ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 26, 1997 TAG: 9702260082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
If a basketball team keeps playing games that are decided in the final minute, sooner or later it can expect to win one.
The odds finally turned in the Cavaliers' favor Tuesday night as Virginia held off Virginia Tech 59-58 in the latest in a series of wild finishes the teams have experienced at the Richmond Coliseum.
``In some ways, maybe we should have expected that kind of contest,'' said coach Jeff Jones, whose Cavaliers defeated the Hokies 63-62 here two years ago. ``We're just elated this time that we were on the winning end.''
It was only the second victory in the past seven games for UVa, which may have seen its hopes for a bid to the NCAA Tournament hanging in the balance when Tech took possession with 34 seconds left.
After Brendan Dunlop rebounded his miss and called a timeout, the Hokies took possession under their basket with five seconds left. They got the ball to Jim Jackson, whose looping shot fell short of the basket and was rebounded by UVa's Norman Nolan.
``I can't really say what I think, because I want to coach the last game,'' said Tech coach Bill Foster when asked about the last play. ``But the film doesn't lie. When I looked at it, I really cried.''
Virginia guard Curtis Staples wasn't happy about the jump ball called by officials after he felt he was hacked by Dunlop with 34 seconds left, but he was willing to forgive anything in exchange for a victory.
He even was willing to forgive a halftime blast from Jones, who was disturbed by Staples' tentative play during the first half, when he had two points and three turnovers.
``He hit some big [3-pointers] after being really, really tight in the first half,'' Jones said. ``That was not the normal Curtis Staples. We tried to challenge him and let him know the team really needed him.''
Staples, a junior from Roanoke, made five 3-pointers in the second half - three during a 1:21 span as UVa went ahead 48-42. The Cavaliers had trailed 36-29 with less than 16 minutes remaining.
``At the half, Coach Jones got on me as bad as he has since I've been here,'' said Staples, who finished with a game-high 19 points. ``He told me I was playing scared out there in the first half and I really wasn't being real assertive.
``Basically, I just came out in the second half trying to be aggressive. I didn't know that I would come out shooting the ball the way I did. I forgive him. If he hadn't gotten on me, I probably wouldn't have played the way I did in the second half.''
Staples' final 3-pointer, with 2:55 remaining, put the Cavaliers ahead 58-53. However, they did not score on their last three possessions and did not manage the clock particularly well.
UVa (17-11) had lost eight games in which it was leading or tied in the second half and had not won a game when it trailed at the half since Jan.8. Tech only led 29-27 at the break despite 64.7 percent shooting from the field.
The Cavaliers shot 56.1 percent for the game, but could not hold onto the ball. They matched their season high with 19 turnovers, including 12 in the first half.
``We made a big deal about it at the half,'' Jones said, ``but, more than anything, we talked about needing to come out and play and not being tentative. I really think we were tight in the first half. We came down here with a lot of pressure on us.''
The Hokies hit eight of their first 10 shots in taking an 18-10 lead and, eventually, Virginia was forced into a zone defense. Jones said that was partly out of respect for Ace Custis, who led the Hokies (14-14) with 15 points.
It was the first double-figure outing in five games for Custis, while Virginia's leader, Harold Deane, continued to struggle. Deane finished with six points and has scored in double figures once in his past eight games.
``Harold was hurting big-time in the second half,'' Jones said, referring to Deane's nagging shin injury. ``I watched him three times in a row after Curtis hit those big 3s and Harold barely registered any emotion.''
The pain hadn't stopped Deane from holding a players-only meeting outside the coliseum doors as the Cavaliers prepared to return to the court for the second half.
``It's definitely not something that happens all the time,'' Deane said, ``but it was something I needed to say. We were playing terrible defense, they were beating us to the punch and I had to let everybody know this was our season.'' NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 90 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. 1. UVa's Harold Deane tries to squeeze between Techby CNBdefender Keefe Matthews and teammate Chase Metheney. Deane struggled
all night, scoring six points, but the Cavaliers won 58-57. color.
2. Virginia's Norman Nolan (25) reaches for Manns runs interference
during Tuesday night's game.