UVa Men's Basketball Travels To Virginia Tech For Sunday Afternoon Contest

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Jan. 13, 2006

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –

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The Game
Virginia enters today’s Atlantic Coast Conference game with a 7-6 overall record and a 1-2 mark in the ACC. The Cavaliers are coming off an 87-82 overtime loss to Florida State (Jan. 11) at University Hall.

Virginia Tech stands at 10-6 overall and 0-3 in the ACC. The Hokies fell to North Carolina 64-61 (Jan. 10) in Blacksburg in their last outing.

The Series vs. Virginia Tech
Virginia leads the series with Virginia Tech 74-46. The two teams split a pair of meetings last season with both schools winning on their home court. The Hokies won the first game last season 79-73 (Jan. 27) in Blacksburg in the first conference meeting between the two teams since 1936-37 (both teams were members of the Southern Conference). UVa earned a split in the season series with a 65-60 victory (Feb. 12) in Charlottesville. It also marked the first time since 1983-84 the two teams met twice in the same season. UVa won the first game of the 1983-84 season 74-64 (Jan. 4) in Roanoke, while the Hokies claimed a 56-54 win (Feb. 15) in Richmond.

In 2003-04, UVa recorded an 80-65 win (Nov. 28) in Charlottesville. Virginia Tech snapped the Cavaliers’ six-game winning streak in the series with a 73-55 victory (Jan. 21) in Blacksburg in the 2002-03 season.

On Dec. 1, 2001, UVa defeated the Hokies 69-61 in Charlottesville for its sixth consecutive victory in the series. In the 2000-01 season, the Cavaliers defeated Virginia Tech 64-48 (Nov. 24) in Blacksburg. Tech’s 48 points are the fewest scored in the series by either team since the second meeting of the 1947-48 season when UVa was held to 43 points (Tech won 57-43 in Blacksburg). It was also the fewest points the Hokies scored in a game in the series since scoring 29 points versus UVa in the 1945-46 season (UVa won 57-29 in Charlottesville). Virginia has won 14 of the last 18 meetings and 25 of the last 32.

This is only the seventh time since the 1975-76 season the game will not be played on a neutral floor. Over the past 30 years (36 games), the series has been held at the Richmond Coliseum (14 times), Roanoke Civic Center (13 times), Cassell Coliseum (four times, including today), The Norfolk Scope (once), the Hampton Coliseum (once), and University Hall (three times).

The Cavaliers are 14-24 all-time in games played in Blacksburg and have lost the last two meetings at Tech. UVa’s 64-48 victory (Nov. 24) in the 2000-01 season snapped Virginia’s 13-game losing streak in Blacksburg. UVa’s last win in Blacksburg prior to the 64-48 victory was a 95-73 triumph in the 1953-54 season.

This is the 72nd consecutive season the Cavaliers and Hokies have met (every season since 1934-35). They have played 100 games in that span. Virginia’s next oldest opponent in terms of consecutive seasons played is Maryland (59 straight seasons).

The Cavaliers’ 74 wins against Virginia Tech make the Hokies Virginia’s second-most defeated opponent in school history. UVa has defeated VMI a record 100 times.

This is the 121st meeting in the series, the fifth-most played series in school history. North Carolina is Virginia’s most frequent opponent with the two teams having met 165 times.

Commonwealth Challenge
Today’s game marks another installment of the inaugural Commonwealth Challenge, presented by Adelphia, with the winner earning one point in the series. The Commonwealth Challenge is a friendly comprehensive rivalry series between the two school’s athletics programs on an annual basis that continues the growing relationship between the two in-state members of the ACC. With Adelphia’s support, it is designed to increase the exposure and interest level in the various sports, while promoting good sportsmanship among student-athletes, coaches and fans of the schools. A point system determines the annual winner of the competition.

The Cavaliers currently lead the series 6-3. UVa earned a point in volleyball, women’s soccer, men’s cross country, women’s cross country, men’s swimming and diving, and women’s swimming and diving. The Hokies earned a point in men’s soccer and two points in football.

Virginia vs. In-State Teams
This is the Cavaliers’ third of five regular season games against an in-state opponent. UVa began the 2005-06 season with a 79-44 win over Liberty (Nov. 18) and posted a 59-43 win at Richmond (Nov. 22) in the second game of the season. In the last 29 seasons (since 1977-78), UVa is 114-16 (.877) against in-state opponents. Virginia has won its last 12 in-state home games and is 3-2 in its last five away games against in-state competition.

Virginia was 2-1 vs. in-state opponents last season. UVa defeated Richmond 85-58 (Nov. 28) at University Hall. The Cavaliers also split a pair of games against Virginia Tech. The Hokies won 79-73 (Jan. 27) in Blacksburg, but Virginia earned a 65-60 win (Feb. 12) in Charlottesville.

UVa won all four games against in-state opponents in the 2003-04 season. The Cavaliers defeated Virginia Tech 80-65 (Nov. 28), VMI 78-56 (Dec. 5), James Madison 90-80 (Dec. 16), and William & Mary 84-71 (Jan. 5) in 2003-04.

Virginia had its 15-game in-state winning streak snapped with a 73-55 loss at Virginia Tech (Jan. 21) in the 2002-03 season. Virginia also posted a 77-58 victory over Liberty (Dec. 30) in 2002-03. Prior to losing to the Hokies during the 2002-03 season, UVa’s most recent in-state loss was a 69-64 setback to Liberty (Jan. 7) in U-Hall in the 1997-98 season.

In 2001-02, Virginia registered home victories against Virginia Tech (69-61 – Dec. 1) and VMI (93-59 – Jan. 24).

In the 2000-01 season, the Cavaliers won both of their contests against in-state opponents. UVa defeated Virginia Tech 64-48 (Nov. 24) in Blacksburg and VMI 89-70 (Dec. 4) in Lexington.

In 1999-00, Virginia was 4-0 against in-state opponents with the four victories coming against VMI 98-57 (Nov. 21) at University Hall, Hampton 102-56 (Dec. 10) at the Hampton Convocation Center, Richmond 69-65 (Dec. 21) at the Robins Center, and Virginia Tech 71-66 in overtime (Jan. 24) at the Richmond Coliseum.

In 1998-99, the Cavaliers’ were 5-0 against in-state opponents defeating Hampton, Liberty, Virginia Commonwealth, VMI and Virginia Tech. In the 1997-98 season, the Cavaliers were 5-2 against in-state foes. The two losses were the most against state teams since the 1987-88 season when UVa was 1-3 vs. state teams.

Dave Leitao has been the head coach in three games against a team from the Commonwealth and is 3-0. In addition to the first two games of this season vs. Liberty and Richmond, Leitao coached DePaul to a 73-60 victory over Old Dominion on Jan. 2, 2005.