Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 5, 1991 TAG: 9102050262
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
As they took the floor for warmups, the Cavaliers were taken aback to hear a small but vocal group of Radford supporters taking pains to make their presence known.
"They were loud and obnoxious and said some things about our players that fired us up," UVa guard John Crotty said. "It was the first time I'd ever seen it happen in our building."
The Highlanders' basketball team proved equally pesky for the first 11 1/2 minutes before 11th-ranked Virginia pulled away for its sixth straight victory, 87-54.
"I think I have to thank the Radford fans for the way we got started," UVa coach Jeff Jones said. "The Radford people got in here early and made some noise. . . . If our players weren't motivated before they came out for warmups, they were afterwards."
The game resembled Virginia's last game against a team from the New River Valley, when the Cavaliers outrebounded Virginia Tech by 32 in an 86-60 triumph. UVa controlled the backboards Monday by a 53-20 count.
"Without question, rebounding was the key," said Radford coach Oliver Purnell, whose team had three offensive rebounds. "Their size and strength took its toll."
Junior Bryant Stith hit 10 of 12 shots from the field and finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Kenny Turner, a 6-foot-6 senior, had 18 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
"I knew I was getting a lot of rebounds tonight," said Turner, whose previous high for rebounds was 13 against Wake Forest in 1988. "I didn't know how many, but I didn't want my career best to be from my freshman year."
After Radford had closed to 17-16 with 8:44 remaining in the first half, Virginia scored 13 points in a row and the Highlanders came no closer than 10 thereafter.
The Cavaliers improved to 17-4 - their best 21-game record since Ralph Sampson's final season in 1982-83 - with their third victory in as many games over a Big South opponent. UVa earlier had beaten Winthrop 93-47 and Davidson 71-47.
"I'd like to see us play [Virginia] once every two or three years to see how our program measures up as the years go by," Purnell said. "One thing I hope we learned is we've got to take better shots on the road."
The Highlanders (16-5) shot 38.9 percent from the field, with only one starter, senior center Ron Shelburne, contributing more than two field goals.
Doug Day, Radford's leading scorer with a 20.6-point average, was 1-for-11. Day, generously listed at 6-1, was giving up at least 6 inches to Virginia shooting guard Cornel Parker.
"I've had 6-4 and 6-5 guys on me before," Day said, "but never anybody as big as Parker, with such long arms. He really did a good job. I let him bother me."
Stith was the first UVa starter to go to the bench, with 7:26 remaining, and Crotty followed less than a minute later as Jones tried to give his regulars some rest before they head to North Carolina.
The Cavaliers play at Duke at 9 p.m. Thursday, visit North Carolina at 4 p.m. Saturday and travel to Wake Forest for a 4 p.m. Sunday game in scheduling that Crotty has called "hallucinogenic."
"While I'm down there, I think I'll apply for a North Carolina driver's license," Crotty said Monday.
Jones said the Cavaliers originally were to have played at Wake Forest on Jan. 26, then gone to Notre Dame the next day. The Duke game was pushed back from Wednesday to Thursday for TV purposes.
"We're looking at it as a one-game road trip to Duke," Jones said. "Look at it any other way and you're overlooking one of the top 10 teams in the country [Duke]."
Radford returns to action Saturday night, when it plays host to Coastal Carolina in a battle for first place in the Big South.
"We were overmatched at every position tonight," said Shelburne, obviously overlooking his matchup with Ted Jeffries, whom he outscored 16-5. "The one thing we learned from Virginia is they're a good team and they took it seriously."
RADFORD MPFGFTRAFPT Burgess 241-60-04042Travis 301-45-65117Shelburne 308-130-201116Hawkins 212-50-01354Day 301-112-20115Barber 326-101-226314Gallaher 100-22-22122Reece 70-00-03010Ortiz 82-30-01004Joy 40-00-00000Horton 20-00-00010Blow 10-00-00000Noussis 10-00-00010Totals 20021-5410-1420132054 VIRGINIA MPFGFTRAFPT Stith 2710-122-3100225Turner 287-103-3162018Jeffries 172-61-32035Crotty 276-132-424114Parker 212-90-01334Blundin 243-91-210237Kirby 80-11-22001Johnson 150-20-00100Katstra 162-21-32105Smith 50-10-00100Wilson 40-10-00000Stewart 20-01-21001Havlicek 21-12-41004Ford 20-00-00000Floriani 21-10-00002Totals 20034-6814-2653141287 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Radford29-25-64 Virginia42-45-87
Three-point goals - Radford: Day 1-8, Barber 1-3, Totals 2-11. Virginia: Stith 3-3, Turner 1-3, Crotty 0-1, Blundin 0-2, Katstra 1-1, Totals 5-10.
Turnovers - Radford 14 (Barber 4); Virginia 14 (Turner 4). Blocked shots - Radford 4 (Travis 4); Virginia 6 (three with 2). Steals - Radford 7 (Hawkins 2, Day 2); Virginia 10 (Turner 3, Crotty 3).
Technical fouls - None. Officials - Scott, Styons, Steed. Attendance - 6,500.
by CNB