ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 16, 1997 TAG: 9702180033
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CLEMSON, S.C.
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
There have been few instances this season when Virginia has entered the final five minutes of a men's basketball game without a chance to win.
It was no different Saturday at Littlejohn Coliseum, where seventh-ranked Clemson pulled away down the stretch and handed UVa its fourth consecutive defeat, 71-65.
It was the seventh game this season the Cavaliers have lost after they led or were tied in the second half, and the defeat placed their NCAA Tournament hopes in greater jeopardy.
``Time is running out and that's all there is to it,'' said UVa sophomore Courtney Alexander, who had 21 points to lead all scorers Saturday. ``If we keep this up, we're going to be where we were last year for March madness.''
Virginia didn't receive a postseason invitation after finishing 12-15 last season. By most estimates, the Cavaliers (15-10 overall, 5-8 ACC) probably need to win three more games to get an NCAA bid this year.
``We must win some games,'' said UVa coach Jeff Jones, whose team visits North Carolina State on Wednesday. ``I don't think anybody can tell us how many. What we've got to do is not count the wins. We've got to measure ourselves by our performance.''
Jones was pleased with the Cavaliers' effort coming off a disputed 62-61 loss to Duke on Tuesday night, but he bemoaned their inability to make routine plays, such as ``checking out'' on missed Clemson free throws.
The Tigers (20-5, 8-4) rebounded four of their missed free throws, including a stick-back by Andrius Jurkunas with 8:44 remaining that wiped out Virginia's last lead of the game.
The Cavaliers had taken a 52-47 lead with 9:40 left and were facing a Clemson team that was without its leading scorer, Greg Buckner, who was escorted to the locker room after cutting his head with 11:28 on the clock.
Buckner had provided virtually all of the Tigers' second-half offense to that point, but Clemson got scoring from five players during a 14-0 run that made it 61-52 with 6:45 left.
Buckner had returned by that point, but the Cavaliers staged a late rally and were able to force a 62-62 tie on a driving shot by Curtis Staples with 2:31 left.
``It's frustrating,'' said UVa senior Harold Deane. ``It's somewhat similar to the way N.C. State plays every team close to the end. It gets down to the last two minutes and we just don't do what it takes to win the game.''
Virginia's only field goal on its last five possessions was a Deane 3-pointer that cut the Cavaliers' deficit to two, at 67-65 with 42 seconds left. After a breakaway dunk by Clemson's Iker Iturbe, official Sam Croft whistled Deane for a backcourt violation.
Deane pleaded his case to referee Dick Paparo, but Paparo kept reminding Deane that he had not made the call. At Clemson, there is no center circle and no midcourt line on the part of the floor that is covered by a Tiger paw logo.
``As far as I'm concerned, it's a problem, but nobody's asked me how to decorate the floor,'' Jones said. ``It's definitely confusing out there. You can only assume the official was right. I have no idea.''
It also was Croft who called an early technical foul - the first technical Jones has received this season - after UVa's coach reacted strongly to Buckner's physical play in the post.
``If an official gave a technical to me or any other coach in the ACC for what I said, they'd be handing them out right and left,'' said Jones, who said he definitely wasn't asking for a technical.
The Cavaliers committed 16 turnovers and gave up numerous high-percentage inside shots, but there seemed to be little carry-over effect from Tuesday night. Duke hit the winning free throws after officials failed to recognize a would-be UVa substitute trying to enter the game.
``I'll be honest with you, I feel horrible for Virginia,'' Clemson coach Rick Barnes said. ``Right now, their [ACC] record is 5-8 and there's a big difference between 5-8 and 6-7. I know everybody in the league feels bad about it.
``I've said this all along: If you've got to go to a monitor to get a play right, you ought to get it right, whether you have to put five seconds back or take a point off.
``You have to hope it works out in the end. If Virginia is one of those teams that's right there, they deserve to go to the NCAA Tournament. You'd hate to see it [decided] on a finish like that.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 88 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. Clemson's Iker Iturbe pulls down a rebound asby CNBVirginia's Monte Marcaccini goes over his back to commit a foul
Saturday during their ACC game in Clemson, S.C. color. 2. Clemson's
Terrell McIntyre drives past Virginia's Harold Deane during
Saturday's ACC game.