Kihei Clark’s Second-Half Explosion Lifts Virginia Over Georgia Tech

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Georgia Tech went into Wednesday night’s game against Virginia with a plan to make Kihei Clark beat them. He obliged, though it took a little while to get there. Clark scored all 14 of his points in the second half, helping the Wahoos overcome a 26-20 halftime deficit and secure a 57-49 victory.

Trailing 44-43 with a little over 5:00 to play in regulation, Clark made his biggest contribution by ripping off five consecutive points. The quick flurry from the junior put Virginia up 48-44, a lead they held the rest of the way.

For Clark, who buried four three balls in the game, it was his highest scoring output since December 30, 2020.

Despite the slow start, Clark told Virginia Sports after the game that everyone “told him to keep shooting with confidence.” 

“I made some shots, and it just feels good to pull that one out,” he added.

Trey Murphy III was the only other Virginia player in double-figures, finishing with a team-high 18 points. Sam Hauser and Jay Huff, two near-locks for All-ACC honors, combined for just 12 field goal attempts and 14 points.

“They purposefully took Sam and Jay out of it,” head coach Tony Bennett said after the game.

Tomas Woldetensae saw major floor-time for his second consecutive game, playing 18 minutes. Prior to Virginia’s win over Pittsburgh this past Saturday, the senior played just 21 minutes total in their previous five games.

Though Bennett has firmly established his rotation — a short six to seven-man unit — freshman Reece Beekman has suffered most from Bennett’s renewed trust in the lefty sharpshooter. He’s played 25.5 minutes per game in their last two after averaging 35.3 minutes in the previous eight games.

The Wahoos improved to 14-3 overall and 10-1 in ACC play with the victory. They’re also still the highest-ranked team in the conference by KenPom (No.9). 

The real tests still await, however, as North Carolina, Florida State, Duke, and Louisville are among their six remaining conference games. The Hoos’ next game will be on Saturday against the Tar Heels at John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville. Tip-off for the ESPN showdown is set for 6:00 p.m.