Third-ranked Virginia seized control early en route to posting a 68-51 win over NC State on Sunday. The ‘Hoos (16-1, 5-0 ACC) led 10-2 six minutes in and were up as much as 16 in the first half before State (12-6, 2-3 ACC) rallied to cut the margin to 30-20 at the half.
Virginia opened up a 45-25 on a Devon Hall three-pointer with 12:13 left, but State had one last run, getting as close as 11 on a Lavar Batts layup with 8:05 left.
UVA took control from there as it did all night, with defense. The Pack had come in off back-to-back wins over then-#2 Duke and #19 Clemson, averaging 87 points per game over that stretch, but could get nothing going Sunday night, shooting 41.1 percent from the floor and connecting on just 2-of-16 from three-point range.
Sophomore forward Omer Yurtseven, who had averaged 22.5 points per game in the wins over Duke and Clemson, had six points on 3-of-8 shooting in 25 minutes.
Hall had a cooly efficient 25 points to lead Virginia, shooting 7-of-9 from the floor, 4-of-5 from three-point range and 7-of-7 at the free-throw line.
Kyle Guy added 17, shooting 7-of-11 from the field and 3-of-6 from three-point range.
Virginia shot 56.1 percent from the floor for the game (23-of-41) and was 8-of-14 (57.1 percent) from three-point range.
UVA Team Notes
- Virginia (16-1, 5-0 ACC) extended its winning streak to eight games
- Virginia is now 11-0 in its last 11 regular-season games against NC State and has an eight-game winning streak against the Wolfpack at John Paul Jones Arena
- UVA is 5-0 in ACC play for the first time since going 7-0 in 2014-15
- Virginia has held 14 opponents to 60 or fewer points
- UVA has held 14 opponents to under 43 percent shooting and all 17 opponents to under 50 percent (NC State – 41.1%)
- Virginia is 45-4 at JPJ in ACC play in the last six seasons
- The Cavaliers improved to 12-0 at John Paul Jones Arena in the midst of a 14-game home-winning streak
- Virginia held NC State to a season-low 20 first-half points, previous was 23 vs. Tennessee
- The Cavaliers have held their opponents to 29 or fewer first half points in all but one game and 20 or fewer four times
- Virginia held the Wolfpack scoreless for the first3:11of the second half and limited NC State to just one field goal for the first 6:30 of the second half
UVA Player Notes
- Double-figure scorers: Devon Hall (25), Kyle Guy (17), Isaiah Wilkins (10)
- Hall had a career-high 25 points, his second 20-point game this season
- Hall has reached double-figures in four straight games and 10 times this season
- Hall was 7 of 9 from the floor, 4 of 5 from 3-point range and 7-of-7 free throws (sixth time this season he has been perfect from the free throw line)
- Guy has hit a 3-pointer in 17 consecutive games, UVA’s longest individual streak since Malcolm Brogdon (20 games) in 2015-16
- Wilkins converted a 4-point play with4:45to go in the first half that capped a 7-0 run for UVA
- Jack Salt has recorded at least one blocked shot in five straight games
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