Jan. 27, 2008
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Matt Causey scored 12 of his 18 points in overtime when he hit a pair of 3-pointers and Georgia Tech won its second consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference road game, beating reeling Virginia 92-82 on Sunday.
Causey scored nine straight points at one point in the extra period, hitting a 3-pointer, driving around Sean Singletary for a layup, adding a long 3-pointer from right in front of his bench and a free throw for the Yellow Jackets (10-9, 3-3).
Virginia (11-7, 1-4), co-champions of the league last season, lost for the fifth time in six games and for the second time in the conference at home. Last season, the Cavaliers did not lose an ACC home game in sharing the title with North Carolina.
Gani Lawal added 15 points, Lewis Clinch 14 and Zack Peacock 12 for Georgia Tech.
Calvin Baker and Mamadi Diane scored 16 each to lead Virginia, while Singletary had 11 but missed 14 of his 19 shots. Jamil Tucker and Adrian Joseph each added 13.
After a nail-biter regulation, the extra period was all Causey, who took over the game after Jeremis Smith gave Georgia Tech a 78-76 lead and Singletary tied it.
As Causey got hot for Georgia Tech, Virginia kept missing 3-pointers.
The victory, following a win at North Carolina State on Wednesday night, gave the Yellow Jackets a hopeful start to a stretch that includes three more road games in the next four. That brutal streak includes a visit to Connecticut on Feb. 9.
Peacock’s basket and Causey’s layup off a turnover gave the Yellow Jackets a 70-69 lead with 4 minutes left in regulation, and Causey’s backdoor layup made it 72-69.
Diane’s 3-pointer from the top of the key tied it with 3:11 to play, and he made one of two free throws with 2:33 left to give Virginia the lead. After Peacock’s tough jumper in the lane, Singletary’s free throw made it 74-all with 1:43 to play.
Georgia Tech then inexplicably failed to get a shot off in 35 seconds and turned it over, and when Singletary’s 3-point try missed, the ball was ruled out of bounds off Georgia Tech, giving the Cavaliers possession and a new 35 with 43.8 seconds left.
Singletary tried a drive, but missed, and in another scramble for the loose ball, Diane came up with it and Virginia called time with 17.7 seconds to play and :09 to shoot. While working the ball around, Baker attempted to get it to Singletary and the Yellow Jackets intercepted, sending Peacock in for a dunk with 10.4 seconds left.
Taking the inbounds, Singletary drove down the floor and into the lane, throwing up a reverse layup that arched high above the rim, then dropped to tie it again.
Causey’s 40-footer at the buzzer rattled in and then out, forcing overtime.
Georgia Tech started the second half with a 10-2 run to get within 50-48, and pulled even at 55 on Lewis Clinch’s 3-pointer. After Baker’s short jumper for Virginia, another 3 by Clinch gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead of the game at 58-57.
The Cavaliers then scored seven straight points, getting a 3-pointer from Jamil Tucker from the top of the key, two free throws by Diane and a drive by Singletary.
Just as quickly, Georgia Tech answered. Alade Aminu scored inside, Clinch hit his fourth 3-pointer of the game and after a jumper by Joseph for Virginia, Jeremis Smith hit two free throws and Lawal hit one, knotting it again at 66 with 7:54 remaining.
Virginia made nine 3-pointers in the first half, two during a 10-0 run that gave it a 24-13 lead. The Cavs led the rest of the half, building their margin as high as 13 before Lance Storrs’ 3-pointer 36 seconds before halftime made it 48-38 at the break.
