Virginia 64, Georgia Tech 45

ATLANTA — Virginia guard Malcolm Brogdon had 14 points and 11 rebounds in the return to his hometown to help the No. 20 Cavaliers defeat host Georgia Tech 64-45 Saturday for their seventh straight win.

Brogdon, a redshirt-sophomore from suburban Norcross, was only 3-for-12 from the field, but his steal and slam midway in the second half sparked a 15-1 run that broke open what had been a close game. His 11 rebounds matched his career high and he was 7-for-7 from the free-throw line.

It was the second straight double-double for Brogdon, who had the first of his career on Feb. 5 against Boston College.

Virginia did not take the lead for good until its run midway in the second half. The Cavs were trailing 44-42 after Georgia Tech forward Kammeon Holsey’s three-point play with 9:52 remaining. The Yellow Jackets did not make another field goal and were outscored 22-1.

That initial stretch that gave Virginia its separation included three dunks — one each by Brogdon, forward Akil Mitchell and forward Anthony Gill — that turned the momentum. Gill had seven second-half points.

Virginia (19-5, 10-1 ACC) got 11 points from guard Joe Harris and 11 points and six rebounds from Gill.

Georgia Tech (12-12, 3-8) was led by guard Chris Bolden with 13 points, one shy of his season high. Bolden had been limited in practice because of a sprained ankle but was able to start. Center Daniel Miller had seven rebounds and five blocked shots before fouling out.

The first half was close, with Virginia holding the largest lead at five points with 9:20 left. The Cavs looked like they were ready to make a move early when they ran off seven straight points and led 14-13.

But Georgia Tech never let the Cavs wander away thanks to its strong outside shooting. The Yellow Jackets were 5-for-8 on 3-pointers in the half with Bolden making three of them. Bolden had a trey that tied the game at 23-23 and another as the shot clock expired that short-circuited a Virginia run and trimmed the deficit to 29-28.

Georgia Tech wound up taking the lead 30-29 on a basket by Miller with 2:34 left and carried that advantage into intermission.

Virginia outrebounded Georgia Tech 22-14 in the first half but shot only 36.7 percent. The Cavs made four 3-pointers, with Harris connecting twice.

Georgia Tech got two of its injured starters back. Point guard Trae Golden (groin) missed the Clemson game and forward Robert Carter Jr. (knee) was back in the lineup after missing 10 games. Golden played 18 minutes and did not score. Carter played 16 minutes and scored five points, but was obviously rusty from the field, making only 2 of 7 shots.

Notes: With the victory, Virginia has beaten Georgia Tech in seven of its last eight meetings. Coach Tony Bennett is 5-1 against the Yellow Jackets. Tech still leads the all-time series 39-36. … Virginia has two players from Georgia on its roster: Brogdon of Norcross and F Evan Nolte of Milton. Both played at high schools in Atlanta’s northern suburbs. The Cavs will have another next year when Isaiah Wilkins, stepson of Atlanta Hawks great Dominique Wilkins, joins the program. … Its No. 20 ranking is the highest for Virginia since it reached No. 19 on Feb. 6, 2012. … Virginia plays again on Monday with a home game against Maryland. … Georgia Tech plays the second of a four-game homestand on Wednesday against Boston College.