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CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia men’s basketball team looks to bounce back from its first home loss of the season when the Cavaliers host Iowa State on Thursday (Dec. 30) at John Paul Jones Arena. UVa has not played since losing to Seattle 59-53 at home on Dec. 22.

Thursday’s game is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. and is the fifth of eight consecutive home games for Virginia. The game will be televised by Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic and broadcast by the Virginia Sports Radio Network.

Tickets are available for the game (click here for ticket information). Tickets can be purchased online at VirginiaSports.com/tickets and can also be purchased on game day at the JPJA box office starting at 6:30 p.m.

The Cavaliers enter Thursday’s game with an overall record of 8-4. The loss to Seattle broke a five-game Virginia winning streak.

Senior forward Mike Scott, UVa’s leading scorer and rebounder, returned to action against Seattle after missing two games with an ankle injury. Scott came off the bench to score 12 points and grab a team-high eight rebounds against the Redhawks. He is averaging 15.9 points and 10.2 rebounds a game.

Freshman guard KT Harrell led Virginia in scoring against Seattle with 16 points.

The Cavaliers shot just 30.2 percent (16-53) from the field against Seattle and only 10.0 percent (2-20) from three-point range. Virginia’s three-point field goal percentage was the lowest in a game for the Cavaliers since they went 0-13 from three-point range at Georgia Tech on Dec. 4, 2005.

Senior guard Mustapha Farrakhan (11.3 ppg.) and freshman guard Joe Harris (10.0 ppg.) are also averaging in double figures in scoring for UVa. Harrell is averaging 9.8 points a game.

Sophomore guard Jontel Evans leads UVa in assists with 41 and he is averaging 3.4 assists a game.

The series between Iowa State and Virginia is tied 1-1 with each team winning at home. UVa won 85-74 at University Hall on Dec. 31, 2003, and Iowa State won 81-79 at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, on Dec. 6, 2004.

The Cyclones enter Thursday’s game with an overall record of 11-2 and they have won their last five games. Iowa State is coming off a 104-63 victory over Chicago State at home on Dec. 21.

The 11-2 start is the best start for the Cyclones since they began the 2000-01 season with a 13-2 record.

Iowa State is averaging 9.2 three-point field goals a game and has made at least 10 three-point field goals in seven games this season.

The Cyclones have four players averaging in double figures in scoring led by senior guard Diante Garrett who is averaging 17.2 points a game. Garrett also leads the team in assists with an average of 6.0 a game.

Other players averaging in double figures for Iowa State include junior guard Scott Christopherson (15.2 ppg.), freshman forward Melvin Ejim (13.1 ppg.) and senior guard Darion “Jake” Anderson (11.8 ppg.). Anderson leads the team in rebounds with an average of 8.5 rebounds a game and Ejim is averaging 6.8 rebounds a game. Senior forward Jamie Vanderbeken is averaging 9.8 points and 5.2 rebounds a game.

Fred Hoiberg is in his first season as head coach of the Cyclones. Hoiberg is a native of Ames, Iowa, and played for Iowa State. He is the third leading scorer (1,993 points) in Iowa State men’s basketball history and averaged 15.8 points a game for the Cyclones. His No. 32 jersey was retired by Iowa State in 1997.

Hoiberg played 10 years in the NBA. He was the Vice President of Basketball Operations for the NBA’s Minnesota Timberwolves before becoming head coach at Iowa State.

After Thursday’s game with Iowa State, the Cavaliers continue their home stand with a game against LSU on Sunday (Jan. 2). Sunday’s game is scheduled to begin at 5:30 p.m. and will be televised by Fox Sports Net.

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