By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - Travis Watson scored 15 points, including two free throws to give Virginia the lead with 2:41 left, and grabbed 14 rebounds as Virginia outlasted North Carolina State 61-58 Sunday.

The Cavaliers (14-7, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) held the Wolfpack without a point after Julius Hodge's driving bank shot with 2:56 remaining to follow up a victory at No. 8 Maryland with another key victory.

The Wolfpack (12-7, 5-4) led most of the second half, but turned into the Hodge show in the final minutes, and the sophomore's desperation off-balance 3-point try at the buzzer rimmed out.

Hodge led the Wolfpack with 15 points, including 12 in the second half, and scored his team's last eight, but needed 8:16 to do it.

Elton Brown added 12 points for Virginia, including a layin that gave the Cavaliers their first lead of the second half with 4:23 left.

Virginia played much of the game as if it was waiting for a spark, and it got it when Devin Smith hit a 3-pointer with 13:42 to play, pulling the Cavaliers to within 45-39 and bringing a deafening roar from the crowd.

The shot sparked a 12-5 run capped by Watson's putback of his own miss, getting Virginia to 50-48, but North Carolina State answered.

Hodge hit three shots over the next three minutes, countering baskets by Jermaine Harper and Watson, before Harper hit the Cavaliers' fourth 3-pointer and Brown backed in for a layin, giving Virginia a 57-56 lead.

Hodge again answered with a basket while being fouled, but missed the free throw, and Watson and Derrick Byars both converted one-and-one free throw chances to give the Cavaliers a 61-58 lead with 1:56 left.

An offensive foul call against Hodge, a throw away by Clifford Crawford and a missed 3-pointer by Marcus Melvin marked the Wolfpack's next three possessions, and they got one last chance to set something up when coach Herb Sendek called a timeout with 12.4 seconds left.

After getting the ball the Hodge, he dribbled around the perimeter of the Virginia defense, finally rushing a leaning 3-pointer at the buzzer.

The Cavaliers trailed 30-29 at halftime after the Wolfpack outscored them 18-9 over the last eight minutes of a plodding, sloppy first half.