ROAD STAYS SMOOTH
Huff’s ‘ugly’ shot ensures Cavaliers stay unbeaten, extend streaks
CLEMSON, S.C. – Style points – or the lack thereof – weren’t a concern for Jay Huff when he bricked in a 3-pointer Saturday afternoon at a crucial moment early in the second half of No. 4 Virginia’s 63-43 win at Clemson.
One doesn’t quibble about aesthetics when an opportunity to log serious minutes at a significant stretch in an Atlantic Coast Conference road game finally arises. It was Huff ’s time to shine.
Huff chipped in with 11 points and seven rebounds in just 10 minutes off the bench while helping spark a 21-5 second-half run. U.Va. (15-0, 3-0 ACC), which was led by Kyle Guy’s 13 points and a typically stout defensive effort, picked up its 12th consecutive ACC road victory — the fourth-longest such streak in conference history.
U.Va. was clinging to a 32-28 edge when the 7-foot-1 Huff came into the game for the first time with 15:46 left, after starting center Jack Salt picked up his third foul.
A minute later, Huff took a pass from Ty Jerome near the top of key, immediately launched a 3pointer over the outstretched hand of forward Elijah Thomas and watched the shot bounce awkwardly off the glass and the back of the rim before falling in the basket.
“It was an ugly one,” said Huff, a Durham, N.C., native whose teammates jumped off the bench and applauded his 3-pointer. “I’d have been mad if I was guarding me and it went in like that. I would’ve been pretty upset, but I’ll take what I can get.”
Huff, a redshirt sophomore who made 4 of 5 shots from the floor, went on to have seven