NCAAB Game Recap - Virginia at Georgia Tech
Sat Jan 18, 2020 8:00 PM EST

BYU
69
Gonz
92
F
Baylor
75
OkSt
68
F
Lou
79
Duke
73
F
Aub
47
Fla
69
F
Butl
66
DeP
79
F
Kansas
66
Tex
57
F
Nev
55
SDSU
68
F
Oreg
64
Wash
61
F(OT)
FSU
83
Mia-FL
79
F(OT)
KY
73
Ark
66
F
WVU
68
KSU
84
F
UConn
55
Vill
61
F
Hou
65
WichSt
54
F
Purd
50
MD
57
F
Seton
82
StJon
79
F
Colora
54
Ariz
75
F
OhSt
76
PSU
90
F
IaSt
52
TxTch
72
F
NW
71
Ill
75
F
Prov
74
Crei
78
F
UMBC
60
UNH
65
F
IL-C
75
IUPUI
66
F
Syr
71
VaTec
69
F
UNC
52
Pitt
66
F
LaSal
63
URI
66
F
Detr
80
WIGB
83
F
SouthCar
81
TAMU
67
F
ORU
92
IPFW
68
F
Citad
79
VMI
88
F
Mia-O
62
Ball
71
F
LoyMD
80
Army
81
F
Tuls
67
Tul
54
F
TCU
63
Okla
83
F
Clem
54
NCSU
60
F
Marq
84
GTown
80
F
MOSt
68
Evans
58
F
ChaSo
79
HiPt
60
F
Hartfo
57
Vermt
74
F
StBon
63
VCU
91
F
JMU
61
Tows
69
F
StJos
87
Penn
81
F
Hamp
88
UNCA
86
F
Dart
62
Harv
67
F
Ohio
60
E MI
58
F
W&M
57
Drex
84
F
Elon
78
Del
79
F
Boston
70
Colg
79
F
ArkSt
80
CoCar
75
F
Buff
86
CenMI
67
F
Longw
58
Campbl
68
F
Toled
99
Akr
89
F
Rich
97
GMas
87
F
Mercer
90
Samf
75
F
Sac
49
S UT
74
F
NebOm
76
Denv
91
F
GASt
65
Troy
75
F
Rice
68
USM
81
F
TexAr
78
ULM
58
F
Mizzu
74
Bama
88
F
OrSt
76
WaSt
89
F
LoyMa
53
USF
61
F
StMar
78
Pepp
69
F
UTRGV
70
UtVal
72
F
NoAZ
64
N CO
58
F
ColSt
78
AF
65
F
UTEP
70
UTSA
86
F
GaSo
68
USA
74
F
LIU
74
Bry
60
F
KennSt
48
NJIT
66
F
StFNY
69
Merrim
64
F
(N/A)
53
RobM
49
F
Lafy
66
Navy
68
F
CenCT
52
MtStM
79
F
UAB
68
FAU
65
F
Hof
67
Charl
69
F
NIU
64
BGSU
66
F
HolyC
69
Amer
81
F
NCAT
75
Copp
79
F
CenAR
72
Nich
79
F
How
58
Morg
68
F
NCC
86
BethC
59
F
TNTec
59
E IL
84
F
GrgWas
75
UMass
51
F
ArkLR
73
App
57
F
FlGlf
65
N AL
70
F
Lamar
58
TXAMC
64
F
JSU
64
SIU-E
56
F
StPet
71
Quin
51
F
USC-Up
67
GWebb
83
F
Kent
63
W MI
67
F
Radf
75
Presb
64
F
FlaAM
65
SCSt
81
F
UNCC
63
W Ky
80
F
N TX
51
LaTec
50
F
MorSt
59
Belm
77
F
InWor
56
SFA
80
F
Alc
105
MsVl
73
F
E KY
92
TNSt
88
F
APSU
92
TN-M
81
F
Murr
96
SEMO
91
F(OT)
SoFL
54
UCF
55
F
Stetsn
64
JU
59
F
UCDav
66
CSNor
62
F
NM
78
UNLV
99
F
Fres
65
Wyo
50
F
E WA
71
MTSt
58
F
Tenn
66
Vand
45
F
NrthIA
86
Brad
71
F
PVAM
64
Gram
57
F
MD-ES
52
Norf
62
F
Stan
78
USC
82
F(OT)
ASU
65
AlaAM
56
F
TXSo
77
JackSt
66
F
Oakl
68
WIMil
73
F
Ind
82
Nebras
74
F
Clev
49
NoKY
75
F
YSU
72
WriSt
79
F
ETSU
85
WCU
66
F
Albany
62
Stony
70
F
SacHr
65
StFPA
72
F
NE
74
UNCW
76
F(OT)
Chat
52
UNCG
72
F
ODU
67
Marsh
68
F
Monm
65
Manh
58
F
Lipsco
60
Lib
67
F
MTSU
69
FIU
83
F
Corn
61
Colum
75
F
Leh
56
Buck
72
F
McNee
65
NOrl
52
F
CS-Ful
66
LongB
62
F
Temp
52
SMU
68
F
UVA
63
GaTec
58
F
IndSt
77
Valpa
86
F
TxSt
68
UL
59
F
LSU
80
Miss
76
F
SHSU
95
HCU
75
F
SeLA
55
AbCh
76
F
UGA
59
MissSt
91
F
South
75
ArkPB
56
F
Pacif
80
SCla
84
F
Ida
63
Mont
67
F
Utah
64
AzSt
83
F
NMSt
75
Seatt
67
F
USD
77
Portl
67
F
UtSt
83
Bois
88
F(OT)
IdaSt
76
PorSt
82
F
UCRiv
53
UCIrv
69
F
UCSB
63
HI
70
F
CSBak
ChiSt
PPD
GrCan
UMKC
PPD

