THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 17, 1994 TAG: 9411170616
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
Old Dominion shouldn't expect flowers or candy, but Virginia wasn't too proud Wednesday night to admit that it had been wrong about the Monarchs.
``Oh, yeah, they are much better than I expected,'' said point guard Cory Alexander, who had questioned whether the Monarchs could stay on the floor with the 14th-ranked Cavaliers.
Not only did they stay on the floor, the Monarchs kept ahead of Virginia most of the game before losing, 83-80.
When it was over, the Cavaliers let out a big sigh of relief.
``A big, big win for us,'' coach Jeff Jones said.
``The bottom line is we won,'' Alexander emphasized.
It was not until the final eight seconds, when Yuri Barnes slapped away Petey Sessoms' 3-point attempt, that 14th-ranked Virginia felt comfortable.
ODU came up with the loose ball, but Alexander managed a steal and scored the game's final point from the free throw line.
Barnes said ODU played into his hands to enable him to make the block.
``That was their bread-and-butter play, and I was waiting for it,'' the 6-foot-8 Barnes said. ``I got around the guy trying to set a screen on me and found myself face-to-face with him (Sessoms).''
Earlier in the half, Barnes found himself face-to-face with the Monarchs' David Harvey and said some words that drew a technical foul.
``He (Harvey) got in my face first, and with my quick temper I just got back in his face,'' Barnes said.
ODU got four points on free throws and the possession off the technical, but Barnes seemed to pick up his intensity after the incident. He also had a block with the score tied at 80 with 1:10 left, and finished with 14 points.
Alexander, who broke his ankle in Virginia's opener last year and missed the rest of the season, led the Cavaliers with 29 points and had three steals.
``I had butterflies before the game,'' Alexander said. ``I was so excited that I couldn't sleep last night. I know I can play better than I did.''
Alexander's teammates couldn't have been more pleased to have him back, however.
``He's our leader and at least 18 points a game that we were missing last year,'' U.Va. forward Jason Williford said. ``I knew he was going to have a big game. He wanted to let everyone know he is back.''
As for the Monarchs, they clearly won the respect of the Cavaliers.
``They are much better than they were last year,'' Williford said, ``and well-coached.
``Coach (Jeff) Capel had them ready to come in here and win.''
``I can't say a bad word about ODU,'' Junior Burrough added. ``Those guys want to win, and I have to respect that.''
Burrough got into early foul trouble and made only one of two shots in the first half. But he got the Cavaliers rolling in the second half by scoring eight of their first 10 points.
``I don't think we dodged a bullet,'' Burrough said, ``but we are glad to get this first one out of the way with a victory.''
Virginia will play Ohio University at 9:30 p.m. Friday in University Hall. Tickets are available through the university ticket office. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by CHRISTOPHER REDDICK
Virginia's Cory Alexander, top, and ODU's Brion Dunlap scramble for
a loose ball. Alexander had 29 points, including the Cavaliers' last
three points. Dunlap and Duffy Samuels, ODU's point-guard tandem,
combined for only five turnovers - one fewer than Alexander's
total.
by CNB