THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, January 18, 1996 TAG: 9601180267
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
North Carolina sent Virginia to its most humbling defeat of the season Wednesday night, 67-53.
Virginia, which had won five of its last seven games against North Carolina in University Hall, never got close enough to give the 10th-ranked Tar Heels a scare after the first 13 minutes.
North Carolina freshman Antawn Jamison grabbed 20 rebounds, only 12 less than the entire Virginia team, and topped a balanced offense with 16 points.
``We're are back to looking for answers,'' Virginia coach Jeff Jones said. ``We thought we had some answers but all we have now are guesses.''
Jones called the Tar Heels (13-3, 4-1 ACC) a team ``with no weaknesses,'' and smart enough to exploit the troubles Virginia (7-6, 2-3) has had all season.
``We couldn't grab any defensive rebounds and we had little, if any, inside scoring,'' Jones said.
As has been the case this season, the Cavaliers threw their offensive punches from the outside and few of them landed.
They made only 9 of 29 3-point attempts while shooting 32.2 percent overall from the floor against North Carolina's zone defense.
Harold Deane, who had scored 85 points in the last three games, made 3 of 14 field-goal attempts for 10 points.
North Carolina didn't burn up the nets, shooting 38.6 percent, but it got many more second chances by outrebounding the Cavaliers 57-32.
Jamison's 20 rebounds were the most by a North Carolina player since Mike O'Koren had the same number against Duke in 1979.
``We didn't play with much life, but they took the life right out of us,'' Jones said.
The Cavaliers are on the road for their next three games - at Georgia Tech, Wake Forest and Connecticut.
``We are fighting for our lives, but we are not going to chuck it all,'' Jones said.
``We can't be worried about Georgia Tech (on Saturday) or anyone else. We have to be concerned with ourselves.''
Jones admitted he thought the Cavaliers had made big progress with their win over Duke last Saturday and the timing was right to upset the Tar Heels.
``The students were back in here (from semester break) and we had a little more confidence,'' Jones said.
``It looked like a good situation, yet this game was all North Carolina.''
The Tar Heels scored 10 straight points for a 29-18 lead with 5:56 remaining in the first half.
The Cavaliers didn't get any closer than seven points early in the second half, and the Heels pushed the lead back to 17 with 11:30 left.
North Carolina coach Dean Smith said his team played its best game of the season, but added, ``It's early yet.''
For the Cavaliers, though, they can see the shadows growing longer with each loss.
``We don't have the answers right now,'' Deane said.
``We play good one night and the next game we are a whole different team. We can't press the panic button, but we have some things to take care of.''
Jones announced after the game that recruit Mel Whitaker has left Hargrave Military Academy but will not be permitted to enroll at Virginia until the summer session.
Whitaker signed with Virginia last year but failed to qualify academically. He entered Hargrave and made his test scores during the first semester.
Jones said university policy did not allow Whitaker to enroll for the second semester.
He said Whitaker would try to get a job and stay in the Charlottesville area until he can enroll.
``But he can't practice with us, and he can't be treated like one of our players because of NCAA rules,'' Jones said. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS color photo
UNC guard Dante Calabria, left, ties up Virginia guard Harold
Deane...
ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
North Carolina's Vince Carter tries to get past U.Va.'s Jamal
Robinson.
by CNB