ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 2, 1997 TAG: 9702040030
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
CURTIS STAPLES GETS HOT in the second half to lead Virginia to a 73-60 victory.
Nobody for Virginia was panicking Saturday when guard Curtis Staples didn't have a point with less than 19 minutes remaining against Florida State.
``If he's going to score 20 points,'' said Harold Deane, Staples' backcourt partner for three seasons, ``then we'll take it any way he wants to get it for us.''
Staples, scoring when it mattered most, put the Cavaliers ahead with the first of back-to-back 3-point field goals and UVa pulled away for its ninth straight victory at University Hall, 73-60.
``That's a pretty happy locker room in there right now and it should be,'' coach Jeff Jones said. ``It feels good to struggle, as we did through parts of the game, and then come on strong at the end.
``We were able to hang in there and accomplish our goal of winning these last four games [all at home]. To beat probably the best team of the four, in the fashion we did, is especially rewarding.''
Florida State had beaten North Carolina and No.5 Maryland over an eight-day span - ``About as good a week as we've had in a long time,'' coach Pat Kennedy said - and was facing a Virginia team with an injured leading scorer, Courtney Alexander.
Alexander, who scored a season-high 26 points in UVa's 64-61 victory over the Seminoles in Tallahassee, Fla., made brief appearances in both halves Saturday and failed to score in a total of eight minutes.
``He really tried to dig in defensively and tried not to force things offensively,'' Jones said, ``but he couldn't cut [on an injured left ankle] the way he normally would. It was a tough situation for him. He gave it a good effort, but he just didn't have it today.''
Senior Jamal Robinson started in place of Alexander and contributed 13 points, one of four double-figure scoring efforts for the Cavaliers, and six rebounds. Deane and Staples led the way with 20 points apiece.
Virginia (15-6 overall, 5-4 ACC) led 26-20 at the half and stretched its advantage to 13 points before the Seminoles (12-6, 3-6) went on a 16-2 run that gave them the lead, 40-39, when Corey Louis took an offensive rebound and dunked it with 11:02 remaining.
The Cavaliers did not take the lead for good until Staples stepped behind a Colin Ducharme screen for the 3-point field goal that made it 47-44 with 7:49 left. It was a play UVa had installed before entertaining North Carolina State on Tuesday night.
Essentially, Staples takes a handoff from Deane to the right of the key and dribbles to the left, where he gets a screen from one of UVa's post players. The play, called ``4-down,'' is particularly successful if opposing big men are slow to come outside.
When Norman Nolan was the screener, it was clear the Seminoles were ready. As a result, UVa decided to run the play with Ducharme as the screener ``because [Randell] Jackson was guarding him and Jackson hadn't seen it,'' Jones said.
After hitting the go-ahead 3-pointer, Staples made James Collins pay for a failed steal attempt when he knocked in another trey, this time from the right wing, to put the Cavaliers ahead 50-44.
``They did a very good of zeroing in on the right guy at the right time,'' Kennedy said. ``You know that Staples, coming off that pick, was doing one thing and one thing only - shooting it.''
The Cavaliers made 11 of their last 15 shots from the field and rebounded all four of their misses, as well as a pair of missed free throws. On their last 13 possessions, the only time they didn't score was when Deane missed a pair of free throws.
Deane was 12-for-12 from the line at that point and had made 22 consecutive free throws over four games, so he was due for a miss. Besides, he had taken a blow to the head that left him with blood in one of his eyes.
Deane said he was in so much pain from a swollen right shin that, five minutes before the game, he didn't know if he would be able to play. He was fitted for a brace and played 37 minutes; only Staples, who had the defensive assignment on FSU's James Collins, played more (39).
``I was a little concerned because of how hard we were working him offensively and because he had to chase Collins,'' Jones said. ``So, against my better judgment and the staff's better judgment, I took him out for about 30 seconds.''
Jones got considerable mileage out of 7-foot-4 sophomore Chase Metheney, who, in his second outing after missing three games with injuries, contributed four points, nine rebounds and four blocked shots in 22 minutes.
``For some reason, we think we can go after these 8-foot-6 guys,'' Kennedy said. ``We did the same thing with Timmy Duncan. But, he's [Metheney] come a long way. What grade's he in? His second? He's going to be a pretty good player his last two years.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Jamal Robinson of Virginia puts up a shot in trafficby CNBas FSU defender Kerry Thompson (right) tries to distract him.
color. KEYWORDS: BASKETBALL