Jan 18, 2020, 8:00 PM EST

Final

1

2

T

Virginia

33

30

63

Georgia Tech

25

33

58

Virginia snaps 3-game skid with 63-58 win over Georgia Tech
Sat Jan 18, 2020 11:40 PM

ATLANTA (AP) Still a far cry from its national championship form, Virginia showed it hasn't forgotten how to grind out a tough victory.

Mamadi Diakite and Jay Huff scored 17 points apiece as the defending champs snapped a three-game losing streak with a 63-58 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday night.

The Cavaliers (12-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) finally regained their winning touch after dropping out of The Associated Press rankings for the first time since November 2017.

"We were so close. All three losses, we had a chance to win," Virginia coach Tony Bennett said. "We've not learned yet to win at a high level. Today, we won. The wheels were wobbling a little bit, but they won."

Georgia Tech (8-10, 3-5) lost its fourth straight home game. The Yellow Jackets haven't won at McCamish Pavilion since a Dec. 4 victory over Nebraska.

"We're better than our record," coach Josh Pastner insisted. "But there are no moral victories. You've got to win the game."

The high-flying Diakite dunked off an alley-oop pass to fire up the Cavaliers and capped another fast break with a slam to give Virginia its biggest lead, 43-29 with 14:47 remaining.

The Cavaliers were still up 48-37 with just over 10 minutes to go when Georgia Tech suddenly came to life offensively.

The Yellow Jackets scored on four of five possessions, stringing together a 9-0 run that cut Virginia's edge to 48-46.

That was as close as Georgia Tech would get.

Huff, a 7-foot-1 center, knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key. A few minutes later, he swished another open jumper to make it 55-48.

Georgia Tech got a basket and a defensive stop, but Braxton Key swooped on for an offensive rebound to give the Cavaliers a second chance. With just over 2 minutes to go, Diakite was left open on the wing for a jumper that made it 57-50, effectively finishing off the Yellow Jackets.

"This is a big turnaround for us," Diakite said. "It gives us more confidence for the upcoming games."

Huff also came up big at the defensive end with six of Virginia's nine blocks.

