Virginia (11-5, 2-3 ACC) hosts in-state rival Virginia Tech (10-6, 2-3 ACC) in ACC Basketball action on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at JPJ.
Virginia, which has lost three of its last four, all by double-digits, is a slight (2.7-point) favorite.
Tech has also lost three of its last four, its most recent loss a 75-71 setback to Miami in Blacksburg on Saturday.
Postseason implications
It’s early, but this one is a clear must-win for both programs in terms of their postseason aspirations.
Virginia is 63rd in today’s updated NET rankings, with just one Quad 1 win to date, the 73-70 win over Florida in Charlotte on Nov. 10.
Tech is 52nd in the NET, with three Q1 wins – Boise State (82-75, Nov. 23), Iowa State (71-62, Nov. 24) and Clemson (87-72, Jan. 10).
A win for the Hokies would be a fourth Q1 win.
For Virginia, this one is a Q2 game.
First media timeout: Minor starts, playing well
Jordan Minor got the start at the five tonight, no doubt for defense on Tech’s Lynn Kidd, and he’s done well so far: four points on two dunks, and good D.
It’s 6-6 at the first media timeout.
Pretty ugly
I love the D I’m seeing from UVA. Tech is shooting 3-of-7 from three, so, need to close out better, but the post and dribble-drive defense has been top-notch.
Virginia leads 13-11 at the 10:51 media timeout.
Minor has five points and an assist. Reece Beekman has five points (2-of-2 FG, 1-of-1 3FG) and an assist.
Hot shooting
Virginia is 4-of-7 from three – two makes each by Beekman and Jake Groves.
It’s 19-13 UVA at the 7:45 media TO.
Still liking the D
Tech has 15 points at the 3:53 media timeout: 5-of-17 shooting, eight turnovers.
I love the D from Jordan Minor.
Halftime: Virginia 25, Virginia Tech 18
Hunter Cattoor hit a three with less than a second to go to get the Tech deficit down to seven.
The Hokies were 6-of-22 from the floor and 4-of-12 from three in the opening 20 minutes.
Ten turnovers for Tech; three for UVA, which was 10-of-30 from the floor and 4-of-10 from three.
Beekman had 10 points (4-of-9 FG) and two assists for Virginia. Groves had six (2-of-3 3FG), and Minor had five, and his good D.
Cattoor led Tech with six points (2-of-4 3FG).
Crowd into it
A 9-0 Virginia run, punctuated by a Beekman-to-Dunn lob dunk, has it at 34-21 UVA, with a Mike Young timeout at the 16:25 mark.
Tech still hanging around
Back-to-back threes – Tyler Nickel on an offensive rebound, Sean Pedulla five feet behind the arc – get Tech back to 36-29 at the 13:46 media timeout.
Anybody’s game
Virginia leads by nine, 40-31, at the 11:56 media timeout, but it still feels like anybody’s game.
Dante Harris has returned after missing 10 games, but maybe shouldn’t have. He has three fouls in eight minutes, and Pedulla is owning him on the dribble-drive.
Here we go
Another offensive rebound three, by Robbie Beran, and a live-ball turnover leading to a Cattoor dunk, cuts the Virginia lead to 46-41 at the 7:01 media timeout.
As good as things have gone for Virginia, a Tech run here in the next four minutes could put them in control for the endgame.
Under-4
A 6-0 UVA mini-run puts Virginia up 54-43. Young called a TO with 3:38 left.
Jordan Minor has a season-high 16 points (5-of-8 FG, 6-of-8 FT), and he has held Tech’s Lynn Kidd, who was averaging 14.7 points a game coming in, to two points (1-of-3 FG).
Final: Virginia 65, Virginia Tech 57
Tech got it down to five with 1:01 to go, but that was as close as it would get.
The student section serenade of the Hokies leaving the floor was the heartiest “F–k Tech!” I’ve probably ever heard.
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Chris Graham
