Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 15, 1992 TAG: 9201150211
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: ATLANTA LENGTH: Medium
VIRGINIA LOSES LEAD, GAME
It stood to reason Tuesday night that the one place Georgia Tech's height wouldn't bother Virginia was the free-throw line.So much for logic.
Virginia made only six of 13 free throws in the second half and lost a seven-point lead in falling to the 16th-ranked Yellow Jackets 75-71 in an ACC basketball game at Alexander Coliseum.
Freshman guard Travis Best had 16 points in the second half and finished with 21 to lead the Yellow Jackets, who took over sole possession of second place in the ACC at 3-1 (13-3 overall).
Virginia dropped to 2-2 in the league and 6-6 overall despite a season-high 28 points - 20 in the second half - by senior Bryant Stith. Cory Alexander added 13.
Georgia Tech, which trailed 37-30 early in the second half, was ignited by Best, who made four 3-pointers in a span of 2 minutes, 21 seconds - the last giving Tech the lead, 51-49.
Virginia tied the score at 51 and had a chance to go ahead when Alexander scored on a finger roll to make it 53-53. Alexander was fouled on the play but missed the free throw.
Alexander and Ted Jeffries subsequently missed two one-and-ones. A 10-2 spurt put the Yellow Jackets safely on top, 63-55.
Virginia, a seven-point underdog, took advantage of Georgia Tech's cold shooting to take a 26-20 lead with 4:45 remaining in the first half on a layup by reserve point guard Derrick Johnson.
The Cavaliers were looking to extend their lead when Stith was called for walking, which was followed by a 9-0 Georgia Tech run that required less than two minutes.
The Yellow Jackets were leading 29-28 and holding for the last shot of the half when they committed a turnover as the shot clock ran out with two seconds left.
Several Virginia players and Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins thought the half had ended and left the court, but they returned to watch UVa freshman Yuri Barnes swish a 50-footer for three points.
The Cavaliers led 31-29 after making 14 of 30 shots (46.7 percent) from the field. Georgia Tech was only 12 of 37 (32.4 percent) from the field but outrebounded Virginia 25-18.
Virginia, with no starter taller than the 6-foot-9 Jeffries, was at a tremendous height disadvantage against Georgia Tech's frontcourt of 7-1 Matt Geiger, 6-11 Malcolm Mackey and 6-8 James Forrest.
Forrest, a freshman, led both teams with nine points at the half. Stith had eight for Virginia and Alexander added seven.
Alexander was matched against Best, with whom he was often compared when they were recruits. The Yellow Jackets pursued Best and Alexander last year, but Best committed first.
Alexander, limited to 21 minutes in the Cavaliers' 58-53 victory over Wake Forest, saw extended duty in the absence of junior Doug Smith, who underwent an emergency appendectomy Sunday.
Smith, who was released from the University of Virginia Hospital earlier Tuesday, did not make the trip, but the coaches hope he can return to practice in time to play Saturday against Notre Dame at home.
Virginia will entertain Marshall on Sunday. The back-to-back home games resulted from a failed effort to televise the Notre Dame-UVa game this past weekend, when the Cavaliers were left without a game.