Cavaliers hang on in rematch with Hokies

BLACKSBURG — No. 25 Virginia snapped a three-game road losing streak and got some revenge on in-state rival Virginia Tech in a 61-59 victory Tuesday night at Cassell Coliseum.

The Cavaliers (21-6, 8-5) avenged an earlier loss this season to the Hokies at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. The first game was a defensive struggle, but both teams found more success on the offensive end in the rematch.

UVa senior forward Mike Scott had 20 points and nine rebounds, both game highs. The Cavaliers, who ended Tech’s three-game home winning streak, shot 59.5 percent as a team, the highest allowed by the Hokies this season.

The win combined with losses by both Miami and N.C. State allowed the Cavaliers to take over sole possession of fourth place in the ACC standings.

The Hokies were down by two and had the ball with 17 seconds remaining, but their final possession was snuffed out when Tech freshman forward Dorian Finney-Smith’s pass was picked off by Cavaliers freshman reserve guard Malcolm Brogdon with less than two seconds remaining.

The Hokies (15-13, 4-9) shot 45 percent but made only one field goal in the game’s final 13 minutes.

Tech led by as many as eight in the second half and was ahead 49-42 with 13 minutes remaining when the Cavaliers went on a 17-2 run that was capped by a banked 3-pointer by guard Jontel Evans (13 points) at the shot clock buzzer.

Tech went 12:22 without a field goal during UVa’s run, missing nine straight shots in the drought.

UVa went 1-for-14 from the 3-point line in the first meeting with the Hokies. It made 6 of 15 treys in the rematch. Senior guard Sammy Zeglinski went 3-for-7 from 3-point range and scored 13 points before fouling out with 1:32 remaining.

Junior guard Erick Green led the Hokies with 19 points. He scored four points in the final 38 seconds, but it wasn’t enough.

Tech led 35-32 at intermission despite a strong first half by the Cavaliers. Scott, who was held to 10 points and only nine field goal attempts in the first meeting with the Hokies, scored 15 points on 7 of 10 shooting in the first half.

UVa shot 68.4 percent as a team before the break, but Tech was almost as hot, making 55 percent of its shots, including 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

Tech senior forward Victor Davila missed his third straight game with a strained groin muscle. Sophomore Cadarian Raines started in his place and had six points and two rebounds.