Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 16, 1994 TAG: 9401160093
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: E8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Less than 48 hours before its visit to University Hall, Duke was unbeaten and headed for the No. 1 ranking in men's college basketball.
Apparently, the Blue Devils didn't achieve that lofty status for nothing.
Duke, coming off an upset loss to Wake Forest, regained its form Saturday and ended Virginia's six-game winning streak, 66-58.
Second-ranked Duke (11-1 overall, 3-1 ACC) led by as many as 19 points, and only a 13-2 blitz in the last 1:08 allowed Virginia (9-4, 3-1) to come away with some of its self-respect intact.
The Cavaliers never scored more than four points in a row until the final minute, shot only 37.3 percent, committed 19 turnovers and were outrebounded 37-32 (20-12 in the second half).
"It should have been pretty clear that Duke was the aggressor," Virginia coach Jeff Jones. "They came out and attacked us offensively, defensively and on the boards, and it didn't matter who was in there.
"It's our home floor. We should have been the aggressor. If I could explain it, I would have corrected it. Maybe that loss really ticked them off."
Virginia, which trailed 30-22 at halftime, didn't get its first rebound of the second half until 12:25 remained. By that point, the Blue Devils had stretched their lead to 44-30.
The Cavaliers hung around and got as close as 50-40 with 6:42 left, but Duke got three offensive rebounds on its next possession before sophomore Chris Collins sank a 3-pointer from the left corner with 5:28 remaining.
"They were coming back, the crowd got in it and Chris had missed one," Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "That was a big-time shot to hit. It's nice to see these other guys stepping up like that."
Grant Hill, leading the Blue Devils in scoring with a 17.6-point average, couldn't shake UVa defensive specialist Cornel Parker and finished with four points, ending a string of 26 consecutive games in double figures.
"Most fun I ever had scoring four points," said Hill, who was 2-for-10 on field-goal attempts. "My hand was hurting me and, of course, Cornel was doing a good job."
The Blue Devils were led by 6-foot-11 junior Cherokee Parks, who was 2-for-10 and scored five points Thursday night in Duke's 69-68 loss to Wake Forest. He had 19 points and 14 rebounds against the Cavaliers.
"Cherokee was the key player," Jones said. "Any time they needed a basket, he responded. They never forced it to him, but he was the one we could not defend. He just shot over our guys."
UVa had shut down Clemson's 6-11 Sharone Wright on Wednesday night, "but they're a much different team, and [Parks is] a much, much different player," Jones said. "If you gear up on him, he can go around you."
Although he was the high scorer for Virginia with 13 points, Junior Burrough sat most of the first half after picking up two fouls in the first 1:02. He finished with only three fouls but was limited to 21 minutes.
"I think the two fouls hurt me mentally for the rest of the afternoon," Burrough said. "I never really felt like I was into the game."
Duke shot only 46.2 percent but scored 16 points after missing one or more shots and getting the offensive rebound. Duke was 14-of-18 on free throws, and UVa rebounded only one of the misses.
"That's something we don't do here," 12-year UVa assistant Tom Perrin said. "If you tell me before the game that Grant Hill scores only four points, I say we probably win the game.
"To me we're a tough basketball team, and we didn't play tough today. It was almost a bigger game for us than it was for them, and I don't know why."
When the Blue Devils lost at home to Wake Forest last year, they subsequently lost their next game at Virginia - one of their two losses to the Cavaliers. The players did not need to be reminded Saturday.
"It was the best defensive effort for a game we've had all year," Krzyzewski said. "I think Grant Hill set the tone defensively. He was helping out on almost everybody on the team; that was his primary role today.
"It was especially pleasing to me because we lost a very, very difficult game on Thursday night, and then to have that quick turnaround and have such a positive attitude - I liked that about our team."
The Blue Devils led most of the way against Wake Forest until the Deacons' Randolph Childress hit a 3-pointer with 11 seconds left that never registered on the scoreboard until the game was over.
"You never know," Krzyzewski said of his team's anticipated reaction. "Thursday's game had a very bizarre finish. We can tell our kids to look ahead to Virginia, but they've still got to do it." \
see microfilm for box score
by CNB