CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) East Carolina coach Jeff Lebo came to John Paul Jones Arena thinking his team could be running into a buzz saw.

He was right.

Kyle Guy scored 13 points to lead a season-high five Virginia players in double figures, and the No. 14 Cavaliers used strong perimeter shooting to beat the Pirates 76-53 on Tuesday night.

''I knew we would get a spirited group after a loss at home,'' Lebo said. ''They don't lose too often at home.''

Virginia (8-1) had little trouble bouncing back from Saturday's loss to then-No. 25 West Virginia, its first at JPJ in two years. After trailing 16-15 with 9:26 remaining in the first half, the Cavaliers ended the period on a 27-4 run.

The spurt included seven straight made 3-pointers, with three coming from Guy.

A former Mr. Basketball in Indiana, Guy was held out for the final 11:27 during the loss to the Mountaineers. The freshman logged 21 minutes Tuesday, sparking Virginia's early barrage from long range.

''I really think I can help this team,'' Guy said. ''I'm not complaining about my minutes. I'm fine with not playing at all. I just want my team to win.

''I know my minutes are going to fluctuate throughout the year. Some I'll be able to put up numbers and help this team and other games I can help this team by cheering.''

He did both on Tuesday.

The Cavaliers finished 9 of 21 from beyond the arc, taking advantage of East Carolina's 2-3 zone.

''East Carolina played a lot of zone early,'' Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, ''and we shot them out of it.''

London Perrantes added 12 points and five assists for Virginia. Other double-digit scorers for the Cavaliers included Marial Shayok (12), Mamadi Diakite (12) and Jarred Reuter (10).

East Carolina (7-3) was led by Jeremy Sheppard's 17 points.

BIG PICTURE

East Carolina: It was East Carolina's first game against a Power Five team this season. The Pirates entered John Paul Jones Arena searching for their first win over a ranked opponent since Dec. 30, 2002, when they beat then-No. 13 Marquette and Dwyane Wade. They've never defeated a ranked team on the road. ... East Carolina, picked to finish seventh in the 11-team American Athletic Conference, is looking for its first winning season since 2012-13. It features three players averaging at least 12 points per game.

Virginia: Coming off a competitive week that included games against West Virginia and Ohio State, the Cavaliers weren't expected to be tested Tuesday. The game against the Pirates gave Bennett another opportunity to work different combinations as the team continues its quest for an identity in the post following the Nov. 18 dismissal of Austin Nichols. Virginia, after being outscored by a combined 26 points in the paint against the Mountaineers and Buckeyes, was plus-26 vs. East Carolina. A Dec. 21 road matchup with Ivan Rabb and California should reveal plenty about this team on the interior.

''Each game presents different matchups,'' Bennett said, ''but we tried to be a little more intentional getting to the paint off the dribble, dropping passes, throwing it inside.''

SHARING THE WEALTH

Virginia assisted on all 15 of its first-half field goals, and 22 of 30 for the game. Four different Cavaliers finished with at least three assists.

BIG MAN SHUT DOWN

East Carolina 7-foot-1 center Andre Washington, who entered averaging 9.8 points and 8.4 rebounds per game, was held scoreless with four rebounds.

''Most of the time, if we're going against a big guy and he gets it, we try to trap the post,'' Bennett said. ''That's a staple of our defense, to try to be disruptive. I thought for the most part we did a good job. It's hard to score out of that.''

UP NEXT

The Pirates are off until Dec. 15, when they host College of Charleston.

The Cavaliers are off until Dec. 17, when they host Robert Morris.

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