Cavaliers Travel to Wake Forest For ACC Tilt

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Jan. 8, 2013

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Virginia men’s basketball team travels to Wake Forest for a mid-week ACC contest on Wednesday, Jan. 9. Tipoff at Joel Coliseum is slated for 9 p.m.

The game will be televised by Regional Sports Networks (Comcast SportsNet in Virginia) and broadcast on the Virginia Sports Radio Network.

The Cavaliers (11-3, 1-0 ACC), who opened ACC action with a 61-52 win over North Carolina on Jan. 6, are looking to go 2-0 in conference play for the first time since beginning the 2009-10 season 3-0.

Virginia is 0-9 in its last nine games against Wake Forest at Joel Coliseum and 1-6 in its last seven games against the Demon Deacons overall. The Cavaliers are 60-69 all-time against Wake Forest, including a 13-40 mark in Winston-Salem, in a series that dates back to the 1910-11 season. Virginia’s last win at Joel Coliseum was a 76-67 win on Jan. 30, 2000.

The Cavaliers rank in the top seven nationally in seven defensive categories, highlighted by their second-ranked scoring defense at 50.8 points per game. The Cavaliers have held 11 opponents under 60 points and opponents are shooting 35.4 percent from the field against Virginia.

Offensively, Virginia is averaging 64.5 points per game and has scored 60 or more points 10 times. The Cavaliers are shooting 46.2 percent from the field and 39.4 percent from 3-point range.

Junior Joe Harris (Chelan, Wash.) and Akil Mitchell(Charlotte, N.C.) continue to lead the Cavaliers. Harris tallied 19 points and Mitchell, playing on a sprained ankle, grabbed 11 rebounds in the win over North Carolina.

Harris has led the Cavaliers in scoring nine times and ranks seventh in the ACC in scoring at 15.3 points per game. Harris also ranks second in the ACC in three-point field goal accuracy (46.9%) and fifth in made three-point field goals per game (2.1).

Mitchell is averaging career highs in scoring (12.8 ppg) and rebounding (9.3 rpg) and has five double-doubles. Mitchell ranks fourth in the ACC in rebounding and has led the team in rebounding 10 times.

Virginia was sparked by the return of senior point guard Jontel Evans (Hampton, Va.) in the North Carolina game. Evans, who missed nine games with a foot injury, tallied eight points and six assists in his best outing of the season.

The Cavaliers continue to get solid contributions from their freshmen class. Virginia rookies Mike Tobey (Monroe, N.Y.), Evan Nolte (Milton, Ga.), Justin Anderson (Montross, Va.), Teven Jones (Kannapolis, N.C.) and Taylor Barnette (Lexington, Ky.) are averaging 23.2 points per game, which marks the most since Cavalier freshmen averaged 27.3 ppg in 2003-04.

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett sports a 64-44 record, including a 1-3 mark against Wake Forest. Bennett guided the Cavaliers to a 68-44 win over the Demon Deacons last season in Charlottesville.

The Demon Deacons’ (7-6, 0-1 ACC) three-game winning streak ended with a 80-62 loss to Duke in their ACC opener on Jan. 5. The Demon Deacons have defeated Radford, Mercer, William & Mary, High Point, Furman, UNC Greensboro and Xavier.

Wake Forest ranks seventh in the ACC in scoring offense at 69.8 points per game and 10th in scoring defense at 69.4 ppg. Travis McKie leads the team in scoring at 15.1 points per game, followed by C.J. Harris at 14.6 ppg and Codi Miller-McIntyre at 8.5 ppg. McKie is also averaging 8.2 rebounds per game, while Miller-McIntyre leads the team with 37 assists.

Head coach Jeff Bzdelik has a 28-48 overall and 5-28 ACC mark at Wake Forest. Bzdelik has served as head coach of the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Buffaloes and Air Force Falcons.

The Cavaliers continue ACC action at Clemson on Saturday, Jan. 12. Tipoff at Littlejohn Coliseum is set for 12 p.m.