How to watch the No. 3 Virginia Cavaliers (18-1) vs. No. 23 North Carolina State Wolfpack (16-4) Time: 7:00 p.m. ET Location: PNC Arena TV & Online Streaming: ESPN 2 | WatchESPN.com Radio: Virginia Sports Radio Network Latest Sportsbook Odds: Virginia is favored by 7.5 points Virginia got the job done—easily—last weekend, and now face red hot State, who used an 8-0 run at the end with a three-point buzzer-beater to best Clemson last weekend. It’s a classic clash of opposites when these two meet tonight. Will Virginia be able to maintain control of the pace of play or will the Wolfpack be able to speed things up? Join us pre- and in-game and give us your thoughts!<doc-sep>Playing a Tony Bennett Virginia team is bound to be as painful as it is normally, what the Cavaliers once again playing some of the best defense in the country. The Cavs rank second in defensive efficiency this year and have finished in the top five in five of the last seven seasons. What’s different about this UVA team is how much more frightening it is at the offensive end, and this is what makes this the best team in the country as far as I’m concerned. The Cavaliers have had good offenses consistently during Bennett’s time there but rarely have they been elite. This year you could argue they have the best offense in college basketball, which is rather frightening to consider. UVA’s lead trio of guards Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy and wing De’Andre Hunter gives this team the sort of diversified attack it hasn’t always been able to feature. Hunter in particular is a fantastic season and I’ve really been impressed by his play when I’ve had the chance to see him. He can do a little bit of everything, from rebounding to scoring off the dribble, and he’s shooting well from everywhere on the floor. Tough kid, tough matchup. UVA has been the most efficient offense in league play, and it is hitting over 40% of its threes in those games. The Cavs are a bit more perimeter-oriented than usual, which is fine since they’re ranked 13th overall in three-point accuracy. They’re shooting well from the field in general and they’re great at the foul line. They are extra scary because they just do not turn the ball over—they rank first nationally in turnover rate, giving it up on a meager 13.5% of possessions. Thank goodness the Cavs aren’t an exceptional offensive rebounding team, or else I dunno how you’d slow them down. Regardless, this offense presents a steep challenge. The Pomeroy Predictor likes UVA by 10.<doc-sep>In the packed PNC Arena, with the crowd decked out in red and white, the No. 3 Virginia survived an overtime battle against No. 23 N.C. State, 66-65. The overtime contest ended only after a clutch 3-pointer from Kyle Guy with two minutes left, two free throws from De'Andre Hunter and a big missed free throw from N.C. State. RANKINGS: Andy Katz's Power 36 | NET Top 25 | AP Poll The Wolfpack battled the Cavaliers for two full halves, outscoring Virginia 32-28 in the second half and forcing 16 turnovers, doubling N.C. State's eight. As the momentum shifted to the Pack, the last five minutes of the second half turned into a battle. North Carolina State went from down by 8 to down by 3 in just the last two minutes, as the clock continued to wind down. FINAL: No. 3 Virginia holds on to win 66-65 in overtime at No. 23 NC State! 🔶⚔️🔷 #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/LXXnGIHNLR — Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 30, 2019 A free throw from N.C. State tied the game at 53, and then Braxton Key came up for Virginia with a tip shot to give his team the go-ahead two. Two free throws from State's Markell Johnson sent the game into overtime. N.C. State moved across the floor with confidence, but the Wolfpack couldn't match the power of the Cavs. With about two minutes left, the score 61-61 and a second overtime a real possibility, Guy stepped up. Guy's 3-pointer gave his team the fire it needed, and Virginia, a team that struggled at times against the No. 23 Wolfpack, held on, as N.C. State made only two of three free throws with a chance to tie. The Cavs will play Miami at home at Saturday before welcoming No. 2 Duke to Charlottesville for a top-5 ACC battle the following weekend.<doc-sep>
It is exceptionally difficult to come back from down double digits to Virginia, but NC State managed to do just that in the second half on Tuesday night—it’s a credit to the Wolfpack’s toughness, but this time it wasn’t enough. Virginia snuck out of town with a one-point victory. Markell Johnson had a chance to tie the game with three free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining in overtime, but missed the first, forcing State to attempt a desperation bucket off a missed free throw ... which of course Markell accidentally made. Hey, what can ya do. Kyle Guy delivered the dagger for the Cavaliers in the extra period, draining a corner three with the score knotted at 61 late. It wasn’t the first time he’s delivered that sort of clutch shot for the Hoos. NC State did a surprisingly good job throughout the night of hounding Virginia into mistakes and finished with the advantage in the turnover category. Turnovers helped keep the Wolfpack within striking distance despite a terrible shooting start in the first half. The four-point halftime deficit could have been much worse. The deficit got much worse as UVA found a groove in the second half, but give State tons of credit, it didn’t quit and a late rally was nearly enough to deliver an upset win in regulation. So close. Virginia’s defense is designed to both force a lot of threes and also make them tough looks. The Cavs are better than anyone in the country at forcing awful possessions, and the Pack certainly had its share. There were multiple stretches of ugliness, and that’s why Virginia is such a difficult team to beat. NC State doesn’t get to feel sorry for itself after this one, though—there’s no time for that with Virginia Tech up next.