Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, January 30, 1992 TAG: 9201300143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
CAVS SURGE TO TOP TERPS
Virginia basketball coach Jeff Jones should have known the odds were in his favor Wednesday night as soon as Walt Williams got his 30th point.The Cavaliers, who trailed by 10 points with less than 15 minutes left, overcame a 33-point effort by Williams to defeat Maryland 82-75 at University Hall.
It was the ninth loss in the past 10 games for the Terrapins, who have gotten 30 points or more from Williams in six straight games but have lost five of them.
"You look at the 33 points and how well he shot [12-of-22] and you feel like saying, `Guys, you didn't play good defense,' " Jones said. "But if we hadn't played good defense, he would have had 40."
Maryland (8-10 overall, 1-7 in the ACC) led 35-30 at halftime and increased the margin to 46-36 as Williams scored the first four baskets of the second half, two on dunks.
It was 48-38 before Virginia went on an 11-2 run to cut the deficit to one, but the Cavaliers (9-8, 3-4) never led in the second half until Bryant Stith hit two free throws that put UVa ahead 73-71 with 1:43 left.
Virginia, shooting less than 70 percent on free throws this season, made 17 of its first 18 free throws in the second half, including two each by Stith and Anthony Oliver to make it 77-71.
Stith, not to be upstaged by Williams, went 10-of-12 on free throws and finished with a season-high 29 points and nine rebounds in 39 minutes.
"People are always talking about what [Duke's Christian] Laettner is doing or Walt Williams is doing," Stith said. "I wanted to send a message to anybody who questions my ability to step up during big ballgames."
This was a big game for the Cavaliers. They came into the game as 12-point favorites, but Maryland was the only visiting team to have won at Virginia in each of the past two seasons.
"We lost to Florida State in overtime; we had Wake [Forest] down by nine in the second half," Maryland coach Gary Williams said. "I told our players after the game, `You don't have to hang our heads.' "
Both teams appeared sluggish in the first half, but the final 20 minutes might have represented UVa's best half of the season. The Cavaliers, who failed to score 50 points in a game in their 51-48 loss to Clemson, had 52 in the second half Wednesday night.
"We certainly didn't need to lose a game playing the way we did in the first half," Jones said. "If we can put everything out on the floor - and then lose - I can deal with that."
In addition to Stith's performance, the Cavaliers got a season-high 17 points from their other senior, Oliver. Oliver sprained his right ankle Monday and did not start for the first time all season.
"I didn't know, going into last night, if I would be able to play," said Oliver, who had 11 points in the second half. "But maybe sitting down relaxed me. I saw how everybody was playing Walt."
The Cavaliers began the game with 6-foot-7 Cornel Parker on Williams, who is 6-8, but Parker picked up two fouls in the first 4:33. Oliver and Smith were able to slow Williams for a while, but after awhile nothing worked.
"I've only seen a handful of players do what he's doing now since I first came into the league [as a player] in 1978," Jones said. "I don't know what you can do except hope he misses."
Williams had only two field goals over the final 16 1/2 minutes, fouling out with 30 seconds remaining and the Cavaliers ahead 78-74.
"Let's not forget, he had 33 points," Gary Williams said. "They might have done a good job on him the last 15 minutes; he's human."
Stith had more of a supporting cast down the stretch; four Virginia players had 10 points or more in the second half - Stith, Oliver, Smith and Junior Burrough.
Virginia continually fed Burrough in the low post, and he responded by making seven of eight free throws in less than two minutes, cutting the deficit to 69-68 with 3:19 left.
After Evers Burns scored for Maryland, UVa tied the score on an off-balance one-hander by Smith, who was fouled and made the free throw to make it 71-71.
"I don't know how it looked to everyone else," Smith said. "I just drove into the lane and waited to see what would happen."
A subsequent Maryland turnover gave Virginia its first opening of the second half and the Cavaliers did not let the opportunity pass.
The victory was UVa's sixth in seven home games.
"I'm not sure where this team would have gone from here if we had lost," Stith said. "I'm not sure people know how dangerous Maryland is; after losing to them the last two years, we sure did."