By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer
| Georgia Tech guard Tony Akins pushes Virginia’s Adam Hall to the floor as he drives to the basket during the first half in Atlanta on Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2000. (AP Photo/Alan Mothner) |
ATLANTA (AP) (Feb. 9) Freshman Clarence Moore scored 15points and Alvin Jones blocked seven shots as Georgia Tech snappeda four-game losing streak in the Atlantic Coast Conference, routingVirginia 68-47 Wednesday night, Feb. 9.
Georgia Tech (11-11, 3-6 ACC) took control with an 18-0 run in the first half, limiting Virginia (15-8, 5-5) to its lowest output of the season.
Moore, making his second start since coach Bobby Cremins changed the lineup, also had 10 rebounds for the first double-double of his career. The 6-foot-11 Jones took advantage of a Virginia team with no starter taller than 6-7, scoring 14 points.
The Cavaliers, who began the day in four-way tie for second in the conference, defeated Georgia Tech 83-65 at home on Jan. 8. But the Yellow Jackets, knowing that Cremins’ future is in jeopardy, pulled off a dramatic turnaround in the rematch.
Virginia made only 28 percent from the field (16-of-58), finishing 15 points below its previous low-scoring game of the season. The Cavs, the ACC’s third-best shooting team (47 percent), made just 2-of-19 outside the 3-point arc.
Donald Hand, Virginia’s leading scorer at 16 points per game, fouled out with 3:52 remaining and just two points on the scoresheet, his worst performance of the season.
Jones’ seven blocks were a career high for a conference game, though it was four short of his overall best. The Yellow Jackers won despite a subpar game by Jason Collier, who got into foul trouble and managed just seven points.
Virginia led 15-11 after Roger Mason’s short jumper with 10:31 remaining in the first half. The Cavaliers didn’t score again for more than seven minutes as Georgia Tech reeled off 18 consecutive points.
During that span, Virginia missed 13 shots from the field and all four of their free-throw attempts. After making six of their first 10 shots, the Cavs went 2-for-20 the rest of the half.
The Yellow Jackets took control without Collier, their leading scorer and rebounder. The 7-footer, averaging 17 points per game, picked up his third foul with 12:38 remaining in the half and sat out the rest of the period.
Collier finally scored his first basket on a 3-pointer with 9:26 remaining. He added another trey with 5:24 to go, helping Tech pull away after Virginia cut the lead to 51-42.
