez said in a press conference on Monday. “And that’s a player decision.” Sanchez added that if Bliss says he can’t perform at the level he would like, the staff will “continue to nurse him.”

While Bliss’s prolonged absence seems odd, it is reasonable to wonder what his contributions could be during a shaky time for the ‘Hoos. His return remains TBD, but with Wednesday’s game being the first since Sanchez’s last update, questions remain about Bliss’s injury, recovery, and intent to play.