Virginia never trailed and led by as many as 31 points in an 81-62 win Friday over NC Central at John Paul Jones Arena — backed by newfound pace, ruthless rebounding and a wave of threes despite the Eagles’ proven zone defense.
The Cavaliers’ (2-0, 0-0 ACC) win over the Eagles (0-2, 0-0 MEAC) was characterized by a strong offensive showing and huge jolts off the bench — 20 offensive boards, the same amount of second-chance points and 32 points off the bench.
Coach Ryan Odom deployed a starting five that is becoming typical. Graduate point guard Dallin Hall set the tone early with a pair of offensive rebounds, freeing freshman forward Thjis De Ridder and junior guard Sam Lewis to each make second-chance threes. This trio was joined by freshman center Johann Grünloh and graduate guard Mailk Thomas to begin the Cavaliers’ run…