Despite a nice game from Kerry Blackshear Jr., Virginia Tech shot poorly and committed too many turnovers in falling to rival Virginia 78-52 in an ACC game played late Wednesday night at Carilion Clinic Court.
With the loss, the Hokies fell to 11-4 overall, 0-2 in the ACC. Virginia, which came into the game ranked No. 8 in The Associated Press poll and No. 9 in the coaches’ poll, moved to 13-1, 2-0.
Blackshear scored 14 points, hitting 5 of 9 from the floor, and he grabbed five rebounds. Justin Robinson added 12 points, but the Hokies got little production from anyone else against the Cavaliers’ vaunted defense. UVA came into the game ranked No. 1 nationally in scoring defense (52.8 ppg) and No. 2 nationally in field-goal percentage defense (36.4) and held the Hokies pretty much to those numbers – Tech shot just 36.2 percent from the floor.
The Hokies committed 16 turnovers, which led to 23 UVA points. Tech’s three leading scorers suffered subpar games, as Ahmed Hill, Justin Bibbs and Nickeil Alexander-Walker combined to score just 11 points.
The Cavaliers also played well on offense. In the first half, they shot 48.4 percent from the floor and jumped out to a 15-point lead. In the second half, they shot 50 percent and built the lead to 33 at one point.
De’Andre Hunter came off the bench to score 14 points for the Cavaliers, while both Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy added 13 points. Jerome and Guy each hit three 3-pointers on an evening when UVA hit 12.
Both Blackshear and Robinson scored in double figures for the ninth time this season. Chris Clarke has recorded at least six rebounds in 10 games this season.
Tech out-rebounded its opponent for the ninth time this season, out-rebounding the Cavaliers 33-31. The Hokies’ 52 points and six assists were their fewest of the season.
Virginia’s 49.2 percent shooting percentage was the best by a Tech opponent this season.
Hill saw his streak of making at least one 3-pointer in every game this season come to an end.
–VT Athletics
