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No. 9 Virginia pulls away from Pitt 64-50

Lehigh Virginia Basketball

Lehigh Virginia Basketball

AP

PITTSBURGH (AP) Malcolm Brogdon scored 21 points and No. 9 Virginia pulled away from Pittsburgh in the second half of a 64-50 victory on Saturday.

London Perrantes added 14 for the Cavaliers (19-4, 8-3 ACC), who have won six straight and remain unbeaten (4-0) against the Panthers since Pitt moved to the ACC in 2013. Virginia took control after the Panthers tied it early in the second half, knocking down three straight 3-pointers during a game-turning 12-0 run.

Jamel Artis led Pitt (17-5, 6-4) with 17 points and Michael Young had 12 points and 10 rebounds but the Panthers again struggled to keep up with a quality opponent. All five of Pitt’s losses have come by at least 13 points.

Virginia outscored the Panthers 28-14 in the paint and converted 11 Pitt turnovers into 20 points the other way.

The Cavaliers have hit their stride following a bumpy stretch in early January that included consecutive losses to Virginia Tech and Georgia Tech. They’ve done it by getting back to what they do well -controlling the pace and hitting open shots.

It’s a formula that Pitt used for years to become a consistent contender in the Big East, one they’ve largely abandoned since joining the ACC. The Panthers have been steady if unspectacular this winter, with coach Jamie Dixon wondered how they’d won six of their first nine games in the league despite a notable lack of size in the middle and a toughness deficit. He addressed it by burying the whistle in practice and challenging his players to man up.

Needing a quality win to bolster an otherwise nondescript resume, Pitt couldn’t quite handle the Cavaliers.

Brogdon went off early, scoring 14 points in the first 20 minutes during a taut and entertaining back-and-forth with Young and Artis.

When Sheldon Jeter’s putback knotted the game at 31 a minute into the second half, the raucous black-clad Pitt student section came to life.

Just as abruptly, the Cavaliers took over. Brogdon hit a 3-pointer and Devon Hall followed with one of his own at the end of a possession that perfectly encapsulated what Virginia does so well. Perrantes had the ball on the wing in transition and could have taken a wide open 3-pointer. Instead, the ACC’s leading 3-point shooter pulled the ball down and the Cavaliers ran their offense to get Hall a wide-open 23-footer that he calmly drilled. Perrantes followed with a 3 of his own on Virginia’s next trip and when Hall hit an acrobatic lay-up while getting fouled, the ensuing free throw put Virginia up 43-31.

Pitt never got closer than nine the rest of the way as the Cavaliers cruised late in the game.

TIP-INS

Virginia: The Cavaliers shot 48 percent (24 of 50) from the floor and 9 of 16 from 3-point range. ... Virginia has outscored opponents in 20 of its 23 games.

Pitt: The Panthers shot 39 percent (18 of 41) and made just 2 of 13 3-pointers. ... Senior point guard James Robinson was held scoreless on 0 for 7 shooting.

UP NEXT:

Virginia: Hosts Virginia Tech on Tuesday

Pitt: Travels to No. 2 North Carolina on Tuesday.