UVA hopes to break Cassell curse tonight; Hokies favored

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Virginia hopes to change its luck in Blacksburg tonight when the Cavaliers take on Virginia Tech on ESPN’s Big Monday showcase at 7 p.m.

UVA, 20-6 overall and 11-4 in ACC play, are third in the conference standings and fighting to finish among the top four teams in the league for a double-bye in next month’s tournament in Washington, D.C.

The Cavaliers dropped out of the AP Top 25 this week, slipping from No. 21 to the first team receiving votes (essentially 26th). Virginia also dropped one spot in the NET rankings from No. 40 to 41.

Meanwhile, the host Hokies are 14-11, 6-8, and tied for 10th place in the ACC. Their NET ranking is No. 62.

Virginia has lost its last three games at Tech’s Cassell Coliseum, where the Hokies are 11-2 this season. UVA has won its last four road games heading into tonight’s contest.

“It’ll be a very intense atmosphere,” Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett said about tonight’s game. “The rest of the schedule, it’s been good all year, but these teams are tough. Anything on the road and the opponents we’re playing, you’ve got to be right defensively.”

UVA won the previous meeting this season in Charlottesville, 65-57, in mid-January. In that game, the Cavaliers shot 62.5 percent in the second half, dominated the paint (36-20) and forced 15 Hokies turnovers, seven by Tech point guard Sean Pedulla. UVA’s defense held Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor in check for the most part, preventing the two Hokie perimeter shooters from causing much damage.

Meanwhile, Jordan Minor put up a then-season-high 16 points in his second start for the Cavaliers. He also had five rebounds in his 26 minutes. Reece Beekman also led Virginia with 16 points.

“We’ve just got to come with the right mindset,” Beekman said of tonight’s game, following Saturday’s 49-47 home win over Wake Forest. Beekman put up 20 points against the Deacs in a huge conference win. “It’s a quick turnaround. It’s hard to play in [Tech’s] environment.”

According to Vegas Insider, Tech is a 3.5-point favorite in tonight’s game.