Assane Sene’s only two points of the game saved Virginia.

The center drained a layup as time expired to give the Cavaliers a 50-49 win over Norfolk State at the John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville, Va. They needed that shot to avoid an embarrassing upset.

The Spartans (1-8) held a 49-48 lead with five seconds remaining, and the Cavaliers whiffed on their next two shots. Guard Sammy Zeglinski missed a 3-point attempt with nine seconds remaining and KT Harrell couldn’t convert a free throw.

Instead, it was all up to Sene, who finished with just those two points.

Guard Mustapha Farrakhan led Virginia with 18 points on a 7 of 14 night. No other Cavalier reached double digits.

That was mainly because Virginia (8-3) wasn’t at full strength. Mike Scott, the Cavs' leading scorer, is expected to miss two weeks after undergoing left ankle surgery last Thursday. Forward Will Sherrill also missed his fourth consecutive game.

Rob Hampton led the Spartans with 17 points.