Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, February 12, 1995 TAG: 9502150019
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S.C. LENGTH: Medium
UVa, seemingly ripe for an upset in the absence of its injured floor leader, responded to the challenge with a 62-44 victory at Littlejohn Coliseum.
``It was not something we had ignored,'' Jones said. ``You look for motivation anywhere you can find it.
``There's a lot of people out there who, in some senses, have written us off. And we're out to prove them wrong.''
Freshman guard Curtis Staples had a team-high 14 points, hitting eight of eight free throws, and three other Cavaliers scored 13 each as 17th-ranked Virginia improved its record to 15-6 overall and 8-3 in the ACC.
Clemson, a two-point underdog, shot 32 percent from the field in falling to Virginia for the seventh time in a row. The Tigers (13-7, 3-7) had shot 23.8 and 24.0 percent in their two previous meetings with UVa.
``I think our team is disappointed,'' said Clemson coach Rick Barnes, whose Tigers lost to Virginia 61-37 on Jan.11. ``They came into today thinking they could win this game.
``You live by the jump shot and you die by the jump shot. It goes to show, when you play against a Top 20 team like Virginia, you need a post player that you can go to inside.''
The Tigers had such a player before senior Devin Gray was lost to academics before Christmas. Jason Williford, a 6-foot-6 senior, had a game-high 13 rebounds as the Cavaliers dominated the boards 37-21.
Williford, a two-year starter who had come off the bench for the past 10 games, had as many rebounds in the first half (10) as the entire Clemson team.
``Our support and our prayers are with Cory, but the show must go on,'' said Williford, who has 37 rebounds in the past three games. ``I think we've got enough talent to be able to compete.''
In something of a surprise, Jones started Williford and 6-6 sophomore Jamal Robinson, who previously had shared small-forward duties. Williford played 35 minutes and Robinson played 33 - a season high for each player.
Robinson made all three of his 3-point shots and matched his season's high with 13 points. He is 4-for-4 from 3-point range the past two games after going 9-for-37 in UVa's first 19 games.
``If I kept missing, I was going to need some psychiatric help,'' said Robinson, shooting 33.9 percent from the field before Saturday. ``A lot of it has to do with minutes, but if I get the extra minutes, I've got to produce.''
Maybe the biggest surprise from a personnel standpoint came when junior Percy Ellsworth, who had played in one game as a collegian, reported into the game with 5 minutes, 6 seconds remaining before halftime.
Ellsworth, the starting free safety on Virginia's football team, immediately took defensive responsibility for Merl Code - Clemson's leading scorer - and played 10 minutes in the game.
``Percy has played well in practice; Percy is a tremendous athlete,'' Jones said. ``An awful lot of guys on Virginia's team will tell you that he's one of the toughest defenders they've faced this year.
``I spoke to him before the Florida State game and told him, `Look, [Bob] Sura's pretty good. If we're having trouble there, be ready.' I told him again the other day that we may need him.''
That was after Alexander suffered a broken right ankle, ending his season. The injury was in the same location as a fracture that caused Alexander to miss virtually all of the 1993-94 season.
``After playing three years of football, it's not like I'm nervous out there,'' said Ellsworth, who joined the basketball team in January, after the end of football season. ``It's been frustrating to sit on the bench and not be able to contribute.''
UVa, which led 30-20 at the half, suddenly found itself in a game when Clemson scored 10 points on its first four possessions of the second half. The score was tied twice, but Clemson never had the ball and a shot at the lead.
Virginia took 35 shots from the field - its previous low for the season was 45 in the first Clemson game - but put away the game by making 22 of 25 free throws. Staples had not scored more than four points at the line in any previous game.
``We read some articles that said our season was over,'' Staples said. ``We love to hear things like that. We thrive on it. This never was a one-man team. Now all we've got to do is show it.''
by CNB