Virginia Cavaliers @ Clemson Tigers
Groves scores 17 off the bench, Virginia edges Clemson 66-65 after wild finish
CLEMSON, S.C. -- — Reserve Jacob Groves scored 17 points, Reece Beekman and Isaac McKneely scored 14 points each, and Virginia survived a wild finish to defeat Clemson 66-65 on Saturday.
A 3-pointer by PJ Hall gave the Tigers their first lead since the 16-minute mark of the first half, 57-56 with 5 1/2 minutes remaining. McKneely and Groves answered with jumpers and McKneely added a four-point play to put Virginia up 64-59 near the 2-minute mark. Virginia (17-5, 8-3 ACC) didn't score again until Ryan Dunn's layup gave the Cavaliers a 66-62 lead with 37 seconds left.
With 7 seconds left, Hall was fouled on a 3-pointer and his three free throws got Clemson within 66-65. The Tigers fouled Dante Harris, still with 7 seconds left, and he missed the front end of the one-and-one. Clemson's Jack Clark rebounded, passed to Chase Hunter and got the ball back for a good look at a 3-pointer but it bounced off the back of the rim and time expired.
Hall scored 19 points, including 10 of 12 from the free-throw line. Joe Girard added 14 points, Ian Schieffelin 13 and Chase Hunter 12 for Clemson (14-7, 4-6).
After falling behind 12 to open the second half, the Tigers rallied and a 7-0 run got them within 42-40 with under 14 minutes remaining. But Virginia held the lead until a 3 by Girard capped another 7-0 Clemson run, tying the score at 54 with just less than 7 minutes left.
Groves, a 7.3 points per game scorer, has scored 17 points and 18 points the last two games. He hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points in the first half against Clemson. Virginia led for all but 90 seconds and led 34-26 at halftime.
Virginia hosts Miami on Monday. Clemson plays at North Carolina on Tuesday.
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Game Information
Clemson, SC

Referee:Jeff Clark
Referee:Ted Valentine
Referee:Jemel Spearman

2025-26 Standings
| Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference | CONF | GB | OVR |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duke | 17-1 | - | 35-3 |
| Virginia | 15-3 | 2 | 30-6 |
| Miami | 13-5 | 4 | 26-9 |
| North Carolina | 12-6 | 5 | 24-9 |
| Clemson | 12-6 | 5 | 24-11 |
| Louisville | 11-7 | 6 | 24-11 |
| NC State | 10-8 | 7 | 20-14 |
| Florida State | 10-8 | 7 | 18-15 |
| California | 9-9 | 8 | 22-12 |
| Stanford | 9-9 | 8 | 20-13 |
| Virginia Tech | 8-10 | 9 | 19-13 |
| SMU | 8-10 | 9 | 20-14 |
| Wake Forest | 7-11 | 10 | 18-17 |
| Syracuse | 6-12 | 11 | 15-17 |
| Pittsburgh | 5-13 | 12 | 13-20 |
| Notre Dame | 4-14 | 13 | 13-18 |
| Boston College | 4-14 | 13 | 11-20 |
| Georgia Tech | 2-16 | 15 | 11-20 |
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