DATE: Tuesday, February 25, 1997            TAG: 9702250307

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C8   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY DOUG DOUGHTY, LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE

                                            LENGTH:   35 lines

TECH-U.VA. IS BIGGER THAN BRAGGING RIGHTS

Nobody should make the mistake of thinking that tonight's Virginia-Virginia Tech men's basketball game (8 p.m., WVBT) is for bragging rights. At this point, neither the Cavaliers nor Hokies are in any position to brag.

Many feel the Cavaliers (16-11) must win two more games to get into the NCAA tournament. Tech coach Bill Foster feels the Hokies (14-13) 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.''

The Hokies, who defeated the Cavaliers 72-64 last year in Roanoke, are looking for back-to-back victories over U.Va. for the first time since 1975-76.

``Beating Tech by one point would be plenty for me,'' said U.Va. 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 (tonight). It's as simple as black and white.''

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.

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. ``If we can steal another one or two, who knows what can happen?''

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