UVA AVOIDS UPSET AT WILLIAM AND MARY

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

DATE: TUESDAY, January 26, 1993                   TAG: 9301260213
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: WILLIAMSBURG                                LENGTH: Long
UVA AVOIDS UPSET AT WILLIAM AND MARY
Not even a 23-point lead was safe Monday night for a Virginia team trying to avoid its third loss in a row.
William and Mary forced 15th-ranked UVa into overtime before the Cavaliers held on for a 93-84 college basketball victory at William and Mary.
The Tribe (9-6) scored the last 10 points in regulation, including a 3-pointer by David Cox that made it 76-76 with nine seconds left. Virginia (12-2) had led 61-38 with 13:15 left.
After making one field goal in the last six minutes of regulation, Virginia scored on all nine of its possessions in overtime, ignoring a boisterous William and Mary crowd of 7,891.
It was the Cavaliers' 12th victory in their past 14 overtime games, including 10 consecutive overtime victories on the road in a streak dating to 1987.
"I think we stopped feeling sorry for ourselves, got our heads [back in the game] and played some semi-decent basketball," said UVa center Ted Jeffries, who had a career high of 23 points and 10 rebounds.
When the Cavaliers lost back-to-back games against ACC teams North Carolina and Georgia Tech, they were disappointed. To blow a 23-point lead against unheralded William and Mary would have been embarrassing.
"Quite embarrassing," Jeffries said. "There was a thought going into overtime that we might lose this game. Not to take anything away from William and Mary, but they should have gotten off easy at 20."
The Cavaliers never trailed in the overtime after sophomore guard Cory Alexander made a jumper with 4:42 left. Alexander finished with a career high of 26 points, five in overtime.
William and Mary tied the score twice in overtime, the last time at 80-80. UVa took the lead for good when Cornel Parker was fouled on a 3-point try with 3:03 left and made all three free throws.
"It seemed like we were always one possession behind," Tribe coach Chuck Swenson said. "We never had the ball and the chance to take the lead. We never got over that hump."
The Tribe shot 37.7 percent (29-of-77) and made 11 of 31 3-point attempts. Sophomore guard Kurt Small came off the bench to score a career-high 27 points and Thomas Roberts added 25, making five of eight 3-point attempts.
"You have to credit Virginia for being really sharp in the overtime," Swenson said. "I think one of the most difficult things to do is maintain a lead. It's very difficult, when you're up 23, to say, `Yeah, let's play as hard as we did in the opening minute.' "
The way the game started, however, Virginia coach Jeff Jones must have had flashbacks to the Cavaliers' last trip to William and Mary Hall in 1985. Jones was an assistant coach for that UVa team, upset by the Tribe 54-53.
A 3-pointer by Small with 8:03 remaining in the first half Monday put William and Mary ahead 25-24, but, by the time Small made another 3-pointer with 2:18 to go before halftime, the Cavaliers led 42-25.
Virginia made no secret of its game plan, repeatedly working the ball to its inside players, Jeffries and Junior Burrough, who are 6 feet 9 and 6-8, respectively. William and Mary's tallest starter was 6-7 Todd Cauthorn from Alleghany County.
The Cavaliers paid the price with six turnovers in the first eight minutes, but the rewards were reflected in their first-half shooting percentage, 57.7 percent (15-of-26), and a 24-12 rebounding advantage.
Cauthorn picked up three first-half fouls, and the Tribe had 14 as a team. Virginia made 17 of 22 free throws in the first half, scoring 10 of its last 12 points at the line in taking a 48-33 lead.
While William and Mary missed its first eight shots of the second half, Virginia stretched its lead to 53-33. After falling behind 61-38, the Tribe outscored the Cavaliers 17-2 over the next 3:44.
Virginia shot 51.7 percent for the game (31-of-60) and outrebounded the Tribe 52-34, including 15 by 6-5 sophomore Jason Williford, but the Cavaliers fell victim to 18 turnovers. UVa had three turnovers and a missed one-and-one on its last five possessions of regulation.
"Twelve [William and Mary] steals . . . " said Jones, reflecting on the statistics sheet. "That should never happen. It's not like they were pressing us. They were in a match-up zone.
"It's nice to come away with a win, but it's disappointing to see the way our team reacted in the second half. I'm not sure how we lose [intensity], but somewhere we've got to find it." AGATE VIRGINIA MPFGFTRAFPT Burrough 253-93-45039Parker 333-65-7113311Smith 280-14-64444Co.Alexander 438-168-1145126Havlicek 50-00-01100Williford 343-94-4150310Barnes 144-62-200210Jeffries 4210-133-6105423Wilson 10-00-00000Totals 22531-6029-4052182093 W&M MPFGFTRAFPT Duff 30-00-00010Roberts 439-212-551325Cauthorn 325-101-591411Connor 402-72-22336Peters 40-10-01010Verkey 180-50-04130Cox 344-112-333413Small 358-198-862527Shafer 10-00-00000Parker 141-20-14342Cully 10-10-00000Totals 22529-7715-2434142884 Rebounds include team rebounds Score by periods: Virginia48-28-17-83 William and Mary33-43-8-84
Three-point goals - Virginia: Burrough 0-1, Parker 0-1, Smith 0-1, Alexander 2-4, Williford 0-1, Totals 2-8. William and Mary: Roberts 5-8, Connor 0-5, Peters 0-1, Verkey 0-2, Cox 3-8, Small 3-7, Totals 11-31.
Turnovers - Virginia 18 (Burrough 5, Parker 5); William and Mary 11 (Connor 5). Blocked shots - Virginia 4 (Jeffries 3); William and Mary 3 (Roberts 2). Steals - Virginia 6 (Jeffries 3); William and Mary 12 (Roberts 3, Cauthorn 3, Connor 3).
Technical fouls - None. Officials - Wirtz, Elliott, Fisher. Attendance - 7,891.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB