Cavaliers Outlast Wolfpack, 70-67
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Virginia (8-5, 1-1 ACC) overcame a 14-point deficit to pull off a 70-67 New Year’s Eve victory over NC State (8-5, 1-1 ACC) on Tuesday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena.
After a first half that saw the Wolfpack drain six 3-pointers en route to a 10-point halftime lead, the Cavaliers responded by matching a season-high 41-point second half that featured 57 percent shooting and seven triples. Virginia finished with a 26-for-48 (54.2 percent) shooting mark, while NC State finished 24-for-54 (44 percent).
Elijah Saunders led the way with a career-high 22 points off 7-for-9 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 shooting from the line, good for his fourth consecutive double figure scoring game. Isaac McKneely tallied 14 points (5-14 FG, 4 3FG), Andrew Rohde finished with 11 points (4-8 FG, 2 3FG) and Taine Murray logged career-highs in both field goals made (3) and assists (5).
The Wolfpack outrebounded the Cavaliers 34-22, including 13 offensive rebounds that set up 18 second-chance points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Torrid 3-point shooting propelled NC State to a 39-29 lead at halftime as the Wolfpack drained six from deep before Ishan Sharma made Virginia’s first triple of the contest 16 minutes into play. The Hoos’ 5-for-6 shooting from the field over the first five minutes allowed them to open up to a 10-9 advantage at the first media timeout. With an 8-0 run, Wolfpack burst kicked off a nine-stretch in which it outscored Virginia 20-10 en route to a 34-23 lead. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Sharma and Isaac McKneely brought the Hoos back within five with just under three minutes remaining, but a series of late fouls accompanied by perfect free-throw shooting from NC State pushed the deficit back to 10 heading into the break.
NC State expanded its lead to a game-high 14 points at the start of the second stanza before Elijah Saunders put the team on his back, tallying seven unanswered points over the next minute to cut the deficit to seven [43-36]. The Wolfpack attempted to slow Virginia’s offensive momentum with a 3-pointer, but the Hoos continued the onslaught, exploding on a 10-0 run punctuated by an Andrew Rohde triple to tie the score at 46 at the 13:04 mark. Two minutes later, Virginia gained its first lead of the game [51-50] off a McKneely three.
The following possession, a foul on Saunders gave State another trip to the line. However, the visitors went 1-2, missing their first free throw of the game after starting 7-for-7 and leaving the door open for the Cavaliers’ momentum to carry on. Virginia strung together another 8-0 run, featuring 3-pointers from Sharma and McKneely and a layup from Jacob Cofie, to grab an 8-point advantage with eight minutes remaining. The Cavaliers did not make a field goal for the last five minutes of the game, allowing NC State to bring it within three with a minute to go, but ultimately a successful 1-and-1 from Saunders helped Virginia secure the win.
UP NEXT
Virginia hosts Louisville in ACC action on Saturday, Jan. 4, 2025. Tipoff at John Paul Jones Arena is set for 4 p.m. on the ACC Network.