Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 3, 1992 TAG: 9201030203
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
DUKE, HURLEY DUMP UVA 68-62
The fact he had missed seven previous 3-point shots was of little consequence to Bobby Hurley with 30 seconds remaining Thursday night."All I'm thinking about is the shot clock and how we've got three seconds left," Hurley said. "I wasn't able to think about how many shots I had missed. Maybe that's why it went in."
Hurley's 3-pointer gave top-ranked Duke a five-point lead and the reigning national college basketball champion went on to beat Virginia 68-62 at University Hall.
Hurley scored seven of his 11 points in the final 27 seconds, including four free throws, as the Blue Devils (7-0) extended the nation's longest winning streak to 13 games.
"Bobby missed a lot of shots, but we kept telling him, `Keep shooting, keep shooting,' " Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That's two consecutive games where he won games for us at the end."
Hurley made three free throws at the end of regulation against Michigan in a game the Blue Devils went on to win in overtime, 88-85.
"Bobby was open most of the night [Thursday]," Krzyzewski said. "I don't care if he misses 12 in a row. If we lose with him taking the shot, we lose."
Hurley appreciated the vote of confidence, but he would have preferred to pass the ball inside to 6-foot-11 Christian Laettner, the 1991 ACC player of the year, who finished with 17 points.
"Every time I looked for Christian, it seemed like they had three guys on him," Hurley said. "I kept saying to myself, `Why are they playing off me?'
"The more I missed, the more they played off me. They were all open shots. If I missed this much all the time, I wouldn't be playing very much."
Virginia freshman Cory Alexander said it was not his intention to leave Hurley open, but with all the help the Cavaliers were giving on defense, it was a necessary evil.
"It's never a good idea to give Bobby Hurley an open jump shot," Alexander said. "He's a big-time player. Then, again, you don't want Christian Laettner shooting a layup."
It was the first victory at Virginia in three years for Duke, which won 16 straight games against the Cavaliers between 1983-89. After an 81-64 loss last year, the Blue Devils practiced upon returning to Durham, N.C.
Then-freshman Grant Hill suffered a broken nose at the postgame practice last year and Krzyzewski indicated there would be no late-night session after Thursday's game.
"We won't be practicing at two or three in the morning," Hurley said, "but I can assure you we'll be in the gym tomorrow."
Duke, only a three-point favorite in an odds-maker's concession to the home-court advantage, trailed 44-43 after a 3-pointer by UVa's Bryant Stith with 15:54 remaining.
It was the only lead of the night for the Cavaliers, who had turnovers on three of their next four possessions and were outscored 10-0 over the next 3 1/2 minutes.
"I thought we had the momentum in our favor [and] the tempo was just right," Virginia coach Jeff Jones said. "We just rushed things and maybe played with a little too much emotion."
Virginia cut into Duke's nine-point lead with a pair of 3-pointers, by Stith and Alexander, and got to 61-59 on a basket by Ted Jeffries with 1:12 left.
The Cavaliers shot 43.1 percent from the field and committed 20 turnovers, but outrebounded the Blue Devils 37-31. Nevertheless, Duke pounded the offensive boards down the stretch, mostly with Laettner rebounding Hurley misses.
"We had opportunities and, as has been the case in other games, we were not ready to take advantage of them," Jones said. "We can't keep saying we're young and we're learning."
Stith, who led the Cavaliers with 17 points, was joined in double figures by freshmen Alexander and Junior Burrough. Burrough had his first "double-double" with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
It was the fourth loss in five games for the Cavaliers (4-5). The Cavaliers, who were playing at home for the first time since Nov. 29, pay a visit to new ACC member Florida State for the first time Saturday.
"If we had played as hard every game as we did in the last eight minutes and again tonight, I think we would have been 7-1 before tonight," Stith said.
"That doesn't help us now, but I remember my freshman year when we were 7-6 and ended up making the final eight [in the NCAA Tournament]. I don't think we need to panic."
- See the microfilm for the box scores.