A huge second-half run helped the No. 20 Virginia men’s basketball team avoid a disappointing road loss against Georgia Tech. Down 44-42 with just less than 10 minutes to play, the Cavaliers outscored the Yellow Jackets 22-1 down the stretch to take a 64-45 win.
Neither team was able to gain much ground in the first half, trading leads back and forth. Redshirt sophomore guard Malcolm Brogdon scored 8 points, but was just 2-for-8 from the field. The Cavaliers (19-5, 10-1 ACC) collectively shot 11-for-30 from the floor in the opening half, but were 4-for-7 from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Chris Bolden led Georgia Tech (12-12, 3-8 ACC) with 11 points at halftime, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a 30-29 lead.
Both teams continued to battle after the break. The largest lead was by four points with 14:28 left to play. The Yellow Jackets took a 41-37 advantage, but Virginia would tie the game a minute and a half later. Georgia Tech would go up 44-42 with 9:52 left on the clock, and it appeared Virginia’s six-game winning streak was in jeopardy.
From that point onward, though, the Cavaliers played like a different team. Virginia finished the game on a 22-1 scoring streak, making 11 free throws along the way. Virginia shot a season-best 89.5 percent from the line in the game, alleviating some concerns about the team’s recent swoon at the charity stripe. Brogdon finished with 14 points and 11 rebounds — his second straight double-double — while senior guard Joe Harris and redshirt sophomore forward Anthony Gill each contributed 11 points.
Bolden led the Yellow Jackets in scoring, finishing the game with 13 points. Senior guard and leading scorer Trae Golden played 18 minutes in his return from injury, but was held scoreless.
With the win, Virginia moves to 10-1 in the ACC, guaranteeing the team a winning conference record for the third consecutive year. The Cavaliers return to action Monday to take on Maryland at John Paul Jones Arena. The start time of the game — originally scheduled for 7 p.m. — has been moved to 9 p.m. due to President Barack Obama’s visit to Charlottesville.
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