The Virginia Cavaliers (13-12, 6-8) earned their come-back win against the Virginia Tech Hokies (11-14, 6-8) on Saturday—the program’s first win in Blacksburg since 2020. The ‘Hoos held the lead for the duration of the game, but allowed the Hokies to creep within one point in the final minutes. Virginia capitalized on their final possession with an electric alley-oop to Anthony Robinson with 1:15 remaining, stretching the final score to a close 73-70.

Here are our five takeaways from the rivalry redemption game against Virginia Tech.

Anthony Robinson showcased a breakout performance

Redshirt freshman Anthony Robinson came off the bench and dominated throughout both halves. He earned 15 points (five times his season average), two blocks, and seven rebounds in 18 minutes of play. The ‘Hoos are building a habit of looking to him in the post, feeding him four lobs against Tech and contributing to his proven reliability down low.

The 6-foot-10, 238-pound center played a full 360-game. He set nasty screens all night, setting up teammates like Isaac McKneely for three-pointers that sustained the lead. Perhaps even more impressively, Robinson’s footwork was quick enough to successfully contain his man one-on-one after the defensive switch. He played the defensive fundamentals against Tech—keeping low and wide at the top of the key and defending with his chest in the post to avoid foul trouble.

Robinson played an unstoppable and aggressive game. Tech tallied up fouls trying to defend Robinson, sending him to the line to make 7-of-8 free throws. The Big Man played big through the final minute with his game-assuring dunk to secure the three-point win. When given the minutes, Robinson is proving himself to be an overall sound player that adds confidence to Virginia’s frontcourt.

Isaac McKneely led a three-point shootout for the ‘Hoos

The ‘Hoos were supported by 11 three-pointers from across their roster. The triples hailed from Andrew Rohde (1), Dai Dai Ames (1), Elijah Saunders (2), Ishan Sharma (1), and Mckneely (6). Whether it was off a screen from Robinson, a step-back off the dribble, in traffic with two defenders, or a shot clock buzzer-beater, McKneely’s 6-of-14 were as diverse (and exciting) as they come.

But, Virginia’s long-range was more prominent in the first 20 minutes, hitting seven three’s before halftime. They came out of the locker room stale and saw several airballs between Ames and Saunders. Tech responded to the three-point game and challenged Virginia’s first-half shooting, hitting 10-for-24 on the night.

Virginia is revisiting the post double-team

It’s reminiscent of some early Tony Bennett-era defense to see the double-team on the block. Former players like Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill used to force turnovers off the double-team, until opponents studied Virginia enough to learn gaps in the help-side defense. Nevertheless, the double-team has crept its way back into Virginia’s defensive scheme, but has seen only moderate success.

The ‘Hoos initially executed successfully with the post pressure against Tech to force a turnover, but it later lended itself to one wide-open drive and, later, an easy dump to the weak side. Considering that the ‘Hoos have been giving up disproportionate numbers in the pain, double-teams down low could be strategic play—if cleanly executed.

Virginia has to limit unforced turnovers

Virginia has generally limited their turnover habit since the start of the season. Still, they gave up the ball eight times against Tech, with the least forgivable turnovers being self-inflicted.

The ‘Hoos had a case of the butterfingers early on, whether it was a mis-dribble turnover or a rebound slipping out of Saunder’s hands. Again in the second half, Ames had an off-the-foot dribble turnover (that Robinson then redeemed with a defensive rebound and two successful free throws). Maybe its petty to count the silly turnovers—but when the three’s aren’t falling, or we don’t have a breakout performance from a guy like Robinson—messy play has cursed Virginia.

The late-game anxiety continues

The end to Saturday’s rematch against Tech was all too similar to the loss in Charlottesville two weeks ago. Virginia carried a substantial lead throughout most of the game, toggling around or above a ten point separation. So, it’s a hard watch when it slips to a one-point game in the final minute and a half. Even when the ‘Hoos are playing well, they suffer from mid-game droughts and temporary frenzies that either choke up on their lead or bury them in a deficit. A close road win may seem like sweet redemption—giving the Hokies a taste of the same medicine—but it challenges Virginia’s in-game sustainability.

Regardless, a rivalry win is a rivalry win.