ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-8 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: ATLANTA
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
After playing four consecutive games at home and winning all of them, the Virginia men's basketball team may have been lulled into a false sense of security.
The Cavaliers should have known that little comes easy at Alexander Memorial Coliseum, where Georgia Tech defeated UVa on Thursday night for the sixth time in seven games, 66-53.
``We had three days to prepare and I thought we prepared well, quite honestly,'' said Jeff Jones, the Cavaliers' coach . ``But this was not the same team we've been seeing. We're not good enough just to show up.''
And, there were times Thursday night when the Cavaliers did little more than that. Georgia Tech senior Eddie Elisma tied his career high with 23 points, including 20 in the second half, and 12 rebounds.
``It was really disconcerting the way they kept shooting, getting their misses and shooting again,'' Jones said. ``After the first game, we knew that was an issue and we didn't respond. Elisma was very, very active.''
Elisma had 10 points during a 2:32 stretch in the second half, including back-to-back three-point plays after he was fouled by Virginia's 7-foot-4 Chase Metheney. The Cavaliers, down by as many as eight points in the first half, had forged a 35-35 tie with 15:37 left.
``If Virginia had ever taken the lead, I'm not sure we would have had the confidence to fight back,'' said coach Bobby Cremins, whose Yellow Jackets had lost six of seven, including a 68-64 setback at Virginia 15 days earlier. ``I was concerned that a couple [3-pointers] then might bury us.
``This team has been bruised. We've been heavily bruised. We've played a ridiculous schedule. We must have played 10 teams in the top 10.
``Virginia's a much, much improved basketball team. But, let's be honest. They're a little banged up right now. Virginia's an NCAA Tournament team, but first, they've got to get healthy.''
UVa point guard Harold Deane limped throughout the second half and left the game for good with 4:20 left, after scoring seven points. Junior forward Norman Nolan, with 20 points, was the only UVa scorer in double figures.
Georgia Tech (9-11 overall, 3-7 ACC) had three scorers in double figures, a trio that did not include Matt Harpring, who had 29 points in the teams' first meeting. Harpring finished with eight, his first single-digit scoring effort in the past 11 games.
It was the first time in 42 games Harpring did not have a 3-point field goal, and the Yellow Jackets were 2-of-16 from beyond the arc. Virginia (15-7, 5-5) was worse, going 1-for-12.
UVa held Harpring scorless for the last 17 minutes of the first half, but junior forward Michael Maddox stepped up and scored 11 points as the Yellow Jackets took a 31-27 lead.
The Cavaliers had cut an eight-point deficit to one, at 24-23, when Maddox went after UVa freshman Craig McAndrew, who had just entered the game. Maddox hit a pair of free throws, then made a 3-pointer to fuel a 7-0 Tech run.
Virginia gained a measure of momentum before halftime on field goals by Deane and Curtis Staples. The second half started in ominous fashion, however, when Kevin Morris stole Jamal Robinson's inbounds pass.
The Cavaliers trailed 9-2, and it was 13-8 before Jones inserted leading scorer Courtney Alexander, who had suffered a sprained left ankle two weeks earlier.
Alexander failed to score in an eight-minute stint Saturday against Florida State and was no more effective in the first half Thursday. He missed a shot shortly after entering the game and did not have another attempt in the half.
Alexander was pulled with 11:37 to play in the second half after his lazy inbounds pass was intercepted by the Yellow Jackets following a timeout. Robinson replaced him during the next dead-ball stoppage, and Alexander did not return.
Alexander's ``not 100 percent,'' Jones said, ``He practiced hard for three days, but while physically he may be ready, he's not ready [to be a factor] at this point.
``In recent games, I thought we had seen the chemistry developing and we've had good balance. That was good for our basketball team. Tonight, we could have used somebody - anybody - to step up.''
LENGTH: Medium: 81 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Virginia forward Norman Nolan dunks the basketballby CNBas Georgia Tech's Michael Maddox defends Thursday night in Atlanta.
Nolan scored 20 points, but the Cavaliers fell 66-53.