Virginia hopes to end its curse at Cassell Coliseum

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Both Virginia and Virginia Tech will attempt to continue momentum when the two state rivals collide in Blacksburg’s Cassell Coliseum this afternoon (2 p.m., The CW Network), a place that has been unkind to the Cavaliers of late.

UVA (12-12, 5-8-tied for 11th in ACC) hasn’t won in Blacksburg since 2020 when Cavaliers point guard Kihei Clark’s bucket beat the Hokies, 56-53. Tech (11-13, 6-7-tied for 8th in ACC), is looking to sweep the series, having beaten Virginia 75-74 (on Feb. 1). That’s when UVA came back from 13 points down with 6:32 to play, only to lose when Andrew Rohde’s drive to the basket was left on the rim as time expired.

Virginia outscored the Hokies 18-6 over those final six-and-a-half minutes.

Had the Cavaliers played any kind of defense the first 30-minutes plus, they would have likely won the game. Tech shot 52 percent from the field and 52 percent from the 3-point line in the game.

The Hokies opened as 2.5-point favorites for the rematch, with that spread shrinking to 1.5 by oddsmakers.

Virginia played without starting forward Elijah Saunders in the first meeting. Saunders is expected to play today after seeing 11 minutes of floor time in the Cavaliers’ 75-61 win over Georgia Tech a week ago. Rohde had hardly practiced that week, battling through a lower-leg injury, but has been on fire of late in leading a UVA resurgence of such.

Tech has played only twice since that UVA win, losing at home to SMU (81-75), and stealing a 65-63 win at Notre Dame last Saturday.

Virginia has won three of its last four games, the lone loss coming against the Hokies, while scoring victories at Miami and Pitt, then walloping Georgia Tech in its last outing a week ago.

UVA must make a stronger defensive effort if it wants to break through in Blacksburg. Tech, a good shooting team, used Tobi Lawal’s 17 points (6 for 12 FG) and Jaden Schutt’s 18 (6 for 11 FG) to win that game. The Cavaliers had a difficult time matching up with Lawal, a forward.

Meanwhile, Virginia had four players score in double figures, led by Isaac McKneely’s 19 points (5 for 10 FG, 7 of 9 at the free-throw line). The Hokies didn’t have anyone that matched up with McKneely, a 3-point shooter who was off that part of his game (2 of 7), but still led the team in scoring.

ACC Weekend Schedule

Saturday
Clemson at Florida State, Noon (The CW Network)
Miami at Pitt, Noon (ESPNEWS)
Virginia at Virginia Tech, 2 p.m. (The CW Network)
Boston College at NC State, 2 p.m. (ACC Network)
Stanford at Duke, 4 p.m. (ABC)
California at Georgia Tech, 4 p.m. (ACC Network)
North Carolina at Syracuse, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
Wake Forest at SMU, 6 p.m. (ACC Network)

Sunday
Louisville at Notre Dame, 8 p.m. (ACC Network)