Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, March 19, 1992                   TAG: 9203190145
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: STATE 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR
DATELINE: VILLANOVA, PA.                                LENGTH: Medium

VIRGINIA WINS NIT OPENER

The Cavaliers, one of the last teams to be eliminated from NCAA Tournament consideration, vented their frustrations Wednesday night with an 83-80 victory over Villanova in the National Invitation Tournament.

Bryant Stith scored 29 points and Junior Burrough added 22 for Virginia, which raised its record to 16-12. Defensive specialist Cornel Parker added a season-high 15 points.

Villanova dropped to 14-15 despite getting 27 points from Lance Miller, who had 20 points in the second half. Chris Walker added 20, including six 3-pointers.

The Wildcats were down 81-72 with 38.4 seconds left, but Miller hit a 3-pointer and Walker added a layup and a 3-pointer. Miller missed two free throws that could have cut the deficit to one with :00.4

Villanova came into Wednesday night's game with one loss in seven games at duPont Pavilion, its 6,500-seat campus facility, which was not close to capacity for the Cavaliers.

Virginia was sent on the road for the first round after notifying the NIT selection committee that University Hall would not be available.

After learning that it was not selected for the NCAA Tournament, however, UVa called the NIT to say it could serve as a first-round host.

UVa's call came too late, according to NIT executive director Jack Powers, who said the Cavaliers could have helped their case by notifying him sooner.

The first half was everything it wasn't supposed to be as the Cavaliers, shooting an ACC-low 43.0 percent from the field, hit 14 of 25 shots (56 percent) in taking a 40-24 lead.

Villanova scored the first six points of the game on a pair of wide-open 3-pointers by Walker and led 14-8 before Virginia went on a 14-0 run, fueled by eight Wildcats turnovers.

The Cavaliers, who have pressed infrequently during the season, went to a full-court press with 11:03 and completely caught Villanova unaware, forcing 15 turnovers for the half.

Burrough, a freshman forward, was unstoppable in the low post with 14 points before he picked up his second foul with 5:30 left and went to the bench for the remainder of the half.