Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 14, 1993 TAG: 9303140115
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C10 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
SMITH'S COMPLAINING IRKS JONES, CAVALIERS
After watching North Carolina shoot 32 free throws, the last thing Virginia's basketball team wanted to hear Saturday was that the Tar Heels didn't spend enough time at the line."I don't see how they could have any complaints," UVa guard Cory Alexander said after the Cavaliers' 74-56 loss in the ACC Tournament semifinals. "For them to say anything about the officiating is unthinkable."
Alexander was responding to a statement by North Carolina coach Dean Smith, who said the game was close for a half, 35-30, because Virginia didn't get called for enough fouls.
"I remember on the first play of the game I got fouled," said Alexander, who led all scorers with 22 points, "and I can probably call out about 20 or 30 more times.
"Every time I go to the hole, there's a hand in my side. And every time I go up for a shot, there's a smack on the arm or the face. I guess if you play like that for so long, the referees can't call everything."
Coach Jeff Jones admitted that Virginia has a physical team, but said he felt Smith's comments were unwarranted on an afternoon when Carolina attempted 16 free throws before UVa made its first trip to the line.
The Cavaliers finished 2-of-7 from the line, missing by one the tournament record for fewest free throws made, which was set in 1982 when UVa was 1-for-1 in a 47-45 championship loss to Carolina.
" We hadn't been called for enough fouls?" UVa center Ted Jeffries asked. "He said that? I looked up at the scoreboard at one point, and when I saw Carolina only had three team fouls, I couldn't believe it."
Carolina committed nine fouls in the game; Virginia was whistled for 21. However, eight of those were in the final 4:32, when the Cavaliers had to foul to catch up.
"I'm not going to comment on what Coach Smith said," UVa forward Junior Burrough said. "I'm just going to comment on the fact we didn't get to the bonus all night.
"We've never been in a game where we didn't get to the bonus. Either somebody was holding the whistle in his mouth or he wasn't blowing it or something. I don't understand why [Smith's] complaining."
Maybe the officials were doing Virginia a favor. The Cavaliers, eighth in the ACC in free-throw percentage, shot 14-of-27 in two tournament games. Over their past four games, they are 47-of-89 (52.8 percent).
UVa had an early chance to slow Carolina's second-half run when Jeffries went to the line for a pair of free throws with 9:32 remaining and the Cavaliers trailing 59-46.
Jeffries, shooting less than 51 percent from the line since mid-December, missed both shots. Then, Donald Williams drilled a 3-pointer for Carolina to make it a five-point swing.
Jeffries, who later missed a dunk, did not score from the field or the line in the final 17:35. In fact, UVa had only one field goal from a player other than Alexander during that time.
It was the only game this season the Cavaliers have had only one double-figure scorer.
"We need to get something from our inside game to take some of the pressure off of Cory," Jones said. "I think the key is Ted or Junior. We need [production] from one or both of them."