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Senior guard Sean Singletary scored 26 points, marking the ninth time this season he eclipsed the 20-point barrier. |
The Virginia men’s basketball team continues to wake up to the same recurring nightmare in 2008 and this time the only thing missing on Groundhog’s Day in Blacksburg was Bill Murray and a Sonny and Cher duet. The Cavaliers lost their third overtime ACC contest of the season and let a double-digit lead evaporate for the fourth time in seven league games to fall to 1-6 in conference play after Virginia Tech overcame an early 12-point deficit to win 72-65.
The 1-6 start is the Hoos’ worst since opening 1-7 in 2004-05. They have lost three OT games in one season for the first time since 1986-87.
“They stayed with it a little bit longer and harder than we did,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said on the Virginia Sports Network.
The theme was familiar in this loss. UVa couldn’t build on an early lead thanks to scoring struggles and it couldn’t get the critical stops or rebounds down the stretch to make up for its offense woes. For the game, Virginia made just 19 of 53 shots, including 8 of 21 3-pointers. Throw in 19-of-29 shooting at the free throw line and it’s a recipe for disaster on the offensive end.
Only two players cracked double figures in the game for the Hoos. Not surprisingly, Sean Singletary led the way with 26 points, including two pressure-packed free throws to tie the score and force overtime in the final eight second. He made 3 of 6 treys and 11 of 14 free throws in the game. Singletary, who added 5 rebounds, 2 assists, and 1 steal, has scored in double figures for 42 straight games; he has nine games this season with at least 20 points.
“He needs some help, though,” Leitao said. “We have to provide him with some help.”
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Jamil Tucker ‘s 10 points couldn’t help the Cavaliers get a win. |
Jamil Tucker came off the bench to join Singletary in double figures. Tucker made 4 of 7 shots to score 10 points to go with 5 rebounds in 17 minutes. His lone first-half basket gave Virginia the aforementioned 12-point lead at 23-11. The sophomore forward also helped spark an early second-half run for the Cavs, who trailed 32-27 when Jeff Allen (12 points, 6 rebounds, 1 block) threw down a dunk. After that basket, however, Tucker scored on an offensive rebound and then hit back-to-back 3-pointers – those eight consecutive points were part of an 11-0 run that gave UVa a 38-32 advantage.
At approximately the 10-minute mark of the second half, however, Tucker committed an offensive foul on an aggressive move to the basket when he hooked the VT defender with his elbow. He was pulled after that whistle and did not return except for a brief appearance in overtime.
“I don’t really think so,” Leitao said when asked about Tucker helping off the bench.
As much as the offense struggled, the Hoos still owned a 50-49 lead in the final 2:30 of regulation. However, a mental error on the offensive end and two breakdowns on defense meant Singletary had to hit two free throws with 7.9 seconds left to force the extra session. On offense, Mamadi Diane (8 points, 2 of 8 field goals, 3 of 7 free throws) committed an offensive goaltending penalty when he grabbed the rim while trying to follow a shot – the ball was over the rim and fell through, but the points were erased. On defense, Diane rotated late to A.D. Vassallo (14 points) after incorrectly helping on a drive and the VT sharp-shooter canned a 3-pointer for a 52-50 Hokie lead.
Moments later, the Cavaliers again broke down on the defensive end when they failed to keep Deron Washington (15 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists) off the offensive glass. He slammed home the tip-dunk for a 54-52 advantage before Singletary’s free throws sent the game to OT.
The breakdowns continued in overtime as poor transition defense (Vassallo dunked on a drive and Hank Thorns scored his only field goal of the game on a lay-up) and poor communication (Diane and Mike Scott ran into each other while trying to recover on defense and Allen easily dunked the ball) led to a 64-56 Tech lead. The Hokies put the game away at the free throw line after those miscues.
“They got some scores when we broke down and they were ready to do that more mentally than even physically. They got some offensive rebounds and some critical loose balls,” Leitao said. “It was a hard-fought game, but give them credit, they did the things they needed to do to win the game.”
Statistics | UVa Media Relations Notes
