UVA Uses Three-Point Barrage to Sweep Tech 61-54

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Virginia hit 11 three-pointers, including 6-of-10 in the first half, to build an insurmountable 15-point lead as the Cavs finished off a sweep of the Hokies with a 61-54 win in Charlottesville Saturday afternoon. The inexplicable loss sends Virginia Tech back to the bubble, something Hokie fans have become accustomed to in recent years. In a slight bit of good news, Tech stayed a game ahead of Boston College for fourth place in the ACC as the Eagles fell to North Carolina.

Tech was sloppy with the ball from the get go, turning the ball over eight times in the first 15 minutes. UVA wasn't much better, turning it over six times in the same span. Neither team was great from the field either, which led to some rather ugly basketball. That was until the 'Hoos hit four three-pointers to create separate runs of 8-0 and 7-1 to end the half up 28-23. Most of the three's were incredible shots that found a way in late in the shot clock. In fact, UVA was 6-of-10 from deep in the first half, but just 5-of-14 from inside the arc.

The hot shooting from deep didn't stop for the Cavs in the second half, as they hit four in the first eight minutes in a 16-6 run to open up their largest lead of the game at 15. From the 2:30 minute mark of the first half to the 11:22 mark of the second, the 'Hoos outscored Tech 23-7 behind five three-pointers. The last three was the most improbable, as Sammy Zeglinski hit a fadeaway from the corner as the shot clock expired to put UVA up 44-29.

After a timeout, the Hokies seemed to finally wake up by switching to a 3/4-court press forcing Virginia to speed the game up. The plan worked as Tech went on a 13-1 run punctuated by back-to-back Malcolm Delaney three's to cut the lead to 45-42 lead with 7:46 remaining.

However, Tech couldn't get any closer as UVA immediately responded with a three from Mustapha Farrakhan and then ran its slow down offense to perfection, melting the minutes off the clock and keeping the lead between four and eight. Delaney hit two three's in the game's final minute to get the Hokies within four, but then fired an air ball with 14 seconds remaining that led to chants of "N-I-T" from the student section at JPJ.

Delaney hit six three's altogether on 15 attempts and finished with 22 points. He shot 8-of-22 from the field and only got to the free throw line once, when he missed the front end of a one-and-one late in the second half.

Jeff Allen was a non-factor despite registering his seventh straight double-double. Allen had 11 points and 15 rebounds, but got the last two points on a putback with four seconds left. Erick Green added 12 for Tech.

The Hokies only shot 40.4% from the field, and got zero bench points, as Manny Atkins played just five minutes and Ty Garland came in at the end for fouling purposes. Coach Greenberg said the lack of bench play was his decision, but didn't go into details as to why.

The Hokies were unable to get the game to the tempo they wanted, as they scored just six fast break points all game. This coming on the heels of two games were Tech averaged 15 fast break points per game. Tech scored 54 points in both of the matchups this season. In the other 10 games of conference play, the Hokies are averaging 75.5 ppg. What gives?

UVA finished 11-of-23 from beyond the arc and 10-of-23 from inside the arc, marking the ninth time this season they were better from three than they were from two. For a team that can't shoot, the 'Hoos have somehow figured out a way to hit the long ball. Farrakhan overcame an apparent arm injury to lead UVA with 16. Joe Harris had four trey's and finished with 15, while Zeglinski had 10 points.

Now squarely back on the bubble at 17-8, 7-5 ACC, the Hokies probably have to win out to convince the selection committee they are a NCAA-caliber team. A loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday will likely force Tech to win the ACC Tournament to make the NCAA. Tip-off from Winston-Salem is set for 7 p.m.