BLACKSBURG -- Kyle Guy had another big night for the Wahoos, this time while they played perhaps their worst half of the season. But behind his 23 points and some sounder play in the second half, No. 3 UVa rolled on with a 64-58 win over No. 20 Virginia Tech.
Guy, who had 22 in the win over Notre Dame on Saturday, hit six 3-pointers and pulled in a team-high seven rebounds for the Cavaliers (23-2, 11-2 ACC). Ty Jerome added 16 points and six assists in the win while De'Andre Hunter, who played just six minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, scored 10.
The Hokies (20-6, 9-5) were led by Kerry Blackshear's 23 points and 13 rebounds.
Tech's Ahmed Hill scored inside to get things going, a bucket that Hunter answered on the other end. Then after Blackshear made a desperation 3 as the shot-clock buzzer neared, Guy answered that as well with his first 3-pointer of the night. Blackshear scored inside before Jerome hit a runner to keep the seesaw battle alive. Hill dunked shortly thereafter to give the Hokies the lead going into the first media timeout.
By the time the under-12 arrived, Tech led by three even though it felt like the Hoos were down about three times that. After Jerome made another runner, Nickeil Alexander-Walker scored inside, Mamadi Diakite made one of two at the free-throw line, and Hunter picked up his second foul with 12:22 left in the half. Blackshear scored inside again to give the Hokies some breathing room.
Wabissa Bede's foul going into the under-8 was ruled a Flagrant-1, putting Guy on the line where he made one of two. After Diakite scored on a drive, Guy hit the first of two 3-pointers in the span of about a minute a half, which sandwiched a Ty Outlaw 3 and put Virginia up 19-16 going into the under-8.
The Hoos wouldn't trail the rest of the way.
Jerome made the rare and-1 from 3-point range to put the Hoos up seven as part of a 10-3 run which finally put a bit of a cap on the energy inside Cassell Coliseum. Then Blackshear scored six points in a row of his own, first on a jumper nearing the end of the shot clock and then on a pair of dunks. Diakite scored off a lob from Guy before Guy dunked home a Braxton Key miss. Alexander-Walker's bucket inside made it a three-point game going into the under-4.
After Guy scored immediately after play resumed, Blackshear followed suit on the other end and then, after Alexander-Walker made one of two at the line, Guy hit another 3-pointer to put the Cavaliers up five with 36 seconds left. Tech called timeout but could only muster a forced look from Alexander-Walker. Kihei Clark secured the rebound with about seven seconds left on the clock and tried to pass out to Jerome but it was stolen by Isaiah Wilkins, who scored just before the buzzer to make it 32-29 at the break.
Hill made a 3-pointer to get things going in the second half and, after Jack Salt made one of two at the free-throw line following a Flagrant-1 call on Blackshear, Diakite did as well. Hill scored in transition to tie it following a steal from Guy but Jerome hit a 3 to put Virginia back up before Alexander-Walker split a pair at the stripe to make it 37-35.
With renewed life in the second half, Hunter got going with a long two followed by one of two FTs by Alexander-Walker before Guy hit another 3-pointer, his fifth of the night. After Blackshear made a jumper, Diakite dunked off a Key assist and Hunter made a pair at the stripe to put Virginia up eight.
Hunter kept it going, scoring after pulling in two offensive boards. But the Hokies showed some signs of life after Blackshear made two free throws and Jonathan Kabongo got an and-1 to fall to give Tech some momentum. But Jerome buried a 3-pointer to kill the rally and then Hunter got a steal and dunked in transition to push the lead back to 10.
By the time the final media timeout of the night came with 3:49, UVa led 58-47 and behind 3-pointers by Guy and then Key (his second of the night after breaking out of a 13-shot slump) put this one to bed for good.
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