Georgia Tech had only one block.

"Jay really gave us a lift with his rim protecting," Bennett said.

Jose Alvarado paced Georgia Tech with 20 points.

Virginia led 33-25 at halftime, taking advantage of the home team's sloppy play. The Yellow Jackets hit 11 of 18 shots (61.1%) but turned it over 13 times, wasting far too many possessions against the defensive-minded Cavaliers.

"If we took care of the turnovers, Georgia Tech could be a championship team," Alvarado said. "I'm so tired of coming up just short."

LETHAL WEAPON 3

Georgia Tech recognized its 1990 team known as "Lethal Weapon 3" during a halftime ceremony.

Those Yellow Jackets were the first in school history to reach the Final Four, led by the dynamic trio of Kenny Anderson, Dennis Scott and Brian Oliver.

"A special group of guys," said Bobby Cremins, who coached the team and delivered remarks to the crowd.

Anderson, who now coaches at Fisk University in Nashville, continues to recuperate from a stroke about 10 months ago.

"My vocabulary is still out of whack," he said.

But Anderson lit up as he remembered his desire to attend Syracuse. After a recruiting trip to Atlanta, his mother demanded that he play for the Yellow Jackets.

"My mom fell in love with Coach Cremins," Anderson said with a smile. "She was like, 'You're going to Georgia Tech. Don't even think about it."'

Malcolm Mackey, a forward on the 1990 team, said the group continues to maintain a tight bond.

"We've been in each other's weddings," Mackey said. "We've seen each other's kids being born."

He still gets recognized around Atlanta for that historic season.

"To still see people celebrate us, still remember us, is just amazing to me," Mackey said.

BIG PICTURE

Virginia: The Cavaliers picked up a desperately needed victory to avoid their longest losing streak since a four-game skid from Feb. 12-20, 2017.

Ranked next-to-last in the ACC in shooting (40.2%), Virginia showed some offensive efficiency to go along with its always-tenacious defense. The Cavaliers connected on 25 of 53 shots (47.2%), their best performance in a conference game this season.

Key chipped in with 10 points.

Georgia Tech: This is shaping up to be another disappointing season, raising more doubts about whether Pastner can turn around a program that is approaching a decade since its last NCAA Tournament appearance.

The Yellow Jackets continue to show flashes of promise but haven't been able to develop any sort of consistency in Pastner's fourth season, largely because of turnovers.

"I know this might sound strange, but I really believe we've gotten better," the coach said. "We're very close to turning the corner."

UP NEXT

Virginia: Faces a short turnaround, returning home to play North Carolina State on Monday night.

Georgia Tech: Hits the road on Wednesday for the first of two meetings against No. 11 Louisville. The teams will face off again March 7 in Atlanta, the final game of the regular season.

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Follow Paul Newberry on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pnewberry1963 His work can be found at https://apnews.com

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More AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/Collegebasketball and https://twitter.com/AP-Top25

Leaders

Virginia PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
M. Diakite 17 0 0 6 0 2
J. Huff 17 0 2 8 0 6
Georgia Tech PTS +/- AST REB ST BLK
J. Alvarado 20 0 2 2 2 0
J. Banks III 10 0 5 9 3 1

Team Comparison

UVA GaTec
Points For 63 58
Field Goals 25/53-47% 25/50-50%
Three Pointers 5/16-31% 5/14-36%
Free Throws 8/16-50% 3/9-33%
Offensive Rebounds 11 8
Defensive Rebounds 19 23
Rebounds 34 32
Blocks 9 1
Steals 8 9
Turnovers 12 18
Personal Fouls 13 19
Technical Fouls 0 0
Ejections 0 0

2019-20 Reg Season - UVA Leads Series 1-0

Date Result Away Pts Ldr Home Pts Ldr
Sat Jan 18 UVA 63 @ GaTec 58 M. Diakite 17 J. Alvarado 20

Game Information

Stadium: McCamish Pavilion, Atlanta, Georgia
Attendance: 7,314
Game Time: