Clark's record night lifts No. 10 Virginia past Hokies 78-68
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) Kihei Clark picked a special night to have his best offensive game of the season.
The fifth-year graduate student had 20 points and became Virginia's career victories leader as a player with win No. 111 as the No. 10 Cavaliers handed Virginia Tech its sixth straight loss, 78-68 on Wednesday night.
Armaan Franklin added 15 points and Jayden Gardner 12 for the Cavaliers (14-3, 6-2 Atlantic Coast Conference). Clark was tied with Mamadi Diane (2017-20) on the overall victories list and with 64 career ACC wins.
And Clark was integral in helping the Cavaliers hold off the Hokies, hitting two 3-pointers and a pair of free throws in the closing minutes with the Hokies refusing to go away.
''We were getting different kinds, varied shots and Kihei just took advantage of some good drives. He made some real clever plays and then he hit a couple of big time 3s. We needed one that was huge,'' Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett said.
Clark deflected much of the credit for his records.
''You know, kind of like what Coach Bennett says: it's a team award, right? With the players that I've been playing with from my first year up until now, I mean, played with some great guys. So it means a lot to just be in that conversation,'' he said.
One of those former Cavaliers, Ty Jerome, sat across the court from the Virginia bench with Golden State Warriors teammate Stephen Curry, and when Jerome was shown on the video board, he got a huge ovation. He played on the 2019 national championship team.
Having him in the building might have given Clark a little extra motivation, he said.
''Maybe a little bit,'' he said. ''But I mean, you go out, you just, you know, you try to play your game and to take the opportunities as they come, but obviously it gives a little extra motivation with them on the sideline.''
Darius Maddox led the Hokies (11-7, 1-6) with 13 points and Grant Basile had 12. Virginia Tech's losing streak has come after the Hokies won 11 of their first 12 games.
Jayden Gardner's basket to open the second-half scoring gave Virginia its biggest lead to that point at 42-31, but the Hokies got it back to single digits on the strength of their 3-point shooting until Gardner's three-point play with 7:16 left made it 65-55.
A 3-pointer by Isaac McKneely moments later pushed the lead back to 11, but Basile made the Hokies' 10th 3 to make it 68-60 before Clark hit a 3-pointer and Reece Beekman followed with a three-point play with 3:52 left, and the Cavaliers finished it.
Hokies coach Mike Young said Clark has improved in his fifth year.
''He's more explosive this year,'' Young said. ''He looks a little bigger and stronger. You you know what high regard we hold that young person in in our camp. But boy, he's got a slow to fast that is wow!''
Virginia Tech finished 12 for 27 from 3-point territory.
The Hokies used an 11-0 run in the first half to lead 21-19, but Virginia canceled that with a 21-10 run to close the half.
BIG PICTURE
Virginia Tech: Hokies big man Grant Basile played only 6 1/2 minutes in the first half after drawing a pair of fouls. He avoided further trouble after halftime.
Virginia: The Cavaliers made a concerted effort to attack the rim against the Hokies guards. Virginia scored 26 of its 40 first-half points in the paint and had eight second-chance points. They finished with 36 points in the paint and 11 second-chance points.
UP NEXT
The Hokies are back on the road at No. 19 Clemson on Saturday.
The Cavaliers are on the road at Wake Forest on Saturday.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Grant Basile vs. Jayden Gardner (Cavaliers gains possession) | |||
19:32 | +2 | Ben Vander Plas makes two point layup (Kihei Clark assists) | 0-2 | |
18:58 | Reece Beekman blocks Hunter Cattoor's three point jump shot | |||
18:56 | Armaan Franklin defensive rebound | |||
18:35 | Armaan Franklin misses two point layup | |||
18:33 | Justyn Mutts defensive rebound | |||
18:17 | Ben Vander Plas shooting foul (Grant Basile draws the foul) | |||
18:18 | +1 | Grant Basile makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 1-2 | |
18:18 | +1 | Grant Basile makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 2-2 | |
18:00 | Kihei Clark misses three point jump shot | |||
17:58 | Darius Maddox defensive rebound | |||
17:35 | Ryan Dunn blocks Grant Basile's two point hook shot | |||
17:33 | Armaan Franklin defensive rebound | |||
17:24 | +2 | Armaan Franklin makes two point layup (Reece Beekman assists) | 2-4 | |
17:03 | Grant Basile turnover (bad pass) (Jayden Gardner steals) | |||
16:50 | Reece Beekman misses three point jump shot | |||
16:48 | Jayden Gardner offensive rebound | |||
16:45 | +2 | Armaan Franklin makes two point jump shot (Jayden Gardner assists) | 2-6 | |
16:30 | Sean Pedulla turnover (lost ball) (Kihei Clark steals) | |||
16:25 | +2 | Kihei Clark makes two point layup | 2-8 | |
16:03 | Sean Pedulla misses three point jump shot | |||
16:01 | Reece Beekman defensive rebound | |||
15:46 | +2 | Reece Beekman makes two point layup (Ryan Dunn assists) | 2-10 | |
15:46 | Darius Maddox shooting foul (Reece Beekman draws the foul) | |||
15:46 | TV timeout | |||
15:46 | +1 | Reece Beekman makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 2-11 | |
15:25 | +3 | Michael Collins Jr. makes three point jump shot (Hunter Cattoor assists) | 5-11 | |
14:53 | Reece Beekman misses two point layup | |||
14:51 | Ryan Dunn offensive rebound | |||
14:48 | +2 | Ryan Dunn makes two point layup | 5-13 | |
14:48 | Grant Basile shooting foul (Ryan Dunn draws the foul) | |||
14:48 | +1 | Ryan Dunn makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 5-14 | |
14:39 | +3 | Hunter Cattoor makes three point jump shot (Justyn Mutts assists) | 8-14 | |
14:16 | +3 | Armaan Franklin makes three point jump shot (Reece Beekman assists) | 8-17 | |
13:54 | +2 | Lynn Kidd makes two point dunk (Justyn Mutts assists) | 10-17 | |
13:37 | Armaan Franklin misses three point jump shot | |||
13:35 | Hunter Cattoor defensive rebound | |||
13:06 | Hokies turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
12:41 | +2 | Kihei Clark makes two point layup | 10-19 | |
12:18 | +2 | Lynn Kidd makes two point hook shot | 12-19 | |
11:45 | Isaac McKneely misses three point jump shot | |||
11:43 | Michael Collins Jr. defensive rebound | |||
11:25 | Justyn Mutts turnover (bad pass) (Kadin Shedrick steals) | |||
11:16 | Ryan Dunn misses three point jump shot | |||
11:14 | Hunter Cattoor defensive rebound | |||
10:56 | Michael Collins Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
10:54 | Kadin Shedrick defensive rebound | |||
10:28 | TV timeout | |||
10:25 | Jayden Gardner offensive foul | |||
10:25 | Jayden Gardner turnover (offensive foul) | |||
10:18 | +2 | Sean Pedulla makes two point turnaround jump shot | 14-19 | |
9:49 | Ben Vander Plas misses three point jump shot | |||
9:47 | Lynn Kidd defensive rebound | |||
9:30 | Armaan Franklin personal foul | |||
9:21 | +2 | Grant Basile makes two point layup (Justyn Mutts assists) | 16-19 | |
9:00 | Grant Basile personal foul | |||
8:50 | Kihei Clark misses three point pullup jump shot | |||
8:48 | Lynn Kidd defensive rebound | |||
8:37 | +3 | Darius Maddox makes three point jump shot (Hunter Cattoor assists) | 19-19 | |
8:17 | Ben Vander Plas misses three point jump shot | |||
8:15 | Lynn Kidd defensive rebound | |||
7:57 | +2 | Darius Maddox makes two point pullup jump shot (Justyn Mutts assists) | 21-19 | |
7:46 | Sean Pedulla personal foul | |||
7:46 | TV timeout | |||
7:34 | +2 | Jayden Gardner makes two point turnaround jump shot (Reece Beekman assists) | 21-21 | |
