THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, December 20, 1994 TAG: 9412200480
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY DOUG DOUGHTY LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 58 lines
Virginia basketball coach Jeff Jones didn't care how many points the Cavaliers scored Monday night against VMI.
Never mind that the Keydets' previous four opponents had scored more than 110 points per game. Jones didn't want to give up 70 in the process.
The Cavaliers couldn't stop VMI's Lawrence Gullette, who poured in a career-high 32 points, but succeeded in holding VMI to its season-low scoring output in a 100-73 victory at University Hall.
It was the fifth defeat in a row for the Keydets, who were coming off a 129-89 loss to No. 1-ranked North Carolina and must travel to Alabama for their next game Jan. 7.
VMI (2-5) continued its 3-point shooting barrage and had its best night of the season, going 14-of-34. However, the Keydets hit only nine of 32 shots from inside the arc.
``Tonight was the first time I've been disappointed, not because we didn't play hard but because of our execution,'' Keydets rookie coach Bart Bellairs said. ``We had to throw four or five more passes per possession than I would have liked, but give Virginia a lot of the credit.''
VMI, after falling behind, 9-0, to start the game, scored the next 10 points and took the lead with 15:28 left in the first half.
That, however, was followed by a 10-0 Virginia spurt.
A later 13-0 run put the Cavaliers on top, 43-18, with 3:50 remaining in the half and the margin hovered around the 25-point mark thereafter as U.Va. seemed to weary from the frenetic pace.
``We stressed at the half that good teams don't let up because of the score,'' Jones said. ``Until we play with that attitude, we're not going to be as good as we want to be. At times, we put it in cruise control.''
Gullette, a 6-foot-5 junior, had a career high of 19 points after two seasons but has gone over 20 in three of seven games this season.
He was 7-of-12 on 3-pointers Monday to tie the school record of Keydets assistant Ramon Williams.
``I've probably taken that many 3-pointers before but they've never fallen like that,'' said Gullette, who flashed a wide grin after his last trey. ``I just felt it. Everyone dreams of having nights like that.''
VMI matched Virginia on the boards, 41-41, but the Cavaliers (6-2) shot 52.4 percent from the field. After shooting 50 percent or more once last season, they have done it three times in the last six games.
Sophomore guard Harold Deane had a team-high 21 points and nine assists. In the last three games, Deane has 20 assists and one turnover.
Virginia next hosts Stanford at 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The Cardinal (6-0) beat U.Va. last year in California, 84-72 ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia's Jamal Robinson, left, goes after the loose ball that he
knocked away from VMI's Aron Buss, right.
by CNB