ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, February 25, 1997 TAG: 9702260013
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
Nobody should make the mistake of thinking tonight's Virginia-Virginia Tech men's basketball game is for bragging rights.
At this point, neither the Cavaliers nor Hokies are in any position to brag.
It will be strictly business when UVa (16-11) and Tech (14-13) meet at 8 p.m. at the Richmond Coliseum.
Most observers feel the Cavaliers must win two more games to get into the NCAA Tournament. Tech coach Bill Foster feels the Hokies might receive a bid to the National Invitation Tournament if they are .500 or better.
``It's amazing,'' Foster said. ``We're trying to get into one tournament and they're trying to stay out of it. We'll have to play our rear ends off, but we're capable of doing that. We both know how important it is.''
The Hokies, who defeated the Cavaliers 72-64 last year in Roanoke, are looking for back-to-back victories over UVa for the first time since 1975-76.
``Beating Tech by one point would be plenty for me,'' said UVa coach Jeff Jones, whose team has lost five of its last six games. ``I'm not even sure the state rivalry will come up.
``Our guys know, if we're going to have a chance [at an NCAA bid], we need to win on Tuesday. It's as simple as black and white. There's no escaping that.''
Tech has lost four of its last five games, but the Hokies come into the game with some momentum after defeating Duquesne 76-62 in Blacksburg on Sunday.
Senior Jim Jackson had 16 points to lead four Tech scorers in double figures. The group included freshman Brendan Dunlop, who had 15 points in 33 minutes off the bench, but not leading scorer Ace Custis.
Custis, who regularly sees double coverage, has not scored in double figures in his last four games. Virginia senior Harold Deane, who has scored more than 1,700 points in his career, has hit for double figures once in the last six games.
Deane, a native of the Richmond area, has gone 3-of-15 from the field in UVa's last two games and missed all eight of his attempts from 3-point range.
``I had some good looks,'' he said Saturday after missing four shots in the final three minutes of a 66-60 loss to Wake Forest, including a pair of 3-point tries. ``I just didn't make 'em ... I don't take that many shots. If it's [an opening] there, I'll shoot. If it's not, I won't.''
No one took the loss any harder than Deane, who actually seems to be moving better on his bruised right shin. Although he was instrumental in a 55-46 victory over North Carolina State, when he was 8-for-8 from the free-throw line, he has 14 turnovers in the last three games.
``We have to win two games,'' Deane said. ``If we win two, we get in. [But] I just don't want to put it on those two games. That's the starting point. We still have the ACC Tournament where, in my mind, we at least have to get past the first round.''
The Hokies are aware of Virginia's predicament and it would give them some satisfaction if they were responsible for keeping the Cavaliers out of the NCAA field.
``Yes, it would,'' Custis said, ``but it's not really about ruining things for them. It's trying to help our opportunity [to make the NIT]. We're here trying to better ourselves.''
The Hokies could still make the NCAA field by winning the Atlantic-10 Tournament, as would the Cavaliers by winning the ACC Tournament. Of course, the objective is to wrap up an at-large bid before the conference tournaments.
``We can still control our destiny,'' Foster said. ``We've got two teams coming up [UVa and Xavier] who I think are Top 25 teams. They may not be in there, but you look at the quality of opposition [the Cavaliers] have played and it's unbelievable.
``Again, if we can steal another one or two, who knows what can happen?''
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB