Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, February 20, 1995 TAG: 9502210054
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
``Welcome to the Deane Dome'' was a recurring theme on the signs being waved around University Hall on Sunday.
At least for one afternoon, North Carolina could not disagree.
As Tar Heels coach Dean Smith looked on in agony, sophomore Harold Deane swished two free throws with 4.6 seconds remaining to lift 16th-ranked Virginia past No.2 Carolina 73-71 in ACC basketball at University Hall.
It was the latest in a series of improbable second-half comebacks for UVa, which improved its record to 18-6 overall and joined the Tar Heels atop the ACC standings at 10-3. Carolina is 20-3 overall.
The Tar Heels led by as many as 11 points before Virginia went on a 22-2 run, scoring 17 consecutive points in taking a 58-48 lead. In the process, the Cavaliers scored on 10 straight possessions.
``We didn't want to become complacent,'' said Deane, who scored 21 of his game-high 28 points in the second half. ``I told my teammates, `We don't want to stop here.' As it was, they still came back on us.''
After Carolina had tied the score with 14.6 seconds left on a driving shot by Jerry Stackhouse, Virginia did what it had done the entire second half - get the ball to Deane and clear out.
Blocking Deane's path to the basket was 6-foot-11 Rasheed Wallace, who swatted away Deane's one-hander almost as it left his hand. After a split-second that seemed more like an eternity, official Zelton Steed blew his whistle.
``I was surprised,'' said Deane, sent to the free-throw line as Wallace was assessed his fourth foul. ``I definitely felt there was contact with the body, but the time before [on a previous drive], they let it go.''
On the Carolina bench, Smith raised his arms in amazement and assistant coach Dave Hanners hurled his clipboard. Wallace made a brief but impassioned plea to Steed before coming to the bench.
``I blocked it; then [Deane] hit it,'' Wallace said. ``The ball went out of bounds and the whistle just blew. Everybody was just going back downcourt, including the Virginia players.''
The Cavaliers had won eight in a row and 16 of their past 18 overtime games, ``but we didn't want to go overtime again,'' UVa senior Junior Burrough said. ``Not against this team.''
There would have been nothing to worry about if Jason Williford had not missed two one-and-ones in the space of 28.7 seconds left. ``Make them for me,'' Williford whispered in Deane's ear before the fateful free throws.
``I've said before that I want to be the guy up there in the last seconds shooting to win the game,'' said Deane, hitting 82.3 percent from the line for the season. ``I feel, if I'm in that position, I'm not going to allow our team to lose.''
Carolina still had one more possession, but the Tar Heels had trouble getting the ball inbounds and used their last timeout. On UNC's next try, Stackhouse was hemmed in along the sideline and lost the ball off his leg.
As Williford heaved the ball toward the rafters, Deane sprinted in the direction of ABC-TV commentator Dick Vitale. In no time, Deane was swarmed by students, who carried him from the floor on their shoulders.
``I really don't know what I said to [Vitale],'' Deane said. ``I usually go up and talk to him before the game, but I didn't make it over there today.''
Deane was so hyper in the second half Sunday that, on his way to the bench for a timeout, he was reprimanded by UVa coach Jeff Jones for getting in the face of Carolina point guard Jeff McInnis.
``Coach felt I was getting into an individual battle,'' Deane said. ``I was just having fun; we weren't mad at each other. Something like that just fires me up.''
After shooting 28.9 percent in the first half and missing their first two shots of the second half, the Cavaliers made 18 of their next 24. UVa shot 64.3 percent in the second half, including 70 percent (7-of-10) on 3-pointers.
``I just think Deane's a marvelous player,'' Smith said. ``What really hurt us was his drives [to the basket] as the clock was winding down. That's not all his ability. We had to help some.
``I don't know that we can cover him any better on the long 3-pointers. He's made a believer out of me. Maybe the best thing with him is to run from him [and] say, `Go ahead and shoot.'''
The Tar Heels, ahead 32-24 at the half, lost their lead despite shooting 51.6 percent and committing only three turnovers in the second half. Wallace was 9-of-11 from the field and finished with 23 points, 12 rebounds and six blocked shots.
UVa had four scorers in double figures, including freshman Curtis Staples, who had all 11 of his points in the second half. Staples missed his first seven shots, but nailed three 3-pointers during UVa's comeback.
``The first half was a total nightmare,'' Staples said. ``Once I hit that first [3-pointer] of the second half, I was OK, but Harold was in a zone and we were looking for him. We would have let him take every shot.''
Deane, previously slumping, made all eight of his shots from the field in the second half and finished 11-of-13. He had shot only 30.1 percent (28-of-93) in eight previous games, not once making more than half his shots.
``It was nothing different today,'' Deane said. ``I spent a little more time shooting by myself this week. I figured it was only a matter of time till the shots started going down.''
by CNB