Georgia Tech basketball coach Paul Hewitt joked Thursday that his team, "finally caught a break," in Alexander Memorial Coliseum, where Tech is 4-6.

Actually, it was a leak.

A 7 p.m. game against Virginia was postponed because a leaky roof kept dropping water on the lane near the east goal.

That's right. Rained out for the first time in a basketball history that dates back to 1905-06, when games were played at a place called Peachtree Auditorium before coach John Heisman's teams moved to the Cable Piano Company Hall and then on campus in what was called the Crystal Palace.

Some drought, huh?

"I think there was one time during a summer camp at the other end, but never that spot before, at least not in the eight years I've been here," Hewitt said.

Athletics director Dan Radakovich and Virginia executive associate director of athletics John Oliver said the schools would try to reschedule.

There was work done on the Coliseum's roof last summer, but there had been no recent leaks over the court.

Rain fell steadily for most of Thursday, but there was no water problem when the women's team practiced up to 5:30. "It really began to accumulate between their practice and 6:30 or 7," Radakovich said.

Fixing the problem immediately was "really not an option," Radakovich said. "You just can't walk out of the arena and go up onto the roof."

The drip was steady enough that the thought of frequently wiping it up was not seriously considered. No thought was given to moving the game, Radakovich said.

John Clougherty, supervisor of ACC men's basketball officials, was at Thursday's would-be game by coincidence and involved in the decision to postpone. "Injury was in the forefront of our minds," he said.

There is no ACC rule mandating that teams have at least two days between games, but it is a rule of thumb. That could be a problem in rescheduling.

"It doesn't look like there's a two-day window where we could get this game made up," Oliver said. "It looks like it may have to be played after the end of the regular season and prior to conference tournament."

Tech (11-13, 4-6 ACC) ends the regular season March 8 at Boston College. Virginia (12-12, 2-9) wraps up March 9 against Maryland.

A Tuesday, March 11 make-up game might be problematic because both teams likely will play March 13 in the first round of the ACC tournament, and — in theory — would thus have to play five games in six days to have a chance to win the ACC tournament, which ends March 16.

The one spot that appears possible on both team's regular-season schedules — Monday, March 3 — is not so desirable, especially for Virginia.

The Cavaliers would play March 1 at Miami, March 3 at Tech, and March 5 against Duke. Tech would play three straight home games — March 1 against Wake Forest, March 3 against Virginia, and March 6 against Clemson.

Regarding the possibility of not playing the game, Radakovich said, "I'm not prepared to go down that road right now."

Before the decision to postpone, while waiting out an initial delay of 20 minutes, Tech officials played, "Here Comes the Rain Again," by the Eurhythmics and, "The Rain King," by the Counting Crows.

Once the PA announcer told fans in a less-than-half-filled arena that the game would hopefully be rescheduled and to hold onto ticket stubs, Tech fans Jeff Reeves and his son Lee were not amused.

They drove five hours from Demopolis, Ala. After Lee's first chance to see a Tech game was drowned out, he said, "It sucks."

No, it rained.