#13 Virginia used an 8-1 run to take control, and the Cavs closed out a 73-65 win over Syracuse on Sunday in snowy Charlottesville.
The Cavs (15-4, 4-3 ACC) led by as many as 10 in the second half, but a 12-2 Orange run tied the game at 47 on a layup by Tyler Roberson with 8:19 to go.
A pair of three-pointers by Malcolm Brogdon provided the separation for UVA. The second gave the ‘Hoos a 55-48 lead.
Syracuse (13-8, 3-5 ACC) would stay close by hitting a barrage of threes in the final two minutes. Brogdon hit a pair of free throws with 26 seconds left to give Virginia a five-point lead, and it never got closer.
UVA led 37-29 at the half after shooting 55.6 percent from the field and hitting on 5-of-9 from three-point range.
The Orange adjusted at the half to take away the entry pass into the high post that had been effective for the Cavs in the opening 20 minutes, when they assisted on 12 of their 15 made baskets.
But then Isaiah Wilkins found a soft spot late, and had assists on the three biggest baskets of the game for the ‘Hoos, a three by Brogdon in the 8-1 stretch, a three by Perrantes that gave Virginia a six-point lead with 2:42 to go and a dunk by Anthony Gill that extended the lead to seven with 1:03 left.
Wilkins finished with five points, five rebounds and three assists on the night.
Virginia got 21 from Brogdon and 16 and eight rebounds from Gill.
Perrantes 16 points and seven assists for UVA, which shot 56.8 percent from the field (25-of-44) for the game from the field and was 8-of-18 (44.4 percent) from three.
Coming into the game, Syracuse had allowed opponents to shoot just 39.8 percent from the floor, second-best in the ACC, and 28.9 percent from three, best in the conference.
Syracuse got 24 points from Michael Gbinije, 19 in the second half. Malachi Richardson had 23, and was 6-of-10 shooting on threes.
The Orange shot 38.9 percent for the game (21-of-54), and were 13-of-30 (43.3 percent) on threes.
Virginia Team Notes
- Virginia is 4-3 all-time against Syracuse and has won all three games against the Orange since their arrival in the ACC; Tony Bennett is now 3-0 against Syracuse
- Virginia is 30-1 in home ACC games the last four seasons
- Virginia has won 15 straight home games dating to the 2014-15 season
- UVA is 133-36 in 10 seasons at JPJ, including 95-20 under Tony Bennett
- Virginia is 12-1 when leading at the half
- Virginia has now shot 55 percent or better from the field in seven games this season
- Virginia had 12 assists on 15 made shots in the first half and finished with 18 assists on 25 field goals
- Virginia improved to 72-4 in the Tony Bennett era when scoring 70 points or more
- UVA is 12-1 when out-rebounding its opponent
- UVA committed turnovers on five of its first seven second-half possessions
- Syracuse hit 13 3-pointers – most by a UVA opponent this season (Villanova, 10)
- After pulling down 20 rebounds in his last game against Duke, Syracuse’s Tyler Roberson finished with seven boards, but none in the first half
- Virginia outscored Syracuse 30-12 in the paint
Virginia Player Notes
- Malcolm Brogdon scored 21 points and reached the top 20 in career scoring at Virginia with 1,457 points; it marked his ninth game of 20-plus points this season
- Anthony Gill scored 16 points and reached double figures in scoring for the 19th straight game this year
- London Perrantes set a career high with four steals, in addition to scoring 16 points and dishing out seven assists
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