THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 4, 1994 TAG: 9412040207
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C6 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK VEHORN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTESVILLE LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
Towson State coach Terry Truax had some encouraging words for Virginia fans Saturday after watching the 23rd-ranked Cavaliers breeze to a 94-66 victory.
``I think the preseason expectations were a little high for this Virginia team,'' Truax said, ``but I think it will get there by season's end.''
After being ranked as high as seventh in some preseason listings, and 14th by AP, the Cavaliers had not had a game in which they did not struggle until Saturday.
They barely edged Old Dominion in the season-opener, lost to Ohio University in the first round of the NIT preseason tourney, and had to come from behind to beat North Carolina A&T.
It was a different story against Towson State (1-2), however.
Virginia (3-1) accelerated into a 30-12 lead and never let up against the Big South Conference team.
``Virginia has learned something that our players still have to learn: That is to come out and play hard every minute,'' Truax said.
The Cavaliers apparently learned that lesson while taking a cram course the previous two days - following their sluggish start in the N.C. A&T game.
In hopes of getting off to a quick start, Virginia coach Jeff Jones ordered his players to press defensively after successful field goals.
``This was the first time we have started a game doing that,' Jones said.
``We had gotten off to such bad starts, not just scoring but being lethargic, that we wanted to jump-start them a little bit.''
The Cavaliers received balanced scoring from Junior Burrough (18 points), Cory Alexander (16) and Harold Deane (15), but defense was the most decisive factor in the romp.
Towson State hit only 38 percent from the floor, and top scorer Ralph Blalock was limited to four field goals and eight points.
``Their focus was on Blalock, and the residual effect of their pressure defense caused us to rush our shots,'' Truax said.
Offensively, the Cavaliers hit only 40.5 percent from the field as Cory Alexander stressed playmaking over shooting.
The senior point guard attempted only nine field goals while handing out seven assists.
``I was trying to get other players involved more than I was looking for my shot,'' said Alexander, who had taken criticism for shooting too much in previous games.
Jones credited Alexander and his other perimeter players for doing a better job of getting the ball inside.
``There was a stretch in the second half when we passed the ball about as well as we have ever passed it here,'' Jones said.
``The shots didn't always go in, though, and that is something we have to improve on. Even if a player makes 60 percent of his shots, that is not good when he is taking 80 percent shots.''
Freshman forward Norman Nolan scored 11 points in only 18 minutes while freshman guard Curtis Staples hit only 1 of his 7 field goal attempts.
Seven-foot-4 Chase Metheney, the other member of the freshman class, did not dress for the second straight game.
Team officials said Metheney is suffering from hamstring and lower back problems, but they said rumors he might be redshirted are inaccurate.
Because Metheney played in one of the preseason exhibition games, he is not eligible to be redshirted without a season-ending injury, Jones said. by CNB