Jackets fail to hold off Cavs
By Scott Meuleners / Student Publications
The Jackets lost to the Cavaliers 75-69. Tech led for much of the second half, but allowed Virginia to end the game with a 13-0 run.
Tech lost its last road game of the season against then No. 24 Virginia on Sunday, 75-69.
The win helped Virginia keep pace at No. 2 in the ACC conference standings and clinch a first round bye in the ACC tournament.
Virginia can assure a perfect home season with a win against Virginia Tech.
While the Jackets led by seven with 3:41 to go, the Cavaliers closed out the game on a 13-0 run to edge out the victory.
Tech committed four turnovers during that time and missed all five shots that the team attempted during the stretch.
"I'm not sure we could fight any harder than we did for about 37 or 38 minutes. We just didn't finish the game. Give them credit. They looked dead in the water with three minutes to go, and they summoned a lot of courage and came back," said basketball Head Coach Paul Hewitt.
During the second half, the Cavaliers had five chances to make a three-point play, and they successfully converted each one.
Before the run, Virginia only led once during the second half, pulling ahead 50-49. The lead would be short-lived as Tech regained control and built a lead before failing to seal the victory in the end.
Virginia guard and leading scorer Mike Singletary shot just seven of 21 from the floor, but still scored 24 points.
Tech's defense allowed Singletary to score four of his points during the game-ending stretch.
The Jackets trailed by as much as 14 in the first half, but battled back and took a four-point lead at the end of the first half.
Freshman Thaddeus Young led his team with 15 points. Javaris Crittenton and Ra'Sean Dickey were the other two Tech players to reach double figures.
As a team, Tech dominated the boards, snatching 35 rebounds to Virginia's 27 rebounds. The team also shot better overall from the field.
Tech's loss assures the Jackets of another woeful season on the road, with no non-conference road wins and just one road victory over all.
The Jackets are now just 1-2 in its last three games after winning four in a row. Almost all of Tech's losses came at the hands of a team ranked sometime this season. The team's only loss to an unranked team came on the road against Wake Forest on Jan. 30.
Tech returned to the Coliseum yesterday in a game against No. 8 North Carolina and will play Boston College on Sunday for Senior Day.
