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Cavaliers Open ACC Play with 57-54 Win at Virginia Tech
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BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) – Mike Scott scored 21 points and Assane Sene made two big baskets in the final minutes Sunday night, leading Virginia to a 57-54 victory at Virginia Tech.
The Cavaliers (5-3), coming off a victory at No. 15 Minnesota in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge, led throughout in beating Virginia Tech for the second time in the last seven meetings.
The Hokies (4-4) lost their third straight despite 26 points from Malcolm Delaney.
Sene scored only four points, but scored inside with 3:47 to go, giving Virginia a 51-46 lead, and then again with 1:18 to play, after the Hokies had closed to within 51-49.
Victor Davila’s basket made it 53-51 with 19.4 seconds left, but Jeff Allen was called for an intentional foul on a breakaway for Scott, and he made both free throws. Virginia also got the ball, and Mustapha Farrakhan’s two free throws with 16 seconds to play made it 57-51.
After Delaney’s 3-pointer with 11 seconds to go, Virginia freshman Joe Harris missed the front end of a one-and-one. Virginia rebounded, but Scott also missed a free throw, giving the Hokies one last chance, but Dorenzo Hudson’s 3-point try missed badly to end it.
Allen added 12 points for the Hokies and the Cavaliers held on.
Harris, one of five freshmen used in rotation by second-year coach Tony Bennett, added 10 points for the Cavaliers. Scott also grabbed 13 rebounds and had one blocked shot.
Delaney, who suffered through a 2-for-18 shooting performance and turned the ball over in the final seconds in a 58-55 loss to Purdue on Wednesday night, looked once again like the ACC’s top scorer. He had 14 by halftime, hit 10 of 15 shots and 4 of 7 from 3-point range.
Allen, however, was the only other Hokies’ player to score more than five.
The Hokies gradually chipped away at a 36-24 halftime deficit. A flying dunk by Terrell Bell cut it to single digits at 40-31, and Delaney’s 3-pointer sparked a 7-2 burst that made it 44-38 with 12:06 to play. Delaney and Allen both added tip-ins during the run.
Harris’ 3-pointer and reverse layup for Virginia came before and after a left-handed hook by Davila, keeping the Cavaliers ahead 49-40, but Allen scored inside, Delaney scored on a fast break and Davila fed Allen for a dunk – a 6-0 burst that made it 49-46 with 4:20 left.
It also was the closest the Hokies had been to the lead since the opening minutes.
Virginia started the game on a 10-2 run and led throughout the first half.
Scott scored eight points during a 17-7 first-half flurry that let Virginia expand a 19-13 lead to 36-20. The Hokies were 3 for 6 from the field in the run, but had five turnovers.
Two free throws and a layup by Delaney closed the margin to 36-24 at the break.