Reece Beekman scored 16 points and Virginia opened the season with a wire-to-wire 80-50 victory against visiting Tarleton State on Monday in Charlottesville, Va.
Isaac McKneely added 15 points and Leon Bond III had 12 points and nine rebounds as the Cavaliers improved to 13-2 in season openers under head coach Tony Bennett.
Beekman, the reigning Atlantic Coast Conference Defensive Player of the Year, added seven assists, four rebounds and three steals. McKneely hit four 3-pointers and Jacob Groves and Ryan Dunn added nine points apiece.
Virginia shot 48.9 percent from the field and 45.5 percent (10 of 22) from behind the arc in its first-ever meeting with the Texans, who are starting their fourth season under coach Billy Gillispie.
Chemistry was an understandable issue for Tarleton State and its 16 newcomers, most among Division I schools.
The Western Athletic Conference squad from Stephenville, Texas, shot 33.3 percent overall and 23.1 percent from 3-point range (3 of 13) with 16 turnovers — twice as many as Virginia.
Devon Barnes had 11 points and Izzy Miles added 10 to lead Tarleton State. Lue Williams finished with seven points on 2-for-12 shooting.
The Cavaliers led by 24 at halftime and extended it to 49-21 on Jacob Groves’ 3-pointer with 17:42 left in the game.
An 8-0 spurt pulled Tarleton State within 56-37 before Groves knocked down consecutive triples to end the threat.
An 11-1 Virginia surge made it 70-41, punctuated by Bond’s one-handed, putback dunk with 6:59 to play.
Including five offensive rebounds by Bond, the Cavaliers outrebounded the Texans by a 40-27 margin.
Virginia sank its first three treys and built a 25-11 lead on Bond’s second-chance layup with 10:26 left in the first half.
The Cavaliers finished the first half with an 11-2 run and a 43-19 lead, capped by Beekman’s buzzer-beating drive.
Virginia faces Florida on Friday in Charlotte, N.C., while Tarleton State takes on FIU in Miami on Thursday night.
–Field Level Media