CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — In a notable start to the Ron Sanchez era, the University of Virginia men’s basketball team triumphed over Campbell with a score of 65-56 on Wednesday evening. Freshman Jacob Cofie stood out with a notable performance, contributing 16 points, while Elijah Saunders added 11 points, scoring nine in the second half of the match.
Sanchez stepped into the role of interim head coach on October 18, following the retirement of three-time national coach of the year Tony Bennett. His coaching journey has included a decade with Bennett’s staff, spanning two terms from 2009 to 2019 and again from 2023 to 2024.
With just over six minutes remaining in the second half, Cofie helped Virginia establish their final double-digit lead. However, Campbell fought back, narrowing the gap to six points on three occasions within the last four minutes. An important moment occurred when Virginia seemed to extend its lead to eight points with two minutes on the clock, but after a review, it was determined that Saunders’ attempt to score failed to leave his hands before the shot clock expired.
In a crucial moment, Campbell’s Jasin Sinani was fouled during a dunk attempt with 1:46 left on the clock, allowing him to sink one of his two free throws, pulling the team within 59-54. Nevertheless, Virginia’s Isaac McKneely was fouled beyond the arc and successfully made both of his free throws, ensuring Virginia maintained their lead. The Cavaliers missed opportunities at the free-throw line, going 2 for 4 on their next possessions, but Campbell was unable to take advantage of the situation.
This victory enhances Virginia’s impressive record, boasting 14 wins in their last 16 season-opening matches. Alongside Cofie, McKneely contributed 11 points to the scoreboard, while Blake Buchanan added another 10 points for the Cavaliers. Colby Duggan was the top scorer for Campbell, finishing with nine points as the team fell to an even record of 1-1.
The first half displayed a competitive back-and-forth dynamic until the last five minutes, where Virginia went on a significant 12-2 run, ultimately leading to a 35-23 advantage—highlighted by consecutive three-pointers from Cofie and Ishan Sharma. Together, Cofie and Sharma made all six of their shooting attempts, reflecting Virginia’s impressive shooting accuracy of 64%, hitting 14 of 22 attempts. The second half began with the Fighting Camels sinking four three-pointers within the first six minutes, narrowing the score to 44-38 and intensifying the contest.