Cavaliers Sweep Virginia Tech

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Feb. 12, 2013

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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Joe Harris scored a career-high 26 points and Virginia held national scoring leader Erick Green without a field goal into the second half and swept the season series with Virginia Tech, 73-55, Tuesday night.

Harris matched his career high with five 3-pointers, all in the first half, and Akil Mitchell added 17 points for the Cavaliers (18-6, 8-3 Atlantic Coast Conference), who won their third game in a row.

Green, who came in averaging 25.3 points, missed his first nine field goal tries and had just one point at halftime as the Hokies (11-13, 2-9) lost their seventh in a row. He made his first field goal, a 3-pointer, with 16:26 to play and finished with 22 points, but on just 4-for-17 shooting.

He scored 35 points in the teams’ first meeting, a 74-58 Virginia victory on Jan. 24.

Virginia trailed 18-17 until Teven Jones made a 3-pointer with 10:31 to go in the first half, sparking a half-ending 19-5 run. Harris hit his last two 3-pointers in the run, and Virginia led 36-23.

Green followed his first 3-pointer by scoring 11 straight points for the Hokies, pulling them within 47-36, but Virginia answered with a 10-3 run and the Hokies never challenged again.

Will Johnston made the Hokies’ first basket, a 3-pointer, but with Harris hitting three consecutive 3-pointers in the opening minutes, Virginia Tech was behind early. Freshman Marshall Wood gave the Hokies a big early lift with eight first half points, but didn’t score again and still finished as the Hokies’ second-leading scorer as coach James Johnson continued looking for scoring help for Green.

The Hokies finished shooting 34.6 percent (18 of 52) overall, and 8 of 25 (32 percent) on 3s.