Virginia vs. Virginia Tech: Score and Twitter Reaction for Cavaliers' Narrow Win
For a while, everything that could go wrong for Virginia did. Open shots clanged off the rim, well-designed set plays went nowhere and Virginia Tech's formerly stagnant offense was suddenly red hot.
Then the universe righted itself just in time for the Cavaliers to make a thrilling comeback.
Justin Anderson scored 12 points and Virginia held the Hokies to four points in the final 10 minutes, coming back from a double-digit deficit to earn a 50-47 victory at Cassell Coliseum on Sunday.
Virginia Tech, which came into Sunday without an ACC victory, had multiple opportunities down the stretch to send the game into overtime. Malik Muller missed a three-pointer with 17 seconds remaining and Adam Smith's heave as time expired went in and out after Darion Atkins gave the Hokies a second chance by missing the front end of a 1-and-1.
The win moves Virginia to 19-0 on the season, one of two remaining unbeatens with Kentucky. Tony Bennett's team is four wins away from matching the school record for the longest winning streak to start the season, when the Ralph Sampson-led Cavaliers started the 1980-81 campaign 23-0.
While they will be happy to escape with a win, their all-around struggles will be something to keep an eye on as their intraconference schedule gets harder.
Owners of a three-point lead at halftime, Virginia's offense died for the first 10 minutes of the second half. Malcolm Brogdon made a three-pointer on the Cavaliers' first possession, which was followed by nine minutes of scoreless basketball. Virginia missed seven straight shots, committed six turnovers and watched its lead suddenly turn into a 10-point deficit.
As the Cavaliers were playing their worst stretch of basketball all season, Malik Muller and Adam Smith were playing some of their best to extend the Hokies lead. Muller scored five points and added an assist while Smith had seven points on what became a 16-0 run. After a Devin Wilson layup gave Virginia Tech a 43-33 lead, Tony Bennett had seen enough to call his second timeout in the span of two minutes.
Bennett's words wound up having the magic touch to keep Virginia's undefeated dream alive.
London Perrantes nailed a three-pointer on the first possession out of the timeout, sparking a comeback led by fierce defense and some well-timed jumpers. The Hokies, who had made well over 50 percent of their shots for the first 30 minutes, were held to a lone layup from 10:24 until there was barely over a minute remaining.
"We're not going to give in," Bennett told reporters coming into the game. "We're not going to give them an easy look. Everything's got to be contested...Don't yield, don't yield, and I think our guys embrace that most of the possessions."
Not yielding defensively has become the calling card of this unit. Virginia leads the nation in points per game against, which isn't only a product if its extreme, slowed-down pacing. The Cavaliers also rank second in defensive efficiency, ranking behind only defensive behemoth Kentucky in Ken Pomeroy's advanced metrics.
Those defensive chops reared their head at the perfect time and helped atone for a miserable shooting afternoon. Virginia, the nation's third-best adjusted offense in Pomeroy's ratings, shot 34.7 percent from the field. A top-20 team from beyond the arc, the Cavaliers were held to a 6-of-18 night shooting from distance. Atkins was the only starter who hit half of his shots.
Anderson's team-high 12 points came on 3-of-7 shooting. The junior guard also added six rebounds and three assists. Brogdon was held to eight points on 3-of-10 shooting. It was the first time since Jan. 7 that Brogdon did not shoot at least 50 percent from the field. All five Virginia starters scored at least six points, while the bench turned in only seven total.
Most of the Virginia Tech scoring came from its bench, an increasingly common occurrence with Justin Bibbs on the shelf. Smith scored a game-high 15 points and Muller added nine. Only 17 of the Hokies' 47 points came from their starting lineup.
"Virginia Tech’s gonna lose this game shooting over 40%…. College basketball is weird.
— Richard Johnson (@RagjUF) January 25, 2015"
Bibbs, their leading scorer, has missed the last three games while dealing with a concussion. The freshman's 13.6 points per game and shot-creating ability would have been huge for Buzz Williams' team, a young outfit looking for its first marquee victory.
Instead, Virginia escapes and heads straight into the teeth of its ACC schedule. The Cavaliers host No. 5 Duke next Saturday before making a trip to Chapel Hill on Feb. 2 and following it up with a capper against Louisville on Feb. 7.
Those three contests will determine whether Virginia has a legitimate shot at an undefeated season. Scheduling breaks force them to play Duke, North Carolina and Notre Dame only once. A regular-season finale in Louisville is the Cavaliers' only remaining contest against a ranked opponent once they get past the three-game gauntlet.
Given the vulnerability they showed Sunday, it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.
Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter
