THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 7, 1996 TAG: 9601070250
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 80 lines
Virginia came up with a formula Saturday that might be its key to survival this ACC season.
The Cavaliers received much-needed inside offensive help from sophomore Norm Nolan, welcomed back Harold Deane's scoring touch and played an opponent that is struggling more than they are.
Those were the main ingredients Virginia (6-4, 1-1 ACC) used in defeating North Carolina State 73-69 in University Hall.
The loss dropped N.C. State to 8-4, 0-2.
Deane, who had joked before the game that his 3-point shooting percentage was headed for the teens, was 4 for 5 behind the arc and led the victory with 26 points.
He came into the game hitting only 20 percent from 3-point range and 29.7 percent overall from the floor.
``I am not the kind of person who worries a lot,'' Deane said.
``I was laughing with coach (Jeff) Jones about my 3-point percentage before the game. He was laughing, too.''
Jones was forcing himself to laugh about everything, hoping it would rub off on his players who had lost their opening conference game to Florida State on Wednesday night.
``I wanted to get our guys in a good mood,'' he said. ``The team had been playing as hard as it could, but we needed to relax.
``I told them before the game I wanted to see smiles, high fives, and everyone enjoying themselves.''
The Cavaliers helped themselves to a good time by getting off to an unusually good start.
Nolan, who finished with 16 points, opened the game with a stuff and Deane sank his first two 3-point attempts as the Cavaliers jumped into 21-12 lead.
The Cavaliers continued to play solidly, but the Wolfpack still came back to force the issue in the second half.
State, playing its sixth game in 10 days, opened a 54-48 lead midway through the second half.
Jones called timeout, made a key defensive adjustment, and the Cavaliers regained control of the contest.
Jones switched guard Curtis Staples on Jeremy Hyatt, the leader of State's comeback, and almost immediately the momentum seemed to shift back to the Cavaliers.
``Hyatt was the one who had been hurting us, not so much with his scoring, but with his rebounding and hustle plays,'' Jones said.
Staples also contributed mightily offensively in snapping back from another of his scoreless first-half slumps to finish with 11 points.
After missing all five shots in the opening half, Staples swished a trio of 3-pointers, the last one at 6:24 to put Virginia out front to stay, 60-57.
``I am going to keep shooting because I know I can make these shots,'' said Staples, who came into the game shooting only 25.2 percent from 3-point range.
North Carolina State, which began the week as the most proficient 3-point team in the league, followed a 10-for-41 performance against North Carolina on Thursday with an even worse game.
The Wolfpack hit only 4 of 28 from long range, offering little support to center Todd Fuller, who had a game-high 29 points.
State point guard Ishua Benjamin missed all seven of his 3-pointers and finished with four points.
He blamed his lackluster performance on aggressive defense by Deane.
``He (Deane) got me frustrated. He just does things that get under my skin,'' Benjamin said.
With a road game against Clemson coming up Tuesday night, Deane said a victory over the Wolfpack was a must.
``You don't want to lose your first two conference games if your goal is winning the title,'' Deane said.
``This victory keeps us within reach of everyone. We haven't put ourselves in a hole so deep yet that we can't get out of.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Virginia's Harold Deane goes up against N.C. State's Danny Strong.
Deane, who went into the game shooting 20 percent from 3-point
range, was 4 of 5 Saturday.
by CNB