Ninth-ranked Louisville closed a double-digit deficit to three points in the final seconds, but #3 UVA was able to hold on for a 52-47 win Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va.
With the Virginia (21-1, 9-1 ACC) finished a stretch of back-to-back-to-back games against Top 10 teams with a 2-1 record. The win also gives the Cavs a two-game lead in the ACC regular-season race.
Louisville (19-4, 7-3 ACC) shot just 17.4 percent in the first half and trailed 24-13 at the break after being held scoreless for the final 10:32 of the half, but the Cardinals made it a game late, narrowing an 11-point gap with a 12-5 run over a 3:59 span to pull within 50-47 with 18 seconds left on a runner in the lane by Chris Jones.
Jones was fouled on the play, but missed the free throw, and Malcolm Brogdon hit two free throws with 10 seconds left to seal it.
Brogdon led Virginia with 15 points, but was just 3-for-13 from the field, going 8-of-10 from the line. Anthony Gill had 10 points and eight assists for the ‘Hoos.
Terry Rozer had 16 points on 5-of-16 shooting for Louisville, which shot 52 percent in the second half and finished the game at 37 percent (17-of-46).
UVA shot 33.3 percent (17-of-51) from the field, 2-of-14 from three-point range, lost the rebounding battle, 36-33, and won largely because the Cavaliers took care of the ball, committing just two turnovers while forcing 11 Louisville miscues.
Virginia had a 15-0 advantage in points off turnovers.
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Chris Graham
