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Reality check: Listless Virginia falls at Georgia Tech, 68-64

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virginia georgia techAn 11-0 Georgia Tech run broke open a tie game late and lifted the Yellow Jackets to a 68-64 upset of #4 Virginia on Saturday.

The loss was the second in a row to a second-division ACC team for the Cavs (12-3, 1-2 ACC).

Georgia Tech (11-5, 1-2 ACC) led by as many as 15 in the first half, and it was 35-24 at the half.

Virginia didn’t so much as make a run as take advantage of a long period of offensive ineffectiveness for Tech, which scored two points in a nearly six-minute stretch to allow the Cavs to go on an 11-2 run that tied it at 49 with 6:08 to go.

Georgia Tech coach Brian Gregory called a timeout, and a pair of free throws by Nick Jacobs broke the tie with 5:38 to go.

A pair of threes by Quinton Stephens, the second with 3:14 to go, pushed the lead to eight, and a long three by Adam Smith made it 60-49 with 2:18 left.

Virginia missed seven straight from the field in that stretch before rallying late to twice cut the deficit to six in the final minute before Georgia Tech put the game away at the foul line.

 

Virginia Team Notes

  • UVA’s three-game winning streak against Georgia Tech ended with the loss
  • UVA has dropped back-to-back games for the first time since losing to Wisconsin and Green Bay in December of 2013
  • Virginia is 38-39 all-time vs. Georgia Tech, including a 12-24 road record
  • Virginia trailed 33-18 in the first half, marking its largest first-half deficit of the season
  • UVA trailed at the half (35-24) for the fourth time in its last five games
  • UVA is 3-3 (0-2 ACC) when trailing at the half in 2015-16

 

Virginia Player Notes

  • Malcolm Brogdon (19 points) reached double figures for the 14th straight game
  • Anthony Gill (11 points) has reached double figures in all 15 games
  • Marial Shayok (6 points) and Mike Tobey (7 points, 7 rebounds) made their first starts since Dec. 5 vs. William & Mary
  • Evan Nolte played a season-high 16 minutes
  • Brogdon scored Virginia’s first seven points of the game before a Jarred Reuter layup at 12:22 of the first half
  • Shayok’s 3-pointer tied the game at 49-49 at 6:09 of the second half, but Georgia Tech answered with an 11-0 run as UVA went scoreless for 4:27

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