Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, February 20, 1991 TAG: 9102200327
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The Yellow Jackets captured their second victory against a Top 25 team in three days when they defeated 20th-ranked Virginia 73-60 at University Hall.
It was the most lopsided home loss of the season for the Cavaliers, who earlier had suffered their worst road loss in 15 years when they fell to the Yellow Jackets 78-51 in Atlanta.
Georgia Tech had lost three straight games before Sunday, when it upset No. 6 Arizona 62-56 in East Rutherford, N.J. Tuesday's victory lifted the Yellow Jackets to 15-9 overall, 6-6 in the ACC.
"We looked dead, we looked lifeless, we looked like we had given up," Tech coach Bobby Cremins said. "I thought, `What's Arizona going to do to us. Then, golly, we've got to go to Virginia.' "
The Yellow Jackets had won only one game in 12 previous trips to University Hall, but they never had won at the Smith Center in Chapel Hill, N.C., before beating North Carolina 88-86 last month.
"Kenny came up to me after the game tonight and said, `Coach, you finally won in Charlottesville,' " Cremins said, "But I don't get caught up in all that. I've had trouble a lot of places."
It looked as if Cremins could breathe easily when Tech was ahead 54-40 with less than nine minutes remaining, but Virginia closed to 56-53 after a technical foul on Yellow Jackets' forward Malcolm Mackey.
Tech was up 56-45 when Mackey fouled Kenny Turner with 6:20 remaining. A shoving match ensued under the basket and Mackey was called for the technical.
Turner made two free throws, Bryant Stith added two more and the Cavaliers were awarded the ball. Stith then missed a 3-pointer from the corner for what could have been a seven-point possession.
A pull-up jump shot by John Crotty and a short Turner jumper from the lane enabled the Cavaliers to cut the deficit to three with 4:20, but that was as close as UVa got.
"Mackey's technical was inexcusable," Cremins said. "I thought we had control, then Mackey does that. It was an incredibly stupid thing. If we had lost tonight, everybody would have blamed Mackey."
Anderson got Mackey off the hook, however, when he found Matt Geiger with a high lob that Geiger turned into a three-point play with 3:58 left. It was the beginning of a 7-0 run that put the game out of UVa's reach.
Anderson sank 14 of 26 shots from the field and finished with 33 points, 20 in the second half. He was credited with only three assists, but contributed four steals and seven rebounds.
"We have one great player and finally the other people stepped forward," Cremins said. "That's about as well as we can play."
The Yellow Jackets were 18-of-30 from the field in the second half and became the first visiting team to shoot 50 percent at University Hall this season.
The Cavaliers shot 35.6 percent from the field in falling to 19-8, 6-6 in the ACC. UVa dropped into a fifth-place tie with Tech in the conference standings.
"When you're not shooting the ball well, it comes down to shot selection and getting your best shooters the ball," Virginia coach Jeff Jones said. "You can talk about shooting; but, pure and simple, we need to do some soul searching right now."
Apparently, the Cavaliers took Jones' words to heart. The media was held out of the UVa locker room while the players held a players-only meeting, and there were some long faces after the game.
"I don't know what's happening," said Crotty, held to a season-low five points. "We were very sluggish offensively. I thought we played well defensively for a half; then, we just folded."
The Cavaliers led 18-15 before scoring one field goal in the last nine minutes of the first half. Tech led 28-23 at the break despite shooting 40.6 percent from the field.
"We made a couple of substitutions and we had some guys trying to make plays they shouldn't be trying to make," Jones said. "They have to know their roles and what they should be trying to do."
Turner scored 15 points in the second half to finish with a team-high 22 points. Stith added 21, but was only 5-of-15 against the field as the taller Yellow Jackets repeatedly contested his shots from close range.
"Georgia Tech played with the look and intensity of a very hungry basketball team, and that's something we don't have right now," Jones said. "I look at our players' faces and it's just not there."
GA. TECH MPFGFTRAFPT Mackey 364-70-17138Hill 402-40-05515Geiger 317-122-382316Barry 384-121-234111Anderson 4014-263-373133Newbill 150-10-01020 Totals 20031-626-9360151173 VIRGINIA MPFGFTRAFPT Stith 395-159-10101021Turner 369-162-290322Jeffries 283-70-06006Parker 210-12-41132Crotty 362-90-04535Blundin 150-20-00020Kirby 60-20-01000Katstra 10-00-00000Smith 40-10-00000Oliver 142-60-02144Totals 20021-5913-163481560 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Georgia Tech 28-45-73 Virginia 23-37-60
Three-point goals - Georgia Tech: Hill 1-3, Barry 2-4, Anderson 2-5, Totals 5-12. Virginia: Stith 2-7, Turner 2-8, Crotty 1-2, Totals 5-17.
Turnovers - Georgia Tech 11 (Anderson 4); Virginia 11 (Stith 4). Blocked shots - Georgia Tech 2 (Mackey, Geiger); Virginia 4 (Parker 2). Steals - Georgia Tech 12 (Barry, Anderson 4); Virginia 7 (Turner 3).
Technical fouls - Mackey. Officials - Moreau, Herring, Edsall. Attendance - 8,864.
Keywords:
BASKETBALL
by CNB