Virginia Outlasts NC State, Wins in OT, 66-65

Story by Scott Ratcliffe

Kyle Guy’s only 3-pointer couldn’t have come at a better time for third-ranked Virginia Tuesday night. The junior from Indianapolis caught a deflected pass from backcourt mate Ty Jerome, stepped behind the arc and let one fly in one motion, and it gave UVA a 3-point lead late in overtime that led the way to a 66-65 win at No. 23 NC State.

Guy had missed his first four from deep and was just 3 for 11 from the floor on the night, but his big shot with two minutes left in the extra session — along with a clutch pair of De’Andre Hunter free throws with 5.2 seconds left — lifted the Cavaliers (19-1, 7-1 ACC) to victory.

The Wahoos uncharacteristically doubled their season average with 16 turnovers, which matched a season high, and barely escaped a second overtime period when Hunter committed his fifth foul on Markell Johnson’s potential game-tying 3-point attempt with just nine-tenths of a second showing.

Johnson, a 72-percent shooter on the season, misfired on his first, then proceeded to make the next two to cut the lead to 1. Guy caught the ensuing inbounds pass and wisely flung it in the air toward the other end of the floor as the final horn sounded.

The Wolfpack (16-5, 4-4) trailed by as many as seven points in the opening half but cut it to four by halftime, despite a late scoreless drought of over six minutes.

The ‘Hoos opened the second half on a 15-5 spurt to take their biggest lead, 42-28, on Jerome’s second 3-pointer of the half with 12 minutes to play after UVA missed its only attempt from downtown in the first half.

Guy made his first field goal of the game during the run, while Jerome scored 8 of his 12 points during the same stretch, and it looked like Virginia might secure another easy win.

Kevin Keatts’ bunch battled back, however, reeling off 13 of the game’s next 16 points to cut the Wahoo lead to four, 45-41, with eight minutes remaining.

Virginia got two important putbacks from Mamadi Diakite and Guy to push the lead to 53-46 with 4:38 left, but the ‘Pack scored seven straight to tie it up at 53-all with 1:29 to go.

Hunter missed a shot on the ensuing possession, but Braxton Key (along with Salt) was there to tap it in, giving UVA a two-point edge with 1:11 left. Johnson nailed a pair from the stripe with 29 seconds left in regulation to tie it, and Jerome melted the clock down but couldn’t get his shot to fall in the waning seconds.

Johnson gave the home team its first lead of the game on a 3 to start the OT period, but Jay Huff — who stepped in at the 5 after Salt fouled out — caught a perfect lob from Key and was fouled as he dunked home the alley-oop, and sank the freebie to tie it back up on the ensuing trip.

Each team went 3 for 4 at the line over the following two minutes, setting the stage for Guy’s huge go-ahead 3, which extended his streak of games with at least one long-ball to 20.

Braxton Beverly scored with 7.7 seconds left to cut it to one before Hunter was fouled.

State shot 34 percent (22 for 64) for the contest and 27 percent (7 for 26) from long range. Johnson led the Wolfpack with 14 points, while Dorn — the team’s leading scorer on the season — scored nine of his 13 in the final eight minutes of regulation. Wyatt Walker had 11 points and 7 rebounds (5 on the offensive glass), while Devon Daniels put in 10 off the bench.

The ‘Hoos shot 46 percent (24 of 52)  from the field and 40 percent (4 of 10) from distance, and outrebounded State, 39-35.

Hunter had a game-high 15 points, Jerome had 12 points, six rebounds and six assists, and Guy finished with 10 points and six boards. Diakite, Key and Huff each added 8 points, as Key hauled in a game-high 8 rebounds. For a second straight game, Diakite swatted four shots.

UVA will host Miami Saturday at 2 p.m.