Charlottesville - It was far from pretty, but Virginia finished strong to beat Morgan State 75-57 Wednesday night for their eighth straight victory. The Cavaliers were playing for the first time in 11 days following exam week. Akil Mitchell had 15 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists for another solid overall game.
Darion Atkins added a career-high 17 points and Joe Harris scored 14 for Virginia, the Cavs improve to 9-amd-2. DeWayne Jackson scored 32, tying the record for an opponent at John Paul Jones Arena, for the Bears (3-5). The 32 points was also achieved by Clemson's K.C. Rivers and Penn State's Talor Battle.
Virginia led 43-34 when two baskets by Atkins sparked a 12-2 run early in the second half. With Jackson carrying the Bears, they closed to within 59-50 with 6:54 to play before Virginia surged again. A three-point play by Evan Nolte started another 12-2 run for Virginia, and they cruised from there. Virginia plays in-state opponent Old Dominion Saturday at 5:30 in Richmond.
