Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, February 20, 1992 TAG: 9202200269
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
CAVS RIP TAR HEELS
A Virginia basketball team wracked by second-guessing, self doubt and an unforgiving schedule-maker cast aside all its troubles Wednesday night.The Cavaliers upset fourth-ranked North Carolina 86-73 at University Hall as three UVa players outscored the Tar Heels by themselves.
Senior Bryant Stith combined with freshmen Cory Alexander and Junior Burrough for 76 points, including 49 of UVa's 51 points in the second half as the Cavaliers ended Carolina's five-game winning streak.
"It kind of sews up the regular-season [ACC title] for Duke," said North Carolina coach Dean Smith, whose Tar Heels are 18-4 overall and 8-3 in the ACC.
Virginia (12-10, 5-6) came into the game with a two-game losing streak but has not lost three straight games all season.
"I'm really pleased for our players," UVa coach Jeff Jones said. "There have been a lot of things going on around us that could have pulled us apart, but instead we pulled together."
The latest problem surfaced Saturday after the Cavaliers' 69-60 loss to Wake Forest, when freshman Junior Burrough said UVa's offense was too predictable. Earlier, sophomore forward Cornel Parker had quit the team for one game.
"It was an accumulation of things," Jones said. "Junior, Cornel, all the people writing we were dead, the calls to [Jones'] radio show.
"But as long as we keep plugging away, good things will happen."
Virginia, a two-point underdog, hit nine of its first 12 shots and led by 14 points in the first half before the Tar Heels closed to 35-25 at halftime. The Cavaliers outrebounded North Carolina 23-13 in the first 20 minutes.
In the second half, North Carolina was cutting into the Cavaliers' lead when UNC center Eric Montross and Smith received back-to-back technicals with 14:17 remaining, Montross for slamming the ball to the floor and Smith for arguing.
Stith hit four free throws to put the Cavaliers ahead 47-33, but Virginia was whistled for six personal fouls over the next 2:35 and North Carolina was able to cut the deficit to 47-40.
The Tar Heels crept to 57-53 after a reverse layup by Roanoke's George Lynch with 7:46 left but could pull no closer. It was 59-54 when Alexander and Burrough scored seven straight points.
North Carolina committed 17 fouls in the final 6:16 in a desperate attempt to cut Virginia's lead, but the Cavaliers never let their lead dip to fewer than eight points in the final 3 1/2 minutes.
UVa had its biggest lead at 85-70 on a dunk by Stith with 1:06 remaining. Stith matched his season high with 30 points and had a season high of 10 rebounds.
Alexander had a career-high 24 points, and Burrough, with 22 points, was one off his previous best. Nobody else scored for Virginia in the second half before Doug Smith hit a free throw with 3:30 left.
"Cory Alexander and Junior Burrough were not the same players they were down at Chapel Hill," said Smith, whose Tar Heels hammered UVa 77-56 at the Smith Center. "Their experience showed tonight."
Jones added, "Bryant played well, but there was no way, with the pressure they were putting on him, that he could handle the entire load."
Sophomore guard Derrick Phelps had a career-high 21 points for the Tar Heels, but his senior backcourt partner, Hubert Davis, failed to score in double figures for the first time in 22 games.
Davis finished with nine points, six in the final 3:52, after the outcome was largely decided, although Smith continued to have his players foul the Cavaliers until 20 seconds remained.
"I don't think people were leaving when it was 10 [points] with two minutes to play," Smith said, "but we didn't execute our catch-up game very well. Four times we didn't get a shot."
North Carolina has won 48 of 51 games between the teams in Chapel Hill, N.C., but the Cavaliers have won three of the past four against UNC in Charlottesville, losing the fourth in double overtime.
"There was no reason not to approach this game with a positive attitude," Stith said, enjoying his fourth victory over the Tar Heels, counting the 1990 ACC Tournament. "We've had a good track record against them here."
The Cavaliers shot 47.2 percent from the field, compared to North Carolina's 44.6 percent, outrebounded the Tar Heels 38-32 and had 11 turnovers. In the first game, North Carolina hounded UVa into a season-high 23 turnovers.
"I don't know if I would have been capable of this a month ago," said Alexander, who had three turnovers Wednesday against persistent pressure. "I wasn't this aggressive."
Burrough said he called Jones on Sunday to apologize for his comments. "But, if this is the way we're going to play," he said, "maybe I should keep talking."
\ see microfilm for box score
Memo: a different version of this story ran in the New River Valley edition.