Florida defense chomps down on Virginia

Florida and Virginia's second-round matchup looked set to be a tightly contested, low-scoring affair between two teams sporting defenses in the nation's top four.

The Gators had other ideas. They blew Virginia's doors off with a 65-39 victory Saturday, leaving the Cavaliers with nightmares that probably look something like this:

Virginia is considered offensively inept at the best of times, but the Gators' defensive showing was impressive even with that qualifier.

Here are some of the statistics from the first game in which Virginia scored under 40 points all season, compared to its usual average output:

And yes, college basketball teams are made up of five players on the court at one time. It's necessary to note this because, looking at the Cavaliers' starters numbers, you might think only two players saw the floor. Three of Virginia's five starters failed to register a point in the entire game, with London Perrantes and Jack Salt combining for 14 points in the contest. That's bad by any measure, but especially considering that Florida's starting five scored 42 points.

Florida is one of the stingiest defenses in the country, holding opponents to just 31 percent shooting from beyond the arc. True to form, the Cavaliers made just one triple against the Gators, finishing the contest shooting 7 percent from long range.

Should we have seen this coming?

Virginia will never be confused with an offensive juggernaut, but the Cavaliers' poor performance Saturday isn't an isolated situation. They've struggled on the offensive end for the last 11 games, and went 5-6 over that span.

Florida now advances to the Sweet 16 to face No. 8 Wisconsin, which knocked off No. 1 Villanova earlier Saturday, while Virginia heads back home after another NCAA tournament disappointment.

Tony Bennett's name often comes up in connection with coaching vacancies, but after this 39-point performance, those attentions may cool slightly this offseason.