Georgia Tech rallies, beats Virginia 66-60

(AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)

By CHARLES ODUM

ATLANTA (AP) Georgia Tech rallied from a halftime deficit of nine points, finally taking the lead on Mfon Udofia's jumper with 1:19 remaining, and beat Virginia 66-60 on Sunday to end the Cavaliers' four-game winning streak.

Virginia led 54-48 following a 3-pointer by freshman Evan Nolte with 9:40 remaining. The Cavaliers then went more than 9 minutes without a field goal before Jontel Evans' driving basket with 35 seconds remaining.

Udofia led Georgia Tech (12-8, 2-6 Atlantic Coast Conference) with 15 points. Freshmen Chris Bolden and Robert Carter Jr. each had 14. Kammeon Holsey had 10 points.

Joe Harris led Virginia (15-6, 5-3) with 18 points, including only four points in the second half. Akil Mitchell had 13 points.

Virginia, which shot 51.9 percent from the field in the first half (14 of 27), made only 8 of 28 shots (28.6 percent) in the second half.

Virginia ranks third in the nation and first in the ACC with its average of 51.2 points allowed per game. Georgia Tech is the first ACC team to reach 60 points against the Cavaliers.

Virginia led 37-28 at halftime. Bolden's 3-pointer with 3:45 remaining tied the game at 57-57 before Udofia's jumper gave the Yellow Jackets their first lead since 20-17.

Carter opened the second half with back-to-back baskets, followed by a short jumper by another freshman, Marcus Georges-Hunt, to cut the lead to 37-34.

Nolte, from Milton, Ga., had a 3-pointer to end the modest Georgia Tech run.

Justin Anderson had 10 points for the Cavaliers but had several misses near the basket in the closing minutes.

Lines of unclaimed yellow foam fingers in empty rows of students seats behind the Georgia Tech band were evidence the game couldn't lure some fans from Super Bowl pregame parties.

When it became clear about midway through the first half that the student seats would remain empty, personnel began collecting the foam fingers. Before the workers could return for their second swing through the empty seats, however, a line of young kids cleaned out the remaining souvenirs.

Updated February 3, 2013