CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. _ For many years now under head coach Tony Bennett, Virginia has had a way of making some of the nation's best college basketball offenses look like anemic, listless shells of themselves. The Cavaliers have so perfected the art of forcing sports cars to run like golf carts that it is no longer surprising.
And so it was here on Saturday, against Duke. The Blue Devils arrived at John Paul Jones Arena as the ACC's most potent offensive team. They were averaging more than 83 points per game. They left, as so many teams have over the years, humbled and flustered after a 52-50 defeat, one that wasn't decided until the final moment.
It ended, at the buzzer, with Tre Jones, Duke's sophomore point guard, missing a running 30-footer as time expired. Jones' final shot bounced off the right side of the rim, and the Cavaliers celebrated just their fourth victory against the Blue Devils in the past 11 games between these teams.
Duke, led by 17 points from Jones and Vernon Carey, made but 30.5% of its shots. Jay Huff, a Durham, N.C., native, led the Cavaliers with 15 points. Duke could not capitalize on its opportunity to move into a three-way tie for first place in the ACC. The Blue Devils are seeking their first regular-season ACC championship since 2010.
