CLEMSON -- In a matchup that kept fans inside Littlejohn Coliseum heated for 40 minutes of basketball, Clemson's ice-cold shooting made all the difference.
The Tigers (14-7, 4-6) aimed to secure back-to-back wins in ACC play for the first time this season. Jacob Groves and Virginia had different plans.
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Jack Clark's last-second shot from the top of the key missed its mark, as the Cavaliers (17-5, 8-3) did just enough to hold on, taking down the Tigers, 66-65, Saturday afternoon.
The Cavaliers have now won four straight in the series.
"Man, hard one. Had a lot of those lately," said Clemson head coach Brad Brownell.
With 5:55 left to play in the second half, PJ Hall hit a three-pointer to give Clemson a 57-56 lead. It was the last time the Tigers made a basket for the rest of the afternoon.
Despite Hall leading all scorers with 19 points, it was anything but a great shooting day.
Hall finished 4-16 on the afternoon, struggling to maintain offensive rhythm. Hall got to the line consistently, finishing 10-12 from the charity stripe.
"We've got so many guys who can shoot the ball. It's just not falling," said Hall. "I thought Jack's looked good. It just hurts, man."
On a day when the Tigers were unable to secure any momentum on the offensive side, it was Virginia who had complete control, holding a lead for over 35 minutes.
Led by Groves off the bench, the Cavaliers made timely shots consistently, shooting just over 44 percent from the field.
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The Cavaliers, which held a 34-26 advantage at halftime, only hit five three-pointers all afternoon. Groves, who only had averaged under eight points a game on the year, made his minutes count, accounting for 17 of Virginia's 21 points off the bench.
Clemson's bench only managed five on the day, all coming from Josh Beadle with Clark going 0-for-5 from the floor and R.J. Godfrey finishing at 0-for-3.
Despite a cold final stretch for Clemson, the Tigers got another strong performance out of Joseph Girard who finished with 14 points, including four deep conversions that kept Clemson in the contest throughout the afternoon. Girard was one of four Tiger starters to record double figures in scoring.
Added Brownell: "We were a basket short. That's happened about three times this year now."
Ian Schieffelin finished with 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting and nine rebounds.
Chase Hunter added 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting.
Clemson, having now lost six of its last nine contests, shot just 35.7-percent.
Brownell is now 3-16 all-time against Virginia.
On Tuesday, Clemson will travel to Chapel Hill to take on North Carolina at 7 p.m. on ESPN.
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