Sam Lewis Erupts As Virginia Bounces Back to Stifle NC State
The Virginia Cavaliers had every excuse in the book to come out flat on Saturday morning. They were just three days removed from a grueling, triple-overtime heartbreaker against their in-state rivals, Virginia Tech. That is the kind of loss that usually leaves a team with heavy legs and an emotional hangover, especially for a squad with an 11 a.m. tipoff time in Raleigh.
But instead of hitting the snooze button, Ryan Odom’s squad woke up and chose violence, dismantling NC State 76-61 to secure Odom’s first ACC victory.
Virginia Offense Explodes Behind Sam Lewis
Coming into the game averaging just under nine points, the Toledo transfer looked like an All-American in the first half. Lewis didn’t just heat up; he went supernova. He poured in 20 points before the break, hitting 7-of-8 from the floor. He was shooting into an ocean, burying four deep balls and effectively outscoring the entire Wolfpack roster for a significant chunk of the opening frame.
While NC State looked disjointed and sluggish, shooting a miserable 31% early on, Virginia was operating with surgical precision. The Cavs built a massive 40-20 halftime lead that left the Lenovo Center crowd stunned into silence. It wasn’t just the shooting, though; the Cavaliers’ defense had the Wolfpack in a straitjacket, chasing shooters off the line and clogging the paint.
NC State Rallies, But Virginia Responds
You knew a run was coming. In college hoops, the home team rarely rolls over and dies without a fight. NC State finally found a pulse in the second half, ripping off a furious rally that cut the deficit to just eight points at 46-38. The energy in the building shifted. Virginia looked rattled for the first time all day, and things got spicy on the sideline.
Coach Odom, usually composed, lost his cool over a late whistle, earning a technical foul that required his assistant, Bryce Crawford, to essentially bear-hug him away from the officials. It was a raw, human moment that showed just how much this game meant to the first-year head coach. But just when it felt like the wheels might fall off, Thijs De Ridder stepped up to steady the ship.
De Ridder Closes the Door
While Lewis owned the first half, the Belgian prospect De Ridder owned the second. The 6-foot-9 forward was a force when Virginia needed him most, scoring 12 of his 14 points after halftime.
The turning point came on a hustle play that epitomized the Cavaliers’ effort. De Ridder snagged an air-ball from teammate Malik Thomas and laid it in just as the shot clock screamed. Moments later, he drained a three, got a defensive stop, and pushed the tempo to set up Lewis for a corner dagger. That sequence ballooned the lead back to 22, effectively ending the Wolfpack’s hopes of a miracle comeback.
For Virginia (12-2, 1-1 ACC), this was a statement win. They proved they could take a punch and stay standing. For NC State, it’s back to the drawing board after a performance that Head Coach Will Wade will surely want to burn the tape of.
