Virginia (21-9, 12-7 ACC) can clinch a double-bye in next week’s ACC Tournament, but that’s far from the only thing on the line tonight.
Georgia Tech (14-16, 7-12 ACC) has won three in a row and four of its last five coming into tonight’s game in JPJ (8 p.m. ET, ACCN).
This is a Tech team that beat Duke at home, lost by five at Duke in the return match, won in two OTs at Clemson, beat UNC at home, and, oh, yeah, the Yellow Jackets are on a three-game winning streak, which includes a one-point win at Wake Forest on Tuesday.
Preview: How Tech, UVA stack up
The Georgia Tech rotation is not a stat-heavy group.
Three guys average in double-digits in scoring:
- 6’6” junior Miles Kelly (14.6 ppg, 5.8 rebs/g, 37.7% FG, 33.2% 3FG)
- 6’9” freshman Baye Ndongo (11.7 ppg, 8.2 rebs/g, 55.7% FG)
- 6’7” junior Kowacie Reeves (10.1 ppg, 4.1 rebs/g, 41.6% FG, 39.1% 3FG)
Ndongo, in the 75-66 loss to Virginia on Jan. 20, had the best numbers of those three: 15 points (6-of-7 FG, 3-of-4 FT) and five rebounds.
The point guard, 6’3” freshman Naithan George (9.4 ppg, 4.6 assists/g, 41.1% FG, 29.7% 3FG), had a big game in that one: 15 points (4-of-8 FG, 1-of-4 3FG, 6-of-6 FT) and nine assists.
Tafara Gapare (5.2 ppg, 3.4 assists/g, 35.5% FG, 17.4% 3FG), a 6’9” sophomore UMass transfer, has been getting more minutes of late, and been productive with them (8.7 ppg, 42.3% FG, 22.2% 3FG in his last three games).
Also be on the lookout for 6’3” senior Kyle Sturdivant (8.8 ppg, 2.8 assists/g, 41.3% FG, 39.4% 3FG) who had eight points (3-of-9 FG, 2-of-6 3FG) in the loss to Virginia, and has averaged 12.8 points per game (39.6% FG, 44.8% 3FG) in his last five games.
Georgia Tech led the first matchup in January in Atlanta by 11 midway through the first half before Virginia seized control with a big, extended run.
Isaac McKneely (20 points, 7-of-13 FG, 6-of-9 3FG) and Reece Beekman (19 points, 7-of-16 FG, 2-of-6 3FG, 11 assists) were, shocker here, the guys who put the points on the board.
Jordan Minor (11 points, 4-of-5 FG, 3-of-6 FT) and Ryan Dunn (nine points, 4-of-4 FG, 1-of-1 3FG, 0-of-2 FT, 10 rebounds, three blocks) also had strong outings.
Virginia shot 50 percent from the floor overall and was 11-of-23 from three in the win, and the D forced a lot of long-range misses from Tech (9-of-27 from three).
It will be incumbent for Beekman to keep George out of the lane – nine assists and six free-throw attempts is several too many of each for Virginia’s liking.
I see Tony Bennett going with Dunn on Ndongo to keep the freshman from having the kind of impact that he had in Atlanta in January.
The big question for the ‘Hoos: can they get enough offense?
Virginia has been in the 40s in four of its last five games.
Halftime Report: Virginia 38, Georgia Tech 24
Virginia played the first 20 minutes like a team that not only had a week off to get its legs back, but also to make some adjustments to things that hadn’t been working.
The ‘Hoos shot 15-of-26 (53.8 percent) from the field and 7-of-14 (50.0 percent) from three en route to posting a 38-24 lead at the half.
UVA made its last six shots of the half, and was 10-of-14 in the final 9:36.
Reece Beekman has 13 points (5-of-7 FG, 2-of-3 3FG) and five assists for Virginia.
Taine Murray, in 14 minutes off the bench, has seven points (3-of-6 FG, 1-of-2 3FG).
Murray’s minutes are coming at the complete expense of the season-long-struggling Andrew Rohde, who didn’t get out of his sweats in the first 20 minutes.
The offense was a nice mix of the mover-blocker/sides that Tony Bennett loves, with high ball screens for Beekman and middle screens keeping the middle of the floor open for dribble-drives and kickouts.
Georgia Tech was 10-of-24 from the floor (41.7 percent) and 1-of-8 from three in the first half, and had nine turnovers.
Virginia translated those turnovers into a 15-2 advantage in points off turnovers.
Virginia coasts to big win: Let the questions begin
Virginia, desperately in need of a win against a streaking Georgia Tech bunch, got the big win, going away, 72-57.
That’s the good news.
It almost qualifies as bad news to me that I tell you, Taine Murray was key here.
And that Murray played a career-high 28 minutes, in place of the beleaguered Andrew Rohde, who never took his sweats off.
Murray had 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting, 2-of-5 from three, and three assists.
Why wasn’t he getting these minutes all year, you’re asking?
Especially when you consider how much Rohde, who hadn’t scored in double-digits since the Dec. 27 win over Morgan State, was struggling this season.
Oh, well; figured it out now.
With the win, Virginia (22-9, 13-7 ACC) is the three seed in next week’s ACC Tournament, and will play on Thursday night in the late game (9:30ish p.m.).
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Chris Graham
