Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 19, 1994 TAG: 9411230047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Virginia failed to heed the warnings from its opening men's basketball game and was dumped by Ohio University 94-83 on Friday night in the second round of the Preseason NIT.
``I don't have a lot to say, other than we were beaten in every aspect of the game,'' said Jeff Jones, the Cavaliers' coach. ``We were out-hustled, we were out-physicalled, we were out-thought.''
UVa gave up more than 85 points only once all of last season and gave up 80 or more points three times, but already has done it twice in November, including an 83-80 victory over Old Dominion on Wednesday.
``It's what I've been saying all preseason: Our defense is not up to our standards,'' Jones said. ``We're having breakdowns across the board.''
The Bobcats led by 21 points three times before a furious rally pulled the Cavaliers to 82-79. UVa had a shot to tie when freshman Curtis Staples from Roanoke missed a 3-pointer with barely two minutes left.
Staples earlier had hit back-to-back 3-pointers as 14th-ranked Virginia, which trailed by 19 points with 5 minutes, 35 seconds remaining, outscored the Bobcats 18-2 in a three-minute stretch.
``What we said during a timeout [with 3:54 left] was, `We're back in it; you don't have to shoot quickly,''' Jones said. ``We could afford to take a little time, but it's hard to get out of that desperation mode.''
For the second game in a row, the Cavaliers were trailing by double figures before they broke a sweat. Geno Ford, a 5-foot-8 sophomore, led the way by taking the ball to the basket and the Bobcats led by 15 on three occasions.
Ohio University's All-America candidate, 6-8, 240-pound Gary Trent, scored nine points in the first 9 1/2 minutes, then watched his teammates take over for the rest of the half.
UVa scored the first two baskets of the second half to trim a 12-point halftime deficit to 47-39, but Trent responded with seven consecutive points, including a 3-pointer.
The Bobcats, who retained seven of the top nine players from a team that won the Mid-America Conference and finished 25-8, hit 20 of their first 24 free throws and finished 32-of-42 from the line.
Virginia had reason to play catch-up at the end, but, in truth, the Cavaliers were rushing all night. They made one of their first 19 3-pointers after going 2-of-15 from beyond the arc against ODU.
``It's way too many misses, and, if you're missing that many, you don't want to be taking that many,'' Jones said. ``Sooner or later the message has to get across.''
Power forward Junior Burrough, the Cavaliers' leading scorer in 1993-94, was 4-of-8 from the field in the first half, but did not have a field-goal attempt in the second half.
Burrough's right shoulder popped out of joint during pregame warmups, which led Virginia to scratch him from the starting lineup, but he still played 25 minutes.
Starting guards Harold Deane and Cory Alexander led Virginia with 20 and 19 points, respectively, but were a combined 10-for-28 from the floor. The Cavaliers were 24-for-65 (36.9) as a team, including 4-for-27 from 3-point range.
Ohio University shot 47.4 percent from the floor, including 8-of-18 from 3-point range. Trent led the Bobcats with 20 points and 13 rebounds, and fellow forward Curtis Simmons added 19.
``Maybe we need to go back and watch some tapes of last season,'' said UVa senior Yuri Barnes, who had 12 points and 11 rebounds. ``We're definitely not playing Virginia basketball right now.''
see microfilm for box score
by CNB