ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150098
SECTION: B-1 SPORTS EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
TECHNICAL FOULS prove costly as the Blue Devils rally from a 17-point deficit to beat the Cavs.
Score it as a technical knockout.
On a night when the Cavaliers were called for 26 personal fouls, it was a pair of technicals from which they could not recover in a 79-69 loss to Duke.
The Blue Devils, who trailed by as many as 17 points in the first half, avenged a 91-88 double-overtime setback to Virginia when the Cavaliers overcame a 23-point deficit at Cameron Indoor Stadium last season.
Sophomore forward Ricky Price scored a career-high 28 points for the Blue Devils, who improved their record to 14-10 overall and 5-7 in the ACC. Virginia, which had won four consecutive games, saw its record fall to 11-11 and 5-7.
The Cavaliers, down to seven scholarship players after the arrest of freshmen Scott Johnson and Darryl Presley on charges of petty larceny, were without point guard and leading scorer Harold Deane for the last 7:03.
Deane received his fourth and fifth personal fouls on the same play, when he was whistled for a charge and received a technical foul for his response. A technical foul against a player also counts as a personal.
``I just felt the charge was the wrong call,'' said Deane, who picked up three of his fouls on charges. ``I slammed the ball down, but I didn't feel it was a loud outburst.''
Rick Hartzell, the official who called the technical against Deane, earlier had called a technical against UVa coach Jeff Jones. The two technicals were only the second and third against the Cavaliers this season.
UVa was leading 45-38 and had possession of the ball when Hartzell stopped play and called the technical on Jones from a distance of approximately 50 feet. Another official, Frank Scagliotta, was standing next to Jones at the time.
``I was gesturing,'' said Jones, when asked if he had received an explanation from Hartzell.
Was he gesturing?
``I was having a conversation with Frank Scagliotta,'' said Jones, who declined to comment further because of a conference-imposed ``gag'' order that prevents ACC coaches from commenting on officiating.
Chris Collins hit two free throws that resulted from the technical and, after the Blue Devils inbounded the ball, was fouled and converted two more free throws to make it 45-42 with 15:04 left.
Duke took the lead with 11:10 remaining, 52-51, and was ahead 54-53 when Deane fouled out. It turned out to be a five-point possession for the Blue Devils when Jeff Capel drained a 3-pointer on top of two free throws.
``It had to affect us some,'' Jones said of the loss of Deane, who had scored 14 of his 15 points in the first half. ``He's our leading scorer, the guy who handles the ball the most [and] our most mentally and physically tough player.''
Deane will be back Saturday, when UVa visits North Carolina, but the Cavaliers probably will be without junior Jamal Robinson, who took over at point guard after Deane was disqualified.
Robinson, whose driving layup and dunk gave Virginia its last lead, at 66-65 with 2:59 left, had to be helped off the floor with 40.6 seconds left after suffering an ankle injury.
``I don't want to speculate,'' Jones said, ``but it doesn't look good. If it's a sprain, it's the ugliest sprain I've ever seen.''
Johnson and Presley did not make the trip and will be held out of action indefinitely, according to a statement released by UVa officials before the game. Jones said they will remain in school and continue to practice with the team.
In their absence, UVa used all four of its walk-ons. Two were on the floor at the end of the first half, when the Blue Devils trimmed a 35-18 deficit to 40-28.
Duke's comeback spoiled a career-high 30-point effort by UVa freshman Courtney Alexander, a Durham resident who lives five minutes from Cameron. Alexander hit 10 of his first 11 shots, including eight in a row.
``I know a little bit about this place,'' said Alexander, who finished 10-of-16 from the floor and made 10 of 11 free throws. ``I thought the Cameron Crazies were a little lenient. They didn't get on me as much as they could have.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Duke's Ricky Price (3) loses the ball to Virginia'sby CNBCourtney Alexander (left) as the Blue Devils' Taymon Domzalski looks
on during the first half Wednesday night in Durham, N.C. color.