A golden opportunity slipped away from Dave Leitao and the Hoos.

TAMPA, Fla. – Possessing a 14-point lead at halftime, the situation looked rosy for second-seeded Virginia in its ACC Tournament showdown against 10th-seeded N.C. State. Sean Singletary was playing at his usual stellar level, having scored 16 points, and Virginia’s frontcourt was producing on the offensive end, with Jason Cain, Laurynas Mikalauskas , and Ryan Pettinella having combined for 12 points.

It looked as if the second half would merely be a formality before the Cavaliers could start their preparations for a semifinal contest on Saturday afternoon. No one in the crowd at the St. Pete Times Forum, except maybe a few diehard Wolfpack fans, could have foreseen the collapse that was coming.

...