AP

No. 16 Virginia beats No. 19 Illinois to cap emotional week

Nov 20, 2022, 12:52 AM | Updated: 4:12 pm

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) fouls Virginia's Kadin Shedrick (21) during the second half of a...

Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) fouls Virginia's Kadin Shedrick (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

(AP Photo/John Locher)


              Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) fouls Virginia's Kadin Shedrick (21) during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Armaan Franklin (4) and Kihei Clark (0) celebrate after a play against Illinois during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Illinois' Dain Dainja, top, dives over Virginia's Armaan Franklin, bottom, during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Jayden Gardner (1) celebrates after Virginia defeated Illinois in an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Illinois' Jayden Epps (3) and Virginia's Francisco Caffaro (22) scramble for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Francisco Caffaro (22) and Illinois' Jayden Epps (3) scramble for the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Reece Beekman (2) fouls Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Illinois' RJ Melendez (15) dunks against Virginia during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Illinois' Sencire Harris (1) drives around Virginia's Isaac McKneely (11) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Jayden Gardner (1) celebrates after a play against Illinois during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia's Kihei Clark (0) celebrates after making a 3-point shot against Illinois during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Illinois' Terrence Shannon Jr. (0) drives into Virginia's Reece Beekman (2) during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
            
              Virginia players wear shirts in honor of football players Devin Chandler, D'Sean Perry and Lavel Davis Jr. before an NCAA college basketball game against Illinois, Sunday, Nov. 20, 2022, in Las Vegas. The three (AP Photo/John Locher)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Under most circumstances, Virginia would have celebrated its tournament victory Sunday and carried the good feelings back to Charlottesville.

But after the No. 16 Cavaliers used a late 13-point run to defeat No. 19 Illinois 70-61 to win the Continental Tire Main Event, coach Tony Bennett knew the overnight trip back home would be far from joyous with the campus still grieving the shooting deaths of three football players.

The Cavaliers beat No. 5 Baylor and the Illini to earn the trophy.

“It feels great in the moment, but more so now, we know what truly matters,” Bennett said. “When you have a momentary celebration like this, it enables you to enjoy it and it seems to matter, but in the big picture, it doesn’t.”

The game was played exactly a week after football players Lavel Davis Jr., Devin Chandler and D’Sean Perry were fatally shot after a field trip to see a play in Washington. Two others were wounded.

Former Virginia football player Christopher Darnell Jones Jr. faces three counts of second-degree murder and other charges.

Virginia players wore shirts to honor those killed and locked arms in tribute before the game.

The team canceled its game Monday against Northern Iowa, but chose to play in Las Vegas. Forward Kadin Shedrick said Friday that being in Las Vegas was therapeutic.

“Just for the community, I felt like they needed that,” said Virginia guard Reece Beekman, chosen the tournament MVP after scoring 17 points. Playing Friday at home, he said, is “going to be hard for the fans, families, football players. We’re going to do our best to show support when we can.”

In addition to Beekman, Kihei Clark and Gardner each had 12 for Virginia.

Jayden Epps had 14 points and Coleman Hawkins 10 for the Illini.

The Cavaliers (4-0) trailed 58-56 with 3 1/2 minutes left when they broke away from Illinois (4-1). The game was close throughout, with neither team pulling away until Virginia’s late run.

Both teams’ top scorers from Friday’s games also were largely held in check.

Virginia’s Armaan Franklin, who scored 26 points against Baylor, had just nine against Illinois.

Illini guard Terrence Shannon Jr. also scored nine points after getting 29 against UCLA in going 8 of 9 from 3-point range. Shannon made just 1 of 5 on Sunday.

“Our emphasis was to not let him get easy, comfortable, rhythm 3s,” Gardner said. “I think Reece did a good job making him make tough, contested shots. We made it hard for him.”

Illinois coach Brad Underwood called this a learning experience for Shannon, who entered the game averaging 24.3 points and having made 29 of 39 free throws. He took two free throw attempts Sunday and missed both.

