Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, December 5, 1993 TAG: 9312050201
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium
Five days after star guard Cory Alexander was sidelined by a fractured ankle, the Cavaliers suffered another blow in the first half of their game against Rice on Saturday when Cornel Parker suffered a broken facial bone near his right eye.
Parker returned for the second half and played a major role in UVa's 59-51 come-from-behind victory, but his cheek was badly swollen as he left for X-rays after the game.
"No predictions," said forward Junior Burrough, who was more pessimistic than anyone when Alexander was hurt. "Hopefully, Cornel won't be out too long.
"It's not what we need right now. When I saw him go down, I immediately flashed back to Monday night."
Jones and the Cavaliers got the bad news later Saturday. X-rays revealed no breaks, but a CAT scan showed a fracture. Parker will undergo more tests Monday to determine how long he will be out of action.
Parker was injured in a collision with the Owls' Thomas McGhee with 2 minutes, 11 seconds remaining in the first half. Rice, leading 25-22 at the time, extended its margin to 28-23 by halftime.
Parker was examined by doctors, who gave their approval for his return to action, but he did not re-enter the game until 16:14 remained.
"He was mad at me because he didn't start [the second half]," Jones said. "He wanted to play right away."
Parker scored nine of his 14 points in the second half and helped spark Virginia's defense, which held Rice to three second-half field goals until the final 34 seconds.
The Owls (2-2) went more than nine minutes without a field goal and finished 16-of-54 (29.6 percent). As a result, 12th-ranked Virginia improved its record to 2-1 despite shooting 28.8 percent.
It was the fifth time in Jones' tenure - and the second time this week - that Virginia had failed to shoot 30 percent. There was no record of UVa previously shooting less than 30 percent and winning.
"I'll take 'em any way they come," Jones said. "It's pretty obvious there [are] not going to be a lot of easy ones. I'm going to start looking for gray hair here before too soon. I don't have any yet, but this season it's almost guaranteed they're going to start."
UVa shot 19.4 percent in the first half, worse than in either half of Monday's 77-36 drubbing by Connecticut. The Cavaliers seemed content to bomb from outside, with six players attempting 3-pointers in the first 10 minutes.
"I tried to impress on them at halftime that we weren't a jump-shooting team with [Alexander], and we're sure . . . not a jump-shooting team without him," Jones said.
UVa's six first-half field goals included the first collegiate 3-pointer by Burrough, who might have been better off beyond the arc. He finished 4-of-19 on field-goal attempts, putting him at 13-of-49 (26.5 percent) for the season.
"Nothing is going for me right now," said Burrough, who was 6-of-12 on free throws. "I don't know what to work on next. I spent all day Friday shooting layups and having people contest them. Today, I seemed to get a lot of jumpers."
Said Jones: "It's pretty obvious, the last two games, that we're trying to pound the ball in to Junior as best we can. If he's not going to shoot it for us in the low post, who is? It's not the shots we're worrying about. It's the way he's shooting them."
Jones was pleased not only with his team's defense, but with the rebounding of Burrough, Yuri Barnes and Jason Williford. They combined for 37 rebounds, including 25 on the defensive end. The trio had two defensive rebounds against Connecticut.
Barnes led the way with 14 rebounds, although he spent much of the second half on the bench after receiving a personal foul, accompanied by a technical, with 14:17 remaining. Jones was reduced to a small but quick lineup that included four perimeter players and Burrough.
"If it wins for you, daggone, do it," said Willis Wilson, Rice's coach.
The Owls are coming off an 18-10 season in which they finished second in the Southwest Conference and were the only SWC team to win a postseason game. However, only three of the top six players returned from that squad.
"I admire Virginia because [the Cavaliers] are a very aggressive, intense, physical basketball team," Wilson said. "We need to get our program to the level where we're willing to make the same personal sacrifice."
by CNB