Virginia Defeats Virginia Tech 65-57 in Commonwealth Clash

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia (12-5, 3-3 ACC) sealed its tenth home win of the season with a 65-57 victory over Virginia Tech (10-7, 2-4 ACC) in the Smithfield Commonwealth Clash at John Paul Jones Arena on Wednesday (Jan. 17).

Reece Beekman finished with 16 points off 6-of-13 shooting and added four rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jordan Minor contributed a season-high 16 points off 5-of-8 shooting. Isaac McKneely and Blake Buchanan both tallied eight points. Virginia shot 46% from the field and held the Hokies to 39% shooting.

With the win, the Cavaliers extended their lead in the Commonwealth Clash standings, 5.5–1.0, presented by Smithfield.

HOW IT HAPPENED
The Cavaliers set the tone early, forcing what would be the first of ten first-half turnovers on the opening Virginia Tech possession. The two sides then traded blows until Virginia orchestrated a 13-2 run, featuring four buckets from 3-point range. From that point forward, the Hokies never regained the lead. Virginia Tech hit a last-second shot from beyond the arc to send the contest into intermission with a 25-18 Cavalier advantage. Beekman led all scorers in the first 20 minutes with 10 points off 4-of-9 shooting.

Virginia sparked a 9-3 scoring run coming out of the break, punctuated by a ferocious dunk from Dunn, to take a 34-21 advantage. The Hokies attempted to cut the deficit, firing off seven 3-pointers in the second stanza. A Sean Pedulla 3-pointer put the Hokies within five with just 1:01 remaining, but Tech’s comeback efforts ultimately fell short after a series of made Virginia free throws put the game out of reach.

UP NEXT
UVA travels to Georgia Tech for an ACC contest on Saturday, Jan. 20. Tipoff at McCamish Pavilion in Atlanta is set for 6 p.m. on ACC Network.