Virginia Wins at Georgia Tech 62-56

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ATLANTA, Ga.-Senior guard Mustapha Farrakhan scored a game-high 17 points and freshman guard Joe Harris had 11 points and seven rebounds to lead Virginia to a 62-56 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over Georgia Tech Wednesday night (Feb. 23) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Junior center Assane Sene added nine points and seven rebounds for the Cavaliers, and sophomore guard Jontel Evans scored nine points and had seven assists. The seven assists are a career high for Evans in an ACC game and it’s the 12th time this season he has had at least five assists in a game.

Junior guard Iman Shumpert scored 12 points to lead Georgia Tech, and senior guard Maurice Miller and freshman guard Jason Morris each had 10 points for the Yellow Jackets.

The win is the second in a row for Virginia. The Cavaliers are now 14-13 overall and 5-8 in the ACC.

The loss drops Georgia Tech’s overall record to 11-16 and the Yellow Jackets are now 3-10 in the ACC.

The victory was the second for Virginia over Georgia Tech this season. The Cavaliers also defeated the Yellow Jackets 72-64 in Charlottesville on Jan. 22.

Virginia has won the last four games with Georgia Tech and five of the last six. The Cavaliers have won the last three games between the two teams at Alexander Memorial Coliseum.

Virginia took control of the game with a 12-0 run late in the second half. Georgia Tech led 46-43 with 7:11 left in the game before the Cavaliers scored 12 consecutive points. Farrakhan and red-shirt junior guard Sammy Zeglinski each had five points in the run and Sene added two as UVa took a 55-46 lead with 2:23 remaining to play.

Georgia Tech closed to within three points twice, the last time at 59-56 with 17 seconds to play, but got no closer as Farrakhan made three of four free throws in the closing seconds for the Cavaliers.

The Yellow Jackets led by as many as nine points in the first half, but the Cavaliers outscored Georgia Tech 12-5 in the last six minutes of the half to close to within two points at 28-26 at halftime.

Virginia shot 41.7 percent (20-48) from the field for the game, including 42.1 percent (8-19) from three-point range, and 73.7 percent (14-19) from the free throw line. It is the tenth time this season the Cavaliers have shot a higher percentage from three-point range than from two-point range. UVa tied a season low with just seven turnovers in the game.

Georgia Tech shot 37.5 percent (21-56) from the field for the game, including 32.0 percent (8-25) from three-point range, and 46.2 percent (6-13) from the free throw line. The Yellow Jackets out-rebounded Virginia 40-27.

Virginia returns to action on Saturday (Feb. 26) when the Cavaliers host Boston College at John Paul Jones Arena. That game is scheduled to begin at noon and will be televised by the Regional Sports Networks of the ACC.