BLACKSBURG -- All it took was 17 days for the Virginia men's basketball team to gain a share of history.

Only once in 102 seasons had the Cavaliers lost three games in overtime in the same year before falling Saturday at Virginia Tech, 72-65.

The 1986-87 Virginia team was the first to lose three times in overtime.

Two of this year's overtime losses have come to the Hokies, who overcame a 10-point deficit in a 70-69 overtime victory Jan. 16 at John Paul Jones Arena.

This time, Virginia (11-9, 1-6 ACC) led by 12 points in the first half. Tech (14-8, 5-3) rallied to take the lead early in the second half, but the Cavaliers fought back and led 48-41 with under six minutes remaining.

Senior guard Sean Singletary sent the game into overtime with a pair of free throws that made it 54-54 with 7.9 seconds remaining, but Singletary couldn't beat the Hokies by himself.

Singletary scored 10 of Virginia's points during the extra period, in which the Cavaliers were outscored 18-11.

"He's a warrior," UVa coach Dave Leitao said. "I said this the other night, 'I don't know on God's green earth if I've ever met a warrior like him.' "

Singletary finished with a game-high 26 points on an afternoon when reserve Jamil Tucker was the only other UVa player to score in double figures.

Singletary "goes out and he gives it his all every night," said freshman center Mike Scott, who finished with nine points. "He's got something wrong with his hip and he's barely walking, barely practicing and still giving 110 percent. We ought to apologize each game [to] him because sometimes we let him down."

Tucker had 10 points in 17 minutes, but three UVa starters who came into the game averaging double figures -- Adrian Joseph, Mamadi Diane and Calvin Baker -- were a combined 5-for-19 from the floor.

Diane missed an open 3-pointer that would have given the Cavaliers a nine-point lead with 3:43 remaining in regulation; then, with 3:08 left, he missed another 3 that would have made it a seven-point game.

"What did Sean have, 26 and five [rebounds]?" Diane said. "It feels tough that we couldn't have done more to help."

Joseph, who hit a late 3-pointer to win a game at Cassell Coliseum in 2005, had two air balls in the second half Saturday that made him an object of derision by Tech fans.

"Me and Mo [Diane] are supposed to be shooters," Joseph said, "and when our shots aren't going, it definitely hurts the team and it definitely hurts Sean as an individual when we come out with an 'L.' "

Virginia has lost seven times in its last eight games, including conference games in which it has led by nine, 10, 13 and 12 points.

"In the last few minutes of each game, we haven't imposed our will," Joseph said. "Other teams take advantage of that."

After outrebounding the Hokies in the first half, Virginia was outrebounded 30-17 in the second half and overtime and 43-33 for the game.

Tech shot only 39.3 percent from the field, "but it's not half-court defense," Singletary said. "It's all the second-chance baskets we're giving up and not getting back on the fast break."

Virginia shot 35.8 percent from the field and missed 10 free throws, including the front half of a one-and-one by Singletary and both ends of a two-shot opportunity by Diane, who was 3-for-7 from the line.

The Cavaliers had 11 turnovers in the first half, three by Baker during a stretch of four possessions after they had gone ahead 23-11.

Baker, averaging 12.2 points in ACC play, was 0-for-2 from the field and went scoreless in 29 minutes.

"You saw the stats," Leitao said. "He played pretty decent defensively, but, when a guy is averaging 12 points, that's a lot to do without if you're not making up for it with somebody else."