A 12-2 second-half run gave #3 Virginia a working margin, but the ‘Hoos had to work to finish off Syracuse in a 68-61 win on Tuesday in Charlottesville.
UVA (15-1, 4-0 ACC) led 64-50 with 1:24 to go after two free throws by Devon Hall, but the Orange (12-5, 1-4 ACC) got within five with a 9-0 run that made it 64-59 with 29.4 seconds left.
Two more free throws by Hall with 24 seconds left made it a seven-point game. Oshae Brissett made two of three free throws with 15 seconds left to get it back to five.
Kyle Guy connected on a pair of free throws with 11.9 seconds left to close out the game.
Virginia led 29-26 at the half on the strength of a big effort from De’Andre Hunter, who scored 13 points in 12 minutes off the bench, working in the soft spot of the Syracuse 2-3 zone.
Hunter would finish with 15 for Virginia, with Guy hitting for a game-high 22, shooting 6-of-14 from the floor and 5-of-11 from three-point range.
Hall added 13 points, including going 8-of-8 at the line, and had a game-high eight assists.
Frank Howard had 18 points to lead Syracuse, but Howard was just 6-of-20 from the field for the game.
The Orange shot 38.3 percent (23-of-60) and was 6-of-21 (28.6 percent) from three-point range, including just 2-of-12 from long-range in the second half.
Virginia shot 37.7 percent (20-of-53) from the field and was 9-of-27 (33.3 percent) from three, including 6-of-15 in the second half.
UVA had a big advantage at the foul line, going 19-of-22 as a team, with Syracuse finishing 9-of-11.
Syracuse had a massive advantage on the boards, 41-31, including 19 offensive rebounds, but had just a 17-16 edge in second-chance points for those efforts.
Virginia’s next game is Sunday at 6 p.m. at home against NC State.
Team Notes
- Virginia (15-1, 4-0 ACC) extended its winning streak to seven games
- UVA is 4-0 in ACC play for the first time since going 7-0 in 2014-15
- Virginia ended a two-game losing streak to Syracuse
- The Cavaliers are now 5-5 all-time against Syracuse and 3-1 in JPJ
- UVA has held 13 opponents to under 43 percent shooting and all 16 opponents to under 50 percent (Syracuse – 38.3 percent)
- Virginia is 44-4 at JPJ in ACC play in the last six seasons
- The Cavaliers improved to 11-0 at John Paul Jones Arena in the midst of a 13-game home-winning streak
- With the win, Virginia has now won 11 or more games at JPJ in each of the last nine seasons
- Syracuse scored 26 points in the first half, their third lowest total of the season (21 vs. Kansas, 24 vs. Eastern Michigan)
- After opening the game 3 of 14 from the field, UVA closed the first half 8 of 12
- UVA’s 27 3-point field goal attempts were its most since attempting 34 against Grambling State (11/22/16)
Player Notes
- Double-figure scorers: Kyle Guy (22), De’Andre Hunter (15), Devon Hall (13)
- Guy recorded his third 20-point game (fifth career)
- Hall recorded a career-high eight assists and career-high 8 of 8 FTs
- Hall matched a season high with seven rebounds
- Guy played a career-high 40 minutes, marking the first time a Virginia player has played every minute since Sylven Landesberg in 2009 against Clemson
- De’Andre Hunter tied career highs with two steals and two blocked shots
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