Wisconsin-Green Bay 75, Virginia 72
GREEN BAY, Wis. -- Point guard Keifer Sykes scored 21 points and hit two free throws with 8.7 seconds left to close out Wisconsin-Green Bay's 75-72 victory over Virginia on Saturday in a non-conference meeting at the Resch Center.
Sykes made 6-of-10 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 3-pointers, in addition to making 7-of-8 free throws and handing out 10 assists.
Forward Greg Mays scored a career-high 24 points while reserve guard Carrington Love added 10 for the Phoenix (5-2), which held off a late rally and went down to the wire after leading by as many as 13 in the early second half.
Virginia (7-3) closed to within nine points, but two free throws by Sykes made it 60-49 with 8:56 to play. The Cavaliers answered with a 13-3 run that brought them within a point of the Phoenix after center Mike Tobey made one of two free throws with 4:01 to play.
Guard Malcolm Brogdon tied the game, 69-69, a 3-pointer with 1:53 left, but the Phoenix answered with four straight points to go ahead, 73-69, before another 3-pointer, this time by guard Justin Anderson, got the Cavaliers within a point with 59 seconds left.
Sykes missed a layup and after Harris missed a 3-point shot with 10 seconds left, Sykes made his free throws.
Anderson missed a 3-point shot as the horn sounded.
Brogdon led the way with 17 points for the Cavaliers, while guard Joe Harris and forward Anthony Gill each scored 12, and Anderson and forward Akil Mitchell each finished with 10 points.
The loss spoiled a homecoming for Virginia coach Tony Bennett, who grew up in Green Bay and led the Phoenix to the 1991 NCAA Tournament.
The Cavaliers have lost back-to-back games for the first time this season.
After shooting an all-time low 28 percent in a 48-38 loss to Wisconsin earlier in the week, the Cavaliers came out firing, hitting 9-of-18 shots in the first half.
The Phoenix were even hotter, going 12-of-23 from the field, including 3-of 4 from beyond the arc, to take a 37-31 lead into halftime.
NOTES: Virginia coach Tony Bennett was honored before the game. Bennett played for his father, Dick, at Green Bay from 1988-92 and remains the program's all-time leader with 601 assists and 2,225 points. ... The Cavaliers beat Green Bay last season and are 3-1 all-time against current Horizon League teams. ... The Phoenix blocked 26 shots in their three previous games and have at least nine blocked shots in five of their six games this season.
