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Virginia Men's Basketball To Open ACC Play Sunday
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Dec. 31, 2004
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –
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The Game
Virginia enters tonight’s game with an 8-1 record and is ranked 25th in both The Associated Press and ESPN/USAToday Top 25 polls released December 27. The Cavaliers are coming off a 79-77 overtime victory over Loyola Marymount (Dec. 23) at University Hall.Wake Forest stands at 11-1 in 2004-05 and is ranked fifth in the AP poll and fourth in the ESPN/USAToday poll. The Demon Deacons have won six consecutive games and are coming off a 98-76 win over North Carolina A&T (Dec. 30) in Winston-Salem.
The Series vs. Wake Forest
Virginia led the all-time series with Wake Forest entering the 1990s, but the Demon Deacons have had the better of the Cavaliers recently and now lead the series 61-57. The two teams split the 2003-04 series. The Deacs registered a 91-78 win (Jan. 31) in the first meeting in Winston-Salem, while Virginia won 84-82 (Mar. 2) in Charlottesville. Wake Forest has won 15 of the last 23 meetings and 20 of the 34 matchups since the 1989-90 season. Virginia, however, has won seven of the last 14 games. The home team has won the past eight matchups in the series.
In the 2002-03 season, UVa posted an 85-75 win (Jan. 23) in the first meeting of the season in Charlottesville. Wake Forest won the second matchup 75-71 (Feb. 23) in Winston-Salem.
The Cavaliers split the 2001-2002 season series with Wake Forest with both teams winning on their home floor. UVa won the first meeting 86-74 (Jan. 15) in Charlottesville, while the Demon Deacons took a 92-70 decision (Feb. 17) in Winston-Salem. The two teams also split the 2000-2001 season series with both teams winning at home. Wake won the first meeting in the 2000-2001 season 96-73 (Jan. 2) in Winston-Salem in a matchup of two top 10 teams (UVa was ranked eighth in the AP poll and Wake was fourth). Virginia won the second meeting 82-71 (Feb. 3) in Charlottesville.
The Cavaliers have won 20 of the last 26 games played at University Hall, including the last four. Wake Forest has won five of the last 11 games in Charlottesville dating back to the 1992-93 season. The Demon Deacons’ last win in Charlottesville was an 80-75 win (Mar. 2) in the 1999-00 season. Virginia leads 34-18 in games played in Charlottesville.
Virginia vs. Top 10 Wake Forest Teams
UVa has played top 10 ranked Demon Deacon teams 13 times through the years and is 3-10 all-time. The Cavaliers are also 0-5 vs. top five Wake teams. The sixth-ranked Deacs that Virginia beat 83-73 on Jan. 28, 1981 is the highest ranked Wake team UVa has defeated.
Virginia in ACC Openers
Virginia is 19-32 all-time in Atlantic Coast Conference season openers. UVa is 13-15 in home ACC openers and 6-17 on the road. The Cavaliers have lost their last nine ACC openers, including the last three to N.C. State. Virginia’s last win in an ACC opener was an 81-75 victory at Florida State in the 1994-95 season.
Tonight’s game is the ninth time in 52 years that UVa has opened the ACC season against Wake Forest. The last time Virginia met the Demon Deacons to open the ACC season was in the 2000-01 season with Wake coming up with 96-73 victory on January 2 in Winston-Salem. The last time UVa defeated Wake in an ACC opener was in the 1978-79 season with the Cavaliers winning at Wake Forest 88-75. Virginia is 2-2 in ACC openers at Wake Forest and 3-1 in home openers against the Demon Deacons.
Virginia is 5-3 vs. Wake Forest, 3-2 vs. Florida State, 1-0 vs. Georgia Tech and South Carolina, 8-13 vs. Duke, 1-7 vs. Maryland, 0-2 vs. North Carolina, 0-4 vs. N.C. State, and 0-1 vs. Clemson all-time in ACC openers.
Ranked ACC Season-Opening Opponents
Tonight’s game against Wake Forest marks the 18th time in 52 years the Cavaliers have opened ACC play against a ranked team. UVa is 3-14 all-time in ACC openers vs. ranked teams. Virginia is 3-7 at home and 0-7 on the road in conference openers against ranked teams. UVa is 2-10 vs. top 10 ACC teams in openers.
UVa is 0-3 against ranked Wake Forest teams in ACC openers, including a 96-73 setback to the then fourth-ranked Deacs in the 2000-01 opener.
The Cavaliers’ last win over a ranked ACC team in the opener was an 80-76 home win over #23 Florida State in the 1992-93 season.
Overtime Good for Virginia
With a 79-77 overtime win over Loyola Marymount (Dec. 23), the Cavaliers’ have won their last four overtime games.
Last season, UVa defeated Clemson 83-79 (Mar. 11) in the ACC Tournament and Florida State 76-67 (Jan. 18) at home in extra time. In the 2002-03 season, UVa defeated then 13th-ranked Maryland 80-78 in overtime in Charlottesville on March 9, 2003.
The last time the Cavaliers lost in overtime was back in the 1999-2000 season when they lost to Georgetown 115-111 in triple overtime in the first round of the National Invitation Tournament in Charlottesville on March 15, 2000.