Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 6, 1995 TAG: 9503070042
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Long
The timing was not the least bit premature.
The Cavaliers took the emotion of ``Senior Day'' and thrived on it, handing sixth-ranked Maryland its worst loss in two seasons, 92-67 at University Hall.
In the process, 13th-ranked UVa knocked the Terrapins from their spot atop the ACC men's basketball standings and forced the first four-way tie for first place in the conference's 42-year history.
It was the ninth victory in 10 games for UVa, which improved its record to 21-7 overall and 12-4 in the ACC. Maryland (23-6,12-4) had to settle for a share of first with UVa, Wake Forest and North Carolina.
Virginia, by virtue of its two losses to Wake Forest, will be the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament and will meet fifth-seeded Georgia Tech at noon Friday at the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum.
That was decided even before the tip-off Sunday, but UVa was not at a loss for inspiration in the final home game for seniors Junior Burrough, Jason Williford and Yuri Barnes.
``I was a little concerned that all the emotion would keep us from really going out and playing,'' said UVa coach Jeff Jones. ``That wasn't the case. We had the energy and emotion from the start.''
Virginia, ahead 42-33 at the half, used a 14-4 run to stretch its lead to 19 points on a 3-pointer by Curtis Staples with 16:15 remaining. It was one of six 3-pointers by Staples, four in the second half.
``I can't say I thought we'd beat them by that much,'' said Staples, a freshman from Roanoke. ``That was a real shock. But, we wanted to send the seniors out in style.''
Staples didn't even know he had broken the school record for 3-pointers in a season with 83. Salem's Richard Morgan, who was in the stands Sunday, held the previous record with 82.
``Seriously?'' Staples said, when informed of the record. ``I'm glad that happened, too. I'll just keep on shooting.''
Jones was most pleased with Staples' defense on Maryland junior Johnny Rhodes, second for the Terrapins in scoring with 13.1 points per game. Rhodes finished with seven points and two of his shots were blocked.
``Coach Jones likes to pick on me,'' Staples said. ``He told me Johnny Rhodes was the meanest two-guard there is and that he was going to kick my butt in the lane. I took it as a challenge.''
Sophomore Joe Smith was the only Maryland player to score in double figures, and even Smith could not duplicate his performance in the teams' first meeting, won by the Terrapins 76-68 on Feb.1 in College Park, Md.
Smith scored 25 points Sunday, but managed only five rebounds as Virginia dominated the backboards 42-27. Smith had 29 points and 21 rebounds in the game at Maryland.
``There was a conscious effort to keep him off the boards,'' Burrough said. ``That's what killed us up there. We were aware of his statistics from the first game and talked about it all week.''
Said Jones: ``It also helped our preparation for Joe to go off the way he did [40 points Wednesday] against Duke. Our guys were instructed to keep a body on him, even if it meant they didn't get the rebound.''
Burrough hit 10 of 17 shots from the field and finished with 24 points to go with 11 rebounds. It was his second consecutive strong outing after a six-point, five-rebound effort Feb.5 at Wake Forest.
``To play like that definitely sends a wakeup call,'' said Burrough, who Tuesday night had 22 points and nine rebounds in a 63-62 victory over Virginia Tech. ``I realized I had to step up my game.''
It was an afternoon for milestones as Burrough moved past Bryant Stith into second place on the school's all-time rebounds list with 861. Also, sophomore point guard Harold Deane tied a school record with 14 assists.
``I thought Harold did a fantastic job handling the ball [and] taking a whole lot of Maryland's pressure on himself, as opposed to when he and Cory [Alexander] were dividing those duties,'' Jones said.
Deane also contributed 19 points, but maybe the best news for Virginia fans came two hours after the game, when precautionary X-rays revealed no fracture in Deane's left wrist.
For a team that already had lost Alexander for the season, there was much concern when Deane fell to the floor with 1:29 remaining and left the court clutching his left wrist.
``If the game was on the line, I would have found a way to stay out there somehow,'' said Deane, who seemed less alarmed by the injury than the training staff or media was.
Maryland, seeking first place outright for the first time since 1980, was without head coach Gary Williams for the second consecutive game. Assistant Billy Hahn directed the Terrapins in the absence of Williams, who has pneumonia and remains hospitalized.
``Coach Williams has brought this program a long way,'' said Hahn, whose persistent foot stomps were more reminiscent of his former coach at Maryland, Lefty Driesell. ``It is hard to get this close [to first] and not get it.''
by CNB