7:09 | Darius Maddox misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
7:07 | Ben Vander Plas defensive rebound | |||
6:54 | +2 | Jayden Gardner makes two point hook shot (Kihei Clark assists) | 21-23 | |
6:30 | +3 | Sean Pedulla makes three point jump shot (Hunter Cattoor assists) | 24-23 | |
6:02 | Kihei Clark misses two point layup | |||
6:00 | Lynn Kidd defensive rebound | |||
5:49 | Justyn Mutts misses two point layup | |||
5:47 | Jayden Gardner defensive rebound | |||
5:28 | Darius Maddox blocks Reece Beekman's two point layup | |||
5:26 | Hunter Cattoor defensive rebound | |||
5:18 | Justyn Mutts misses three point jump shot | |||
5:16 | Kihei Clark defensive rebound | |||
5:02 | Hunter Cattoor shooting foul (Armaan Franklin draws the foul) | |||
5:00 | +2 | Armaan Franklin makes two point stepback jump shot (Ben Vander Plas assists) | 24-25 | |
5:02 | Hunter Cattoor shooting foul (Armaan Franklin draws the foul) | |||
5:02 | +1 | Armaan Franklin makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 24-26 | |
4:58 | +2 | Darius Maddox makes two point pullup jump shot (Mylyjael Poteat assists) | 26-26 | |
4:21 | +3 | Ben Vander Plas makes three point jump shot (Armaan Franklin assists) | 26-29 | |
3:57 | Justyn Mutts misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
3:55 | Armaan Franklin defensive rebound | |||
3:47 | +2 | Kihei Clark makes two point driving layup | 26-31 | |
3:47 | Hokies 30 second timeout | |||
3:47 | TV timeout | |||
3:30 | +3 | Hunter Cattoor makes three point jump shot (Justyn Mutts assists) | 29-31 | |
3:10 | Sean Pedulla blocks Kihei Clark's two point driving layup | |||
3:08 | Cavaliers offensive rebound | |||
2:58 | +3 | Reece Beekman makes three point pullup jump shot (Kihei Clark assists) | 29-34 | |
2:34 | Ryan Dunn blocks Justyn Mutts's two point turnaround jump shot | |||
2:32 | Armaan Franklin defensive rebound | |||
2:21 | Ben Vander Plas misses two point hook shot | |||
2:19 | Michael Collins Jr. defensive rebound | |||
2:09 | Lynn Kidd turnover (lost ball) (Ryan Dunn steals) | |||
1:49 | +2 | Armaan Franklin makes two point dunk (Kihei Clark assists) | 29-36 | |
1:29 | Sean Pedulla misses two point stepback jump shot | |||
1:27 | Ryan Dunn defensive rebound | |||
1:26 | Sean Pedulla personal foul | |||
1:26 | Cavaliers 30 second timeout | |||
1:13 | Ryan Dunn turnover (traveling) | |||
0:49 | Kihei Clark blocks Hunter Cattoor's two point turnaround jump shot | |||
0:47 | Ben Vander Plas defensive rebound | |||
0:39 | +2 | Kihei Clark makes two point driving layup | 29-38 | |
0:12 | +2 | Hunter Cattoor makes two point layup (Justyn Mutts assists) | 31-38 | |
0:02 | +2 | Reece Beekman makes two point dunk | 31-40 | |
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
19:46 | Darius Maddox misses three point jump shot | |||
19:44 | Jayden Gardner defensive rebound | |||
19:19 | +2 | Jayden Gardner makes two point turnaround jump shot (Ben Vander Plas assists) | 31-42 | |
18:56 | Grant Basile misses three point jump shot | |||
18:54 | Jayden Gardner defensive rebound | |||
18:45 | Kihei Clark turnover (lost ball) (Sean Pedulla steals) | |||
18:30 | Reece Beekman personal foul | |||
18:15 | Grant Basile turnover (lost ball) (Ben Vander Plas steals) | |||
18:02 | Jayden Gardner turnover (lost ball) (Grant Basile steals) | |||
17:50 | +3 | Darius Maddox makes three point pullup jump shot | 34-42 | |
17:30 | Jayden Gardner misses two point jump shot | |||
17:28 | Darius Maddox defensive rebound | |||
17:07 | +2 | Justyn Mutts makes two point driving layup (Hunter Cattoor assists) | 36-42 | |
16:54 | Justyn Mutts shooting foul (Jayden Gardner draws the foul) | |||
16:54 | +1 | Jayden Gardner makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 36-43 | |
16:54 | Jayden Gardner misses regular free throw 1 of 2 | |||
16:54 | Grant Basile defensive rebound | |||
16:29 | +3 | Grant Basile makes three point jump shot (Darius Maddox assists) | 39-43 | |
16:08 | +3 | Armaan Franklin makes three point jump shot (Reece Beekman assists) | 39-46 | |
15:44 | +2 | Sean Pedulla makes two point driving layup | 41-46 | |
15:34 | Ben Vander Plas misses three point jump shot | |||
15:32 |