Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 2, 1995 TAG: 9503030074
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
What about the Virginia Tech's men's basketball team?
After squandering a seven-point lead in the final 2 1/2 minutes and losing 63-62 to 13th-ranked Virginia Tuesday night in Richmond, the Hokies are left trying to climb out of a deep hole of doldrums.
``No doubt about it, it's going to be real tough to come back from this one,'' said Tech coach Bill Foster.
``This one would have meant so much, but we let it get away. Now we've got to come back on Saturday against UNC Charlotte. It's never going to be more important than it will be Saturday.''
Tech (19-9), loser of four of its past six games, must beat Metro regular-season winner UNCC (19-6) in order to finish 6-6 in the league. If the Hokies don't finish .500 in the regular season, they most certainly would have to win next week's Metro tournament to qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
``I don't play the numbers game,'' Foster said. "I told our kids a long time ago that we've got to take care of business ourselves. We've got to win Saturday and go to Louisville and play well [in the Metro tournament]. Then, you don't have to count on somebody else to get you in.
``Hey, we've got to bounce back, that's all there is to it. This bunch has done it all year.''
The same bunch couldn't get it done at the finish Tuesday, as was the case earlier this season against Louisville and South Florida. Tech had the final shot to win in each game. None fell.
``It never should have gotten to that point,'' Foster said. "We were in control, I thought.''
It appeared so. The Hokies led 58-51 with less than 21/2 minutes remaining. All they had to do was hang on.
Instead, they hanged themselves. Down the stretch, the Hokies turned the ball over three times against UVa's pressure and missed two free throws, both by Shawn Smith with 1:18 to play.
UVa (20-7), on the verge of losing back-to-back games for the first time this season, cashed in on Tech's miscues. Senior Jason Williford was UVa's prime beneficiary, scoring eight of his 18 points in the final 1:59.
Williford made the game's biggest play with 53.8 seconds left, stealing the ball from Smith on the press, driving for a layup and drawing a foul from Shawn Good. Williford's free throw put UVa ahead 61-60.
After Ace Custis sank two free throws to give Tech the lead back at 62-61 with 34.3 seconds left, it was the Cavaliers' turn.
UVa sophomore guard Harold Deane then took matters into his own hands. Deane, who had missed his first seven shots of the second half, got a step on Good, drove the lane and scored with 16.7 seconds left.
``I'm the type of person who's going to go down swinging,'' Deane said. "I was fortunate I had a chance to make up for all those misses.''
With the Richmond Coliseum crowd of 9,418 on its feet, the Hokies, after a timeout by each team, set up for a final shot with 7.8 seconds left. The plan, Foster said, was for Custis to get the ball at top of the key.
The ball went to the right place, but to the wrong hands - Smith's. Smith dribbled, backed in and launched an off-balance 15-footer that rimmed out. Custis got the rebound, but lost control before mustering a stickback effort.
Tech fans had seen it all before. In a 68-66 loss at South Florida, Smith missed an ill-advised 3-pointer at the end. In a 62-61 home loss to Louisville, Custis' last-second rebound attempt also failed.
``It wasn't the shot we wanted,'' said Foster of Smith's misfire. ``We wanted Ace coming high and making that play.
``On the rebound, Ace had his hands on it with a chance to get it back up, and it got knocked loose. [He] probably got fouled. [But] nobody is going to make a call like that with 2-3 seconds to go that will affect the outcome of a game.''
The outcome would have been different if Tech could have closed - something that's becoming more and more questionable.
``It was a perfect opportunity for us and we blew it,'' Good said. ``With 1:30 to go, I thought for sure we had the game. All we had to do was make our free throws and take care of the basketball.''
UVa was carried most of the night by senior Junior Burrough, who had a game-high 22 points. The Cavaliers have beaten Tech in 17 of the past 22 meetings.
Virginia, with 20 victories in the regular season for the first time since 1990-91, has more important business Sunday, when it entertains Maryland at home in the ACC regular-season finale for both teams.
Virginia will be playing for at least a share of the ACC's regular-season title. The Terrapins (12-3 after beating Duke Wednesday night) lead UVa, North Carolina and Wake Forest, all 11-4 in the league.
A strong possibility exists that all four could end up tied at 12-4. UVa, due to its sweep by Wake, would finish with the fourth seed for the ACC Tournament in the tiebreaker and play a quarterfinal game against Georgia Tech.
``Losing two tough games in a row would have made it tough getting ready for Maryland,'' said UVa coach Jeff Jones, who registered his 100th victory in five seasons.
``It sure didn't look very good. Growing up, my father always said it's better to be lucky than good. We weren't very good but some breaks went our way ... and we took advantage of them.''
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