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Charlotte, NC – The Virginia men’s basketball team was eliminated by Georgia Tech 94-76 in the first round of the 2008 Atlantic Coast Conference championship tournament at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena. The loss dropped UVa to 15-15 while the Yellow Jackets improved to 15-16 and will meet second-seed Duke Friday evening in the quarterfinal round of the event.
The Cavaliers were led by senior guard Sean Singletary’s game-high 20 points and 10 assists. The three-time All-ACC selection tied his career high in assists and also had five rebounds and three steals. He had eight assists during the first half on UVa’s 13 field goals.
Virginia also received strong play off the bench from Mamadi Diane. He went 5-for-5 from the field in the first half, including four three-pointers to contribute 14 points in 15 minutes of action. Diane finished with 18 points. Mike Scott was the only other Cavalier in double-figures with 10 points.
Georgia Tech was led by forwards Anthony Morrow and Jeremis Smith who both had 18 points. Maurice Miller and Zack Peacock each had 14 points and Alade Aminu was the fifth Yellow Jacket in double figures with 11 points.
After leading 44-42 at the half, Georgia Tech finally created some separation in the game midway through the second half. After Singletary tied it for the last time when his jumper in the lane made it 59-59 with 11:43 left, the Cavaliers were held to one field goal during the 6 1/2-minute span that followed.
Aminu started the decisive run 20 seconds later, sticking back the miss of Miller’s three pointer to make it 61-59. The Yellow Jackets came up with points on eight of their next nine trips downcourt, and Aminu capped that spurt with a fast-break dunk to make it 76-64 with 7:21 to play.
Lars Mikalauskas ended the Cavaliers’ drought with a layup with 5:12 remaining that made it a 76-67, but Virginia didn’t get any closer than that in losing for the third time in five games.
The Yellow Jackets’ decisive run broke open a tight game that featured 14 lead changes in the opening 20 minutes. At one point, the lead changed hands on nine consecutive baskets, and neither led by more than five points.
Virginia suffered through a poor shooting night, converting just 39 percent of its field goals while the Yellow Jackets hit at 56.9 percent. Georgia Tech was 13 for 24 from the three-point area and made 15 of 18 free throws while outrebounding Virginia 36-33. The Cavaliers were 9-for-23 from behind the three-point stripe, but just 1-for-6 in the second half. The Yellow Jackets got 30 points off of fast break opportunities in a game.
Georgia Tech’s point total was the second most by an ACC opponent against the Cavaliers this season. It was the second time this year the Yellow Jackets managed 92 points against Virginia. Georgia Tech downed UVa 92-82 in overtime on Jan. 27 at John Paul Jones Arena. The Cavaliers defeated Georgia Tech 76-74 in Atlanta on March 3 in a game that was delayed a week due to a leaking room at Alexander Coliseum.
The Cavaliers will now await a possible invitation to either the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) or the inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational (CBI). Sunday evening, following the announcement of the field for the 2008 NCAA Basketball Championship, the NIT and CBI will announce their respective team selections. The NIT field includes 32 teams while the CBI will invite 16 squads to participate in its first-ever championship. Look for updated information on VirginiaSports.com regarding Virginia’s postseason play at this link.
Note: The Associated Press contributed to this story