Jan. 22, 2002
Georgia Tech again is struggling through a mediocre season, but that might not stop it from beating a supposedly superior Virginia team.
The seventh-ranked Cavaliers hope to find a way to end their recent woes against the Yellow Jackets as the ACC foes meet at Alexander Memorial Coliseum on Tuesday.
Virginia (12-2, 3-2) has lost four straight in this series despite entering each matchup with a better record than Georgia Tech (7-11, 0-5).
The Cavaliers were ranked in all three meetings last season, when the Yellow Jackets finished 17-13 and just 8-8 in conference play. The streak started in the 1999-00 season, when Georgia Tech finished 13-17 and notched one of its only five ACC wins against Virginia.
The Yellow Jackets also have won six straight at home in this series, dating to Feb. 22, 1995.
Virginia, however, is riding a three-game winning streak after losing its first two conference games, and is taking on a Georgia Tech team that is winless in ACC play.
The Cavaliers got strong efforts from an array of sources in a 91-74 home win over Florida State on Sunday.
Chris Williams scored 24 points while Roger Mason Jr. and freshman Elton Brown each added 16. Travis Watson added 14 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, Jermaine Harper had nine points and Keith Jenifer had five points and six assists, giving the Cavaliers possibly their most complete effort this season.
“When you have a team where a lot of guys can score, it makes it tough to stop us,” said Mason, who leads the team with 18.6 points and 4.8 assists per outing.
Virginia has played two straight games without starting forward Adam Hill, who injured his right foot in a win over North Carolina on Jan. 12. He is out indefinitely.
Georgia Tech has lost four straight and six of seven.
The Yellow Jackets blew a seven-point halftime lead in an 84-71 loss to North Carolina State on Saturday.
Tony Akins, who led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points Saturday, averages a team-leading 16.6.
Virginia leads the all-time series 30-25.
