Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 17, 1991 TAG: 9102170065
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
But unlike Princeton, which barged into the Top 25 with its slowdown brand of ball, Clemson succeeded only in keeping the game close Saturday before falling to 19th-ranked Virginia 57-47 at University Hall.
Sophomore guard Doug Smith came off the bench to score a career-high seven points in the final 8:19 as the Cavaliers raised their record to 6-5 in the ACC and 19-7 overall.
"I thought he was the difference down the stretch," said UVa point guard John Crotty, who remained on the floor, but was relieved of some of his ball-handling duties with Smith in the game. "He has a tough role, but he handles it well. He's definitely the reason we won today."
Clemson, on pace to become the first ACC team to drop from first to last in one season, fell to 1-9 in the ACC and 10-13 overall. It was the Tigers' 11th loss in 13 games since New Year's.
"A lot of great coaches - and I'm not saying I'm a great coach - have been through this," Ellis said. "Denny Crum [at Louisville] is going through it this year. I may not like it, but I've got to deal with it."
The Tigers rarely took a shot without running at least 30 seconds off the 45-second clock and, during one stretch, went to a four-corners offense that has practically vanished since the advent of the shot clock.
"I was buying time for Dale Davis," said Ellis, referring to his 6-foot-10 senior and first-team All-ACC performer. "We need to give him rest when he's in there and, when he's out, we have no other choice [other than to stall]."
Ellis has been using his freshmen extensively, but Saturday he started four seniors.
"Our seniors have been part of a very significant era in [Clemson] basketball," Ellis said. "A guy like Ricky Jones has seen an ACC championship and three NCAA Tournaments. This year hasn't been the way they'd like, but it's been a great career fo those guys.
"Every one of our seniors who played today is graduating and one already has. That doesn't make headlines, but we've got four games left [in the regular season] and I want our seniors to go out the right way."
The Tigers led by as many as five points in the first half and used a 9-0 run to take a 36-34 lead in the second half. It was 46-44, in favor of the Cavaliers, with less than six minutes remaining.
"We certainly had Virginia right where we needed it, but we just didn't protect the ball," Ellis said. "Eighteen turnovers, if you're playing up and down, does not sound like a lot. But if you're playing a patient game, the way we were today, that's too many."
The Tigers started in a 2-3 zone, then quickly switched to a box-and-one with a chaser on UVa forward Bryant Stith, the third-leading scorer in the ACC (20.6 ppg).
"We took him out of the game," Ellis said. "After he hit that first three [3-pointer], we knew we couldn't play straight zone. There aren't many 6-5 guys in the country better than he is.
"It's the best Virginia team I've faced in my seven years here. The reason for that is experience and chemistry. They've been to the final eight and the Sweet 16 with basically this team. It's been the same team, it seems to me, for 100 years."
Despite a season-low seven field-goal attempts, Stith led the Cavaliers with 16 points in what was the lowest-scoring game this year between two ACC teams. Davis had game highs of 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Tigers.
"Every stat he gets, it's work," Ellis said. "He's working harder than he's ever had to work."
The game marked the return to action of UVa junior Anthony Oliver, out nine games with a broken right (shooting) hand. Oliver scored six points in 11 minutes.
"I played well, I think," said Oliver, who was wearing a bandage on his palm. "I didn't think I'd be able to shoot at all. I'm still only about 70 percent."
The Cavaliers shot 38.1 percent from the field, the first time all season they've shot under 40 percent and won. Clemson had two more field goals, 18-16, but UVa was 22-of-30 from the free-throw line. The Tigers did not attempt a free throw in the second half and finished 7-of-8.
"Clemson had a great game plan and took the crowd and the emotion out of the game," UVa coach Jeff Jones said. "I thought the story of the game was our defense. They scored only five points in the last eight minutes."
The Cavaliers return to action Tuesday at 9 p.m., when they entertain Georgia Tech, the team that handed UVa its worst ACC road loss since 1975 when the Yellow Jackets rolled 78-51 in Atlanta.
"All of us remember that and I think we'll use it as incentive to get ready for Tuesday," Crotty said. "The loss down there was a tough one to swallow."
CLEMSON MPFGFTRAFPT Jones 261-20-05012Brown 331-40-04042Davis 378-113-4100419Bruce 324-80-012212Burks 382-61-14045Young 90-13-30023Bovain 152-50-00244Harris 80-10-01020Mason 20-00-00000Totals 20018-387-82642347 VIRGINIA MPFGFTRAFPT Stith 374-76-740316Turner 362-104-43008Jeffries 270-22-25112Parker 181-51-33013Crotty 374-91-222210Kirby 51-10-01002Blundin 150-03-53123Oliver 112-52-40016Smith 132-33-30207Katstra 10-00-00000Totals 20016-4222-302461057 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Clemson 22-25-47 Virginia 27-30-57
Three-point goals - Clemson: Brown 0-1, Bruce 4-5, Burks 0-3, Young 0-1, Bovain 0-1, Totals 4-11. Virginia: Stith 2-3, Turner 0-2, Crotty 1-4, Totals 3-9.
Turnovers - Clemson 18 (Burks 5); Virginia 10 (Crotty 5). Blocked shots - Clemson 6 (Davis 3); Virginia 1 (Turner). Steals - Clemson 5 (Bruce 2); Virginia 13 (Turner, Stith 3).
Technical fouls - None. Officials - Paparo, Croft, Donaghy. Attendance - 8,864.
by CNB