The UVA Basketball team (12-12, 5-8 ACC) faces Virginia Tech (11-13, 6-7 ACC) in Blacksburg on Saturday (2 p.m. ET, The CW).
The Hokies won the teams’ first matchup, 75-74, two weeks ago in JPJ.
Pregame Notes
UVA coach Ron Sanchez is sticking with the starting lineup that he’s used the past couple of games – with Jacob Cofie and Blake Buchanan in the frontcourt, and Andrew Rohde, Isaac McKneely and Dai Dai Ames in the backcourt.
This means the team’s second-leading scorer, Elijah Saunders, will again be coming off the bench.
First half
First media timeout: Virginia Tech 7, UVA 5, 15:55/1st
Four of Virginia’s six shots are threes. Nothing at the rim yet: the other two shots were Cofie in the midrange (1-of-2 on those).
Second media timeout: UVA 17, Virginia Tech 11, 11:40/1st
Nice play off the bench from Anthony Robinson (six points, 2-of-2 FG, 2-of-2 FT, two rebounds).
Virginia is 3-of-7 from three and 2-of-2 at the rim.
Early Ishan Sharma sighting, and he hit a three coming off a screen.
Third media timeout: UVA 27, Virginia Tech 16, 7:28/1st
Virginia is 5-of-11 from three and 4-of-4 at the rim.
Rohde has six assists (no turnovers).
UVA is 10-of-18 from the field.
Just three midrange twos (all by Cofie: 1-of-3 on those).
UVA timeout: UVA 34, Virginia Tech 26, 3:22/1st
Tech on a quick 7-0 run. Virginia had two turnovers on its last two possessions.
Going to want to close this half out better than this. Virginia has led by as many as 15. Don’t want it in striking distance at the break.
Half: UVA 40, Virginia Tech 33
Virginia Tech twice got the margin down to four. Elijah Saunders hit a three as time expired to get the lead back to seven.
Tech made five of its last six shots in the final 5:14 (started 6-of-20 from the field).
Tobi Lawal: 19 points (6-of-9 FG, 2-of-2 3FG, 5-of-7 FT).
Balanced scoring for UVA: Ames had nine, Robinson eight off the bench, Saunders six off the bench, McKneely six on a pair of early threes (the second one with 14:59 on the clock).
Virginia shooting: 7-of-15 from three, 6-of-7 at the rim, 2-of-5 midrange (Cofie 1-of-3, Robinson 1-of-1, McKneely 0-of-1).
Tempo: Tech 32 possessions, Virginia 31 possessions. A touch faster than usual for a UVA game.
Fast break points: UVA 7, Tech 1.
Second half
First media timeout: UVA 45, Virginia Tech 38, 15:33/2nd
Cheap techs were assessed on four guys, two from each team, as the teams left the floor for the half.
Rohde was one of them, then he picked up a cheapie 15 seconds into the second half, so he has three now.
He’s sitting, and the offense isn’t looking great with him out.
Second media timeout: UVA 52, Virginia Tech 44, 11:55/2nd
We’ve reached a point of stasis. No feel for how the next few minutes play out. Neither side has momentum.
Tech just made a couple of end-of-shot-clock threes. You hate those on D.
UVA timeout: UVA 59, Virginia Tech 50, 8:59/2nd
Virginia is just 4-of-14 from the floor in the second half, 2-of-10 from three.
But: the ‘Hoos are 9-of-10 at the line.
Not having Rohde in there consistently is killing the flow of the offense.
Third media timeout: UVA 62, Virginia Tech 53, 6:47/2nd
Rohde had his pocket picked at midcourt, then picked up a cheapie on the fast break, his fourth.
Not smart.
McKneely has 13 in the second half, which is why this is still a nine-point game.
Fourth media timeout: UVA 64, Virginia Tech 61, 3:35/2nd
Rohde’s foul trouble has made this one closer than it should be.
He’ll check back in now.
Robinson will be at the line after a loose-ball foul.
Tech is 9-of-19 from the field in the second half; UVA is 6-of-19.
Final: UVA 73, Virginia Tech 70
That was the quickest final 1:04 of a close game that I can remember.
Tech missed two threes, both contested, and Virginia cleaned up the boards.
Those were the only two stops Virginia got in the last four minutes.
Hey, whatever it takes.
Isaac McKneely finished with 22, 16 in the second half.
Anthony Robinson had a career-high 15 with seven boards, and he was 7-of-8 at the line, in 18 minutes.
UVA only shot 8-of-23 from the floor in the second half, but was 13-of-14 at the line.
Gutted that one out with Andrew Rohde only getting eight minutes in the second half due to a technical going into the locker room, a cheapie 15 seconds into the second half, then another one after a turnover with 8:06 to go.
Virginia (13-12, 6-8 ACC) has now won four of five, the loss being the one-pointer at home to Tech two weeks ago.
This one moves the ‘Hoos closer to the middle of the pack in the ACC.
Two weeks ago, our guys were fighting for an invite to the ACC Tournament.
Next up: Duke, on Big Monday.
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Chris Graham