“Because you make a lot of 3s one night, you can’t forget where a guy’s bread is buttered, and that’s driving that thing to the rim,” Underwood said. “He’s got to grow from this. We’re expecting him to be really, really good, and we’re counting on him being really good. Good players don’t have off nights in big games.”

PAST CHAMPIONS

Virginia became the first team from the Atlantic Coast Conference to win this tournament, which is in its ninth year. The Pac-12 Conference won three of the previous four tournaments — Arizona State in 2018, Colorado in 2019 and Arizona last year. Baylor of the Big 12 Conference in 2020 was the only team from another conference during that stretch, and the Bears’ hopes to become the first two-time winner ended in Friday’s 86-79 loss to Virginia.

THE BIG PICTURE

Illinois’ freshman backcourt of Epps and Skyy Clark received value experience during tournament in which all four teams are ranked. They also showed they could perform well against that kind of competition, which should serve them well in March. They combined for 22 points against Virginia, with Epps leading the team in scoring while making 6 of 13 shots.

Virginia took 44 more free throw attempts than their two tournament opponents, including 23 more than the Illini had (32-9). Bennett said that wouldn’t necessarily be part of the Cavaliers’ strategy moving forward, but because Illinois and Baylor switch a lot, Virginia found favorable matchups that resulted in fouls.

UP NEXT

Both teams take a noticeable step down in competition levels on Friday, with Illinois hosting Lindenwood of the Ohio Valley Conference and Virginia returning home to play Maryland-Eastern Shore of the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference.

___

AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

AP

Associated Press

Ex-Packer Guion gets 1 year for domestic violence assault

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers defensive tackle Letroy Guion was sentenced to one year in jail after pleading no contest in a domestic violence assault at his home last fall. Brown County Circuit Court Judge Thomas Walsh also ordered Guion on Tuesday to serve three years’ probation and complete a domestic […]

1 year ago

Joe Jarzynka...

Associated Press

Durant eager for Suns debut vs. Hornets after knee injury

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Kevin Durant has been through quite a bit during his 15-year NBA career — but joining a new team midway through the season is a new one for the 13-time All-Star. The 34-year-old Durant doesn’t seem all that worried. Durant makes his highly anticipated Phoenix Suns debut on Wednesday night against […]

1 year ago

FILE - Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores stands on the sideline during the second half of an N...

Associated Press

Judge: NFL coach can press discrimination claims in court

NEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can pursue some of his discrimination claims against the league and its teams in court rather than through arbitration, a judge ruled Wednesday. The written decision by Judge Valerie Caproni in Manhattan was issued months after lawyers for the league tried to get the lawsuit moved to […]

1 year ago

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock cools off in the first period during an NHL hockey game ...

Associated Press

Kane trade reinforces hard reality of Blackhawks rebuild

CHICAGO (AP) — After days of speculation, the harsh reality of the Chicago Blackhawks’ situation was reinforced by one move in a flurry of transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline. Showtime is over, at least in Chicago, and a seemingly bright future is, well, way off in the distance. The reverberations of Chicago’s decision […]

1 year ago

FILE -  Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation, wearing a protective face mas...

Associated Press

Disgraced ex-Haitian soccer president announces he’s back

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti’s former soccer federation president whose lifetime ban from sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month announced Wednesday that he is reclaiming his position. Yves Jean-Bart’s defiant announcement could lead to a standoff with FIFA, which already has appointed an emergency management committee to lead the Haitian Football Association […]

1 year ago

FILE - Green Bay Packers' Aaron Rodgers walks off the field after an NFL football game against the ...

Associated Press

Rodgers says decision on future will come ‘soon enough’

GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Aaron Rodgers says he will make a decision on his future “soon enough” as the four-time MVP quarterback ponders whether to play next season and if his future remains with the Green Bay Packers. Rodgers, 39, discussed his future while speaking on an episode of the “Aubrey Marcus Podcast” that […]

1 year ago

No. 16 Virginia beats No. 19 Illinois to cap emotional week