UVa Plays at NC State on Saturday

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CHARLOTTESVILLE-The Virginia men’s basketball team plays its second Atlantic Coast Conference game in three days on Saturday (Jan. 28) when the Cavaliers play NC State in Raleigh, N.C., The game is scheduled to begin at 8:00 p.m.

Virginia enters the game with an overall record of 16-3 and a 3-2 record in the ACC. The Cavaliers are coming off a 66-49 victory over Boston College on Thursday (Jan. 26) at John Paul Jones Arena.

In this week’s national rankings, UVa is ranked 19th in The Associated Press poll and 21st in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll.

NC State enters Saturday’s game with an overall record of 15-6 and a 4-2 record in the ACC. The Wolfpack lost at North Carolina 74-55 on Thursday.

Saturday’s game will be broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network. It will also be televised by ESPN2 and carried on ESPN3.

UVa shot 50.9 percent (27-53) from the field in its victory over Boston College. It marked the seventh time this season the Cavaliers shot 50 percent or better from the field in a game.

It also marked the third consecutive game and the ninth time this season Virginia has held its opponent under 50 points. The nine opponents held under 50 points are the most in a season for the Cavaliers since the 1981-82 season when UVa held nine opponents under 50 points.

Senior forward Mike Scott led the Cavaliers to the victory over Boston College with a game-high 18 points. Junior guard Jontel Evans scored 10 points and had a game-high six assists and sophomore forward Akil Mitchell scored a career-high 10 points and had five rebounds. Freshman guard Malcolm Brogdon had a career-high seven rebounds to lead the Cavaliers in that department.

Scott continues to lead Virginia in scoring and rebounding. He is averaging 16.6 points and 8.4 rebounds a game, while shooting 58.1 percent (115-198) from the field and 81.2 percent (82-101) from the free-throw line. Scott ranks first among ACC players in field goal percentage, fourth in scoring, sixth in rebounding and seventh in free throw percentage through games of Jan. 26.

Sophomore guard Joe Harris is also averaging in double figures in scoring for UVa with an average of 12.3 points a game and senior guard Sammy Zeglinski is averaging 8.9 points a game.

Evans leads Virginia in assists (69) and steals (35). He ranks fourth among ACC players in steals (1.8 spg.) and fifth in assists (3.6 apg.).

As a team, Virginia ranks first in the ACC in scoring defense (50.1), rebounding defense (27.3), turnover margin (+2.3) and defensive rebounding percentage (77.5 percent).

Nationally the Cavaliers rank first in defensive rebounding percentage and fewest assists allowed per game (7.1), second in scoring defense and points allowed per possession (0.83), third in opponents’ assist-to-turnover ratio (0.53) and 20th in field goal percentage defense (38.7 percent). Virginia has allowed points on just 42.0 percent of their opponents’ possessions this season and ranks second nationally in that department.

NC State leads the series with Virginia 80-57 and leads 41-19 in games played in Raleigh, including 7-3 on its current home court at the RBC Center. Virginia has won six of the last eight meetings, including the last three. The Cavaliers won the only game between the two teams last season, 69-58 in Charlottesville. The last meeting in Raleigh was a 70-62 UVa win during the 2009-10 season in Virginia head coach Tony Bennett’s first ACC game with the Cavaliers.

NC State has five players averaging in double figures in scoring led by junior forward Scott Wood. Wood is averaging 13.2 points a game and has made all 48 of his free throw attempts this season. He is also shooting 44.4 percent (56-126) from three-point range.

Sophomore forward C.J. Leslie is averaging 12.6 points and 6.3 rebounds a game, while sophomore guard Lorenzo Brown is averaging 12.2 points a game and leads the team in assists with 144. Senior guard C.J. Williams is averaging 11.8 points a game and junior forward Richard Howell is averaging 11.7 points and a team-leading 9.0 rebounds a game.

As a team NC State is averaging 75.9 points a game.

Mark Gottfried is in his first season as the head coach at NC State. Gottfried has previously been the head coach at Alabama (10 seasons) and Murray State (three seasons).

After the game at NC State, the Cavaliers return home to host Clemson at JPJA on Tuesday (Jan. 31) at 7:00 p.m. That game will be televised by ESPN2.