ATLANTA — Quinton Stephens, Adam Smith and Nick Jacobs each scored 16 points and Georgia Tech won its biggest ACC game under fifth-year coach Brian Gregory, a 68-64 upset of No. 4 Virginia on Saturday.
The loss was a rare second in a row for Virginia, matching its loss total of each of the last two years when it won consecutive Atlantic Coast Conference regular season titles.
Georgia Tech (11-5, 1-2) got four 3-pointers apiece from Stephens and Smith.
Malcolm Brogdon finished with 19 points and London Perrantes had 13 points for the Cavaliers (12-3, 1-2).
Virginia has dropped two straight in the ACC for the first time since it lost at Boston College and Florida State in March 2013. The Cavaliers' loss at Virginia Tech on Monday snapped a seven-game winning streak in the series.
Gregory, whose job was in danger when last season ended, began the game just 19-53 in league play, but he watched his team take a 15-point lead late in the first half.
Georgia Tech, which ended a seven-game skid in league play, let Virginia force a 49-all tie on Marial Shayok's 3-pointer with 6:09 remaining. But the Jackets went on an 11-0 run sparked by Stephens' two 3-pointers and one by Smith to put the game out of reach.
TIP-INS
Virginia: The Cavaliers had won three straight and eight of nine against Georgia Tech. ... Virginia began the game shooting 57.6 percent in the second half this season, but they missed 18 times from the field to finish the second 20 minutes at 41.4.
Coach Tony Bennett started 7-foot, 260-pound C Mike Tobey instead of Isaiah Wilkins to get an edge on the boards. He finished with seven points and seven rebounds. ... Wilkins, at 6-7, 230, had a big putback to cut the lead to 49-46. ... Shayok started instead of Darius Thompson and had six points.
Georgia Tech: G Marcus Georges-Hunt, the team's leading scorer this season, finished with five points on 1 for 6 shooting. ... Stephens made his first start of the season as Josh Heath came off the bench. Gregory also started F James White for just the third start of the season with Jacobs working as a reserve. White had a game-high nine rebounds.
The Jackets have rebounded 13 opponents. ... Charles Mitchell, the ACC's leading rebounder, had an offensive board and a putback to make it 45-36, but he finished with just six points and six boards. ... Jacobs' lane hook put the Jackets up 47-38.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech: visits Notre Dame on Wednesday.
