Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 14, 1992 TAG: 9203140196
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
The Cavaliers, who went into the ACC Tournament as the worst-shooting team in the conference, reached new depths in a 68-56 loss to the Yellow Jackets.
UVa shot 24.7 percent from the field, the third-lowest figure in tournament history and the worst for the Cavaliers in at least 20 years.
Three-time All-ACC selection Bryant Stith had the poorest shooting game of his career, making only four of 22 shots from the field, and freshman point guard Cory Alexander was 4-of-19.
"Obviously, we've struggled for most of the year offensively," UVa coach Jeff Jones said, "but I can't think of a game close to this.
"Our kids played hard and they kept hanging [in] there on defense, but we flat out couldn't get the ball in the basket."
The Cavaliers missed from outside, going 5-of-24 on 3-pointers, and they missed from inside, converting only three of their season-high 27 offensive rebounds.
Like in past Virginia-Georgia Tech games, the Cavaliers could not deal with the Yellow Jackets' superior height. Tech had 13 blocked shots, including a school-record seven by 7-foot-1 senior Matt Geiger.
"You get around one big guy and there's another one standing right there, with another one swinging from behind him," said UVa forward Junior Burrough. "They affect all your shots, even the ones they don't block."
Burrough, who missed two days of practice with "community-acquired pneumonia," led the Cavaliers with 14 points, but was 5-of-15 from the field.
Georgia Tech shot only 40.9 percent in the second half, but that was more than twice as good as Virginia, which was 9-of-46 (19.6 percent). The Yellow Jackets shot 46.9 percent for the game.
"I know it wasn't a pretty game," said Georgia Tech coach Bobby Cremins. "But Virginia and Georgia Tech . . . we have strange games."
One thing that wasn't strange for Georgia Tech was the outcome. The Yellow Jackets have won six games in a row against Virginia, the past five since Jeff Jones became the Cavaliers' coach.
"I'm not into that," Cremins said. "Our two wins over Virginia [this season] were meaningless before this game. All they did was help us get a 20-win season."
The Yellow Jackets improved their record to 21-10 and will meet No. 1-ranked Duke at 1:30 p.m. in the semifinals at the Charlotte Coliseum. Duke advanced with a 94-87 victory over Maryland.
Virginia dropped to 15-13 and faced an agonizing 48 hours until the NCAA Tournament selections are announced Sunday. By most evaluations, the Cavaliers would have been a lock with 16 victories.
"I consider myself a worrier, so I guess I'll be pretty anxious," Jones said. "There's not a whole lot we can do. I'm relatively confident, but anything can happen.
"Regardless, I told the players we'll be playing somewhere next week."
Athletic director Jim Copeland refused to say if University Hall at Virginia would be available for a National Invitation Tournament game.
"I'm not talking about the NIT," Copeland said.
Virginia had won three straight opening-round ACC Tournament games and five of its past six, but the Cavaliers' only lead of the game was at 2-0.
Georgia Tech led by 11 points in the first half before taking a 34-27 lead at the break. UVa cut the deficit to 37-34 on back-to-back baskets by Alexander and Burrough in the second half, but got no closer.
Cremins called a timeout with 14:13 remaining and the Yellow Jackets responded with a 10-2 run. Jones, waiting for a TV timeout, finally called time with 10:55 left and UVa down by 11.
Georgia Tech had one field goal in the next 8:58, but it mattered little as Virginia missed 12 shots in a row from the field. The Cavaliers also weren't much to brag about at the free-throw line, where they were 11-of-18.
They did outrebound the Yellow Jackets 48-46 and had seven turnovers for the game, one in the second half. Georgia Tech had 15 turnovers, or else the margin might have been in the 20s.
The only Virginia player who had any success offensively was center Ted Jeffries, who scored eight points in the first 8:18 and then took one shot the remainder of the game.
"Today reminds me a lot of the BYU game last year," said Jeffries, referring to the Cavaliers' 60-48 loss in the NCAA Tournament, when they shot 27.7 percent. "I can't imagine how it would feel if this was our last game."
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Keywords:
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