THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 6, 1996 TAG: 9602060428
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY STEVE CARLSON, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 75 lines
It ended early, and then the end couldn't come quickly enough for Old Dominion.
``I just wish the clock operator would have taken some time off the clock and got it over a lot sooner,'' ODU coach Jeff Capel said after Virginia blew out his Monarchs, 87-49, Monday at University Hall.
It was ODU's most lopsided loss in 271 games, dating back to a 41-point wipeout by Western Kentucky during the 1986-87 season. Virginia had a 60-point win last season over Bethune-Cookman.
``We got taken out to the woodshed and got a spanking,'' Capel said. ``I thought Virginia really took their game to a level where we couldn't go. I think we played about as bad as we could possibly play, but you have to attribute that to them.''
Virginia was on the opposite end of a similar game just eight days earlier with a 30-point loss at Connecticut.
`We can identify with how Old Dominion feels right now,'' U.Va. coach Jeff Jones said. ``They're a good basketball team, they just had a real bad night.''
Virginia (9-10) may not be a power in the ACC this year, but the Cavaliers are tough in the CAA. Four of Virginia's nine wins are over Colonial Athletic Association teams.
The Cavaliers led 14-12 with nine minutes left in the first half, and just over six minutes later they were up 37-14. Virginia made 8 of 10 field goals during the 23-2 run while ODU was hitting just 1 of 8 and committed five turnovers.
As if the run alone and the final margin weren't staggering enough, the Cavaliers did it without a point from their best offensive player. Guard Harold Deane played just 12 minutes before sitting down with a sprained left big toe. He could have returned, but U.Va. never needed him.
``It was one of those nights, and to be honest, I'm glad it was,'' Jones said. ``The kids had a lot of fun.''
Virginia used a diamond-and-one defense most of the game designed to clog up ODU's inside game and clamp down on its best outside shooter. Virginia's Curtis Staples stayed in Mark Poag's chest while the rest of the Cavaliers were in the diamond zone.
``We felt Poag was the one guy for Old Dominion that could really stretch your defense,'' Jones said.
Poag, who came in shooting 43.8 percent from 3-point range, missed all seven attempts beyond the arc and finished with two points.
``I could sense a little fear in the other guy,'' Staples said of Poag.
Poag said he'd played against that defense ``All the time'' in high school. ``It didn't look like I'd ever played against it tonight,'' he said.
``The more you miss, the better the defense gets and the tighter the shooters get,'' Capel said.
The starters for ODU (12-11) combined to shoot 7 of 36 (19.4 percent) and 0-for-14 from 3-point range. The Monarchs finished with a season-low 30.8 percent shooting and were 2 of 23 from beyond the arc. The 49 points was the fewest for the Monarchs since they also scored 49 in a 1989-90 loss to Virginia Commonwealth.
Forward Joe Bunn was the only Monarch in double figures with 15 points.
Virginia had a 54-35 advantage on the boards. Courtney Alexander (19 points), Jamal Robinson (17) and Norman Nolan (16) led a balanced U.Va. attack. Chase Metheney blocked six shots.
The Cavaliers, who came in shooting 39.9 percent, made 55.6 percent in the first half and 46.5 for the game.
``We were shocked,'' Nolan said. ``Coming in we thought it would be a lot closer - we knew it would be a lot closer. I think we rattled them early with our defense.''
ODU, loser of two in a row, returns to conference play Saturday by hosting James Madison.
``It will be a long trip back to Norfolk, but once tomorrow comes around we've got to think about JMU,'' Odell Hodge said. by CNB