DATE: Wednesday, February 26, 1997          TAG: 9702260675

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: RICHMOND                          LENGTH:   79 lines

U.VA. GETS CONTROVERSIAL WIN THE HOKIES CALL FOUL WHEN NONE WERE CALLED DURING THE FINAL 30 SECONDS.

It had everything a fan of Virginia basketball - the state and the University - could want.

Drama, controversy, emotion - Tuesday night's game between Virginia and Virginia Tech at the Richmond Coliseum had all of that, in abundance.

And, for all those Virginia fans - the University, that is - it had one more thing: a happy ending.

In a game that was worthy of what's become an entertaining rivalry, Virginia edged Virginia Tech 58-57 in front of 8,503 fans.

Tech (14-14) had two chances to win in the final 30 seconds, but missed a pair of driving shots, one by Brendan Dunlop and one by Jim Jackson. Both players drew contact, and Tech fans and players thought fouls should have been called.

Tech coach Bill Foster obviously thought so too, but wouldn't say it.

``I can't really (comment),'' Foster said. ``I'd like to coach the next game.''

The controversial no-calls came after Tech got the ball with 34 seconds left, trailing 58-57. With about eight seconds left, Dunlop drove the lane and ended up on his back. There was no foul whistled, and Dunlop, who regained possession after a mad scramble on the floor, called timeout.

Tech inbounded the ball with five seconds left. Jackson caught the ball on the left wing and drove to the basket, where he encountered two Virginia defenders. Jackson tossed up a lefthanded air ball and then stood waiting for a foul call that never came.

``There was contact,'' Jackson said. ``There wasn't a foul because there wasn't a foul called. But there was contact.''

The Cavaliers (17-11) escaped with a victory that can't hurt their chances of obtaining an at-large NCAA bid. It may not help that much, either. The truly crucial game comes Sunday, when Virginia (6-9 in the ACC) hosts Maryland.

``That's really, really, really big,'' Virginia coach Jeff Jones said. ``What's that? Three reallys?''

Tuesday's game was merely big, for both teams. Virginia, on the proverbial NCAA bubble, could hardly afford another loss. Tech, which has the more modest goal of getting an NIT bid, could have used a win over an ACC foe.

``It's a hard one for us to take,'' Foster said. ``It could have meant a lot to us.''

Tech was done in by the hot second-half shooting of Roanoke native Curtis Staples, who scored 17 of his game-high 19 points in the final 20 minutes.

With the score tied at 39, Staples hit two 3-pointers in 30 seconds to make it 45-39. After a trey by Tech's Troy Manns, Staples buried another 3-pointer to make it 48-42.

Staples had five 3-pointers in the half, after attempting only two shots in the first half.

Jones said he ``challenged'' Staples at halftime. He declined to be more specific.

Staples, elaborated, without getting into the gory details.

``He was probably as harsh as you can get,'' Staples said. ``It's as tough as he's been on me since I've been at Virginia.''

It worked. Staples carried Virginia in the second half, just as Courtney Alexander had done in the first half.

Five Hokies took a shot at guarding Alexander in the first half, none very successfully. Alexander started by torching the Jackson twins, first Jim, then his twin brother David. Andre Ray then took a turn tailing Alexander, then Myron Guillory, then Brendan Dunlop.

No one could slow him. Alexander scored 12 of Virginia's first 17, and had 16 of Virginia's 27 by halftime. He finished with 18.

Tech led 29-28 at the half behind 10 points from Keefe Matthews and eight from Manns. But Virginia switched to a zone defense in the second half and was able to slow the Hokies.

Ace Custis led Tech with 15 points, 11 in the second half. Tech shot a respectable 46 percent but Virginia hit at a 56 percent clip. Virginia also won the battle of the boards, getting 10 rebounds from freshman Colin Durcharme. ILLUSTRATION: [Color photo]

ASSOCIATED PRESS

Harold Deane of Virginia, center, works his way around Keefe

Matthews of Virginia Tech, left, as Virginia's Chase Metheney

watches during first-half action Tuesday night in Richmond.

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