CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (WVIR) – In his final home game, Reece Beekman shined on Senior Night with a team-high 21 points and nine assists leading Virginia to a 72-57 win over Georgia Tech.
With the win Virginia (12-7 ACC) clinches the 3-seed for the upcoming ACC tournament.
Virginia made 12 three-pointers and led by as many as 23 points in the second half.
Isaac McKneely had 16 points. Taine Murray had 12 off the bench.
After the game coach Tony Bennett spoke to the crowd, honoring Reece Beekman as the school’s all-time steals leader. He then talked to the media.
“A lot of stuff gets talked about the state of college basketball. Let’s celebrate a guy like Reece Beekman who came to Virginia and stayed four years, he tested (the NBA waters), he went but then decided to come back and help a team win,” said Bennett. “He’s always been a good player but he’s taken a step each year and he’s improved. He’s the career leader in steals (at UVA), he’s won two ACC championships, he’s done so much and that’s what’s right.”
Here are some other notes from a UVA basketball media release:
Team Notes
• Virginia (22-9, 13-7 ACC) earned the No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament with the win
• UVA has won 22 or games in 11 of 15 seasons under Tony Bennett
• UVA has 13 or more league wins in six of the last seven seasons
• The Cavaliers finished with a 15-2 record at John Paul Jones Arena in 2023-24, marking the ninth time UVA has won 15 or more home games
• UVA is 168-11 all-time when scoring 70 or more points under Bennett
• UVA is 11-0 when scoring 70 or more points in 2023-24
• UVA led 38-24 at the half and improved to 20-0 when leading at halftime
• UVA shot 51.8 percent (29 of 56), including 12 of 26 from 3-point range
• UVA made 10 or more 3-pointers for the eight time and first since drilling 10 at Florida State on Feb. 10
• UVA attempted a season-low four free throws
• UVA forced one shot clock violation (26 in 2023-24)
Series Notes
• Virginia is 49-40 all-time vs. Georgia Tech, including a 27-11 mark in Charlottesville, in a series that dates to 1947-48
• The Cavaliers have a 12-game win streak in the series and 10-game home win streak against the Yellow Jackets
• Virginia is 20-2 in its last 22 games against Georgia Tech, including a 19-2 mark under head coach Tony Bennett
Player Notes
• Double Figure Scorers: Reece Beekman (21), Isaac McKneely (16), Taine Murray (12)
• Beekman matched a career high with 21 points
• Beekman moved into 42nd on UVA’s all-time scoring list with 1,152 points
• Beekman reached double figures for the 56th time (26 in 2023-24)
• McKneely reached double figures for the 25th time
• Murray reached double figures for the fourth time (3 in 2023-24)
• Murray played a career-high 28 minutes
• Beekman (9 assists) moved into seventh on UVA’s single-season assist list with 18
• UVA honored seniors Tristan How, Jordan Minor, Jake Groves and Reece Beekman and managers Joe Busch, Wayne Yen and Brian Rodgers in a pregame ceremony
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