Virginia snaps 3-game skid with 63-58 win over Georgia Tech

ATLANTA (AP) — Jay Huff and Mamadi Diakite scored 17 points apiece as defending national champion Virginia snapped a three-game losing streak with a 63-58 win over Georgia Tech on Saturday night.
The Cavaliers (12-5, 4-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) finally regained their winning touch after dropping out of The Associated Press ranking for the first time since November 2017.
Georgia Tech (8-10, 3-5) lost its fourth straight home game. The Yellow Jackets haven’t won at McCamish Pavilion since a Dec. 4 victory over Nebraska.
Diakite’s dunk with 14:47 remaining gave Virginia its biggest lead, 43-29.
The Cavaliers were still up 48-37 with just over 10 minutes to go when Georgia Tech suddenly came to life offensively.
The Yellow Jackets scored on four of five possessions, stringing together a 9-0 run that cut Virginia’s edge to 48-46.
That was as close as Georgia Tech would get.
Huff, a 7-foot-1 center, knocked down a 3-pointer from the top of the key to thwart Georgia Tech’s momentum. A few minutes later, he swished another open jumper to make it 55-48.
Georgia Tech got a basket and a defensive stop, but Braxton Key swooped on for an offensive rebound to give the Cavaliers a second chance. With just over 2 minutes to go, Diakite was left open on the wing for a jumper that made it 57-50, effectively finishing off the Yellow Jackets.
Jose Alvarado paced Georgia Tech with 20 points.
Virginia led 33-25 at halftime, taking advantage of the home team’s sloppy play. The Yellow Jackets hit 11 of 18 shots (61.1%) but turned it over 13 times, wasting far too many possessions against the defensive-minded Cavaliers.
BIG PICTURE
Virginia: The Cavaliers picked up a desperately needed victory to avoid their longest losing streak since a four-game skid from Feb. 12-20, 2017. While still a far cry from their national championship squad, Virginia showed some offensive efficiency to go along with its always-tenacious defense. Key chipped in with 10 points.
Georgia Tech: This is shaping up to be another disappointing season, raising more doubts about whether coach Josh Pastner can turn around a program that is approaching a decade since its last NCAA Tournament appearance. The Yellow Jackets continue to show flashes of promise, but Pastner has been unable to develop any sort of consistency in his fourth season.
UP NEXT
Virginia: Returns home to play North Carolina State on Monday night.
Georgia Tech: Hits the road for the first of two meetings against No. 11 Louisville. The teams will meet again in Atlanta on March 7, the final game of the regular season.
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