Cavs end slide with win in OT
By Jeff White
Published: February 16, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As the final seconds of the second half ticked off, Clemson shot once, twice and then a third time, desperately trying to break a 74-74 tie.

Watching helplessly, University of Virginia coach Dave Leitao remembered late-game sequences that had gone well for his team. Leitao also flashed back to unhappy endings for the Cavaliers, such as Deron Washington's last-second basket in Virginia Tech's win at John Paul Jones Arena last season.

There was no such heartbreak for U.Va. yesterday. The Tigers' late shots didn't fall, and the teams went to overtime. In the extra period, Virginia took the lead for good with 3:20 left on redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski's layup and held on to shock No. 12 Clemson 85-81 before a joyous crowd of 10,971 at the JPJ.

"It feels good to get this monkey off our back," Zeglinski said after U.Va. (2-8, 8-13) ended an eight-game losing streak that began Jan. 10 in Blacksburg.

After the final horn sounded, Leitao took the microphone and thanked fans for sticking with the team. The crowd was perhaps the loudest of the season at the JPJ -- in part because of the Cavaliers' inspired play, but also because former great Sean Singletary was in attendance.

Singletary's number (44) was retired during a halftime ceremony, and he popped into the Cavaliers' locker room after the game to offer his congratulations.

"I think Sean's presence here helped energize the building," Leitao said.

The victory, the Wahoos' first over a ranked opponent since Nov. 17, 2007, helped them avoid their first nine-game losing streak since the 1961-62 season. They'll try Wednesday night, against visiting Virginia Tech, to avenge the loss they suffered last month at Cassell Coliseum.

"This win is going to help us a lot," said freshman Sylven Landesberg, who'd refused to cut his hair during Virginia's skid. "We needed just one win to push us ahead, and this is it."

Landesberg played all 45 minutes against Clemson (6-4, 20-4). "A big-money player," Leitao called him, and the ball stayed in Landesberg's hands late in the game.

In regulation, Landesberg got the final basket, pulling U.Va. even with 13.4 seconds to play. In overtime, he scored six points. He finished with 23 points, four rebounds, three assists and a career-high three steals.

Landesberg's feats no longer surprise his teammates.

"People don't see what I see every day from him in practice," said sophomore forward Mike Scott, who also was spectacular yesterday, totaling 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists and a career-high three steals in 40 minutes.

Its losing streak notwithstanding, Virginia had been playing better recently. The Cavaliers led Florida State at halftime last Tuesday, and they went into the break up 33-25 yesterday.

The Tigers missed their first 10 shots from 3-point range but eventually heated up. Clemson opened the second half with a 14-0 run that included two 3-pointers by sophomore guard Terrence Oglesby and a trey and a three-point play by senior guard K.C. Rivers.

Amazingly, Virginia didn't fold. It pulled even at 40-40 on a Zeglinski 3-pointer and went up 44-42 on sophomore guard Jeff Jones' two free throws. For the game, U.Va. shot 53.1 percent.

"They punched us, and we just came back swinging," said Zeglinski, who turned over the ball six times against Clemson's vaunted full-court press but made all six of his shots from the floor, including three 3-pointers, and had six assists.

Zeglinski also played solid defense on the Tigers' penultimate possession, forcing Oglesby into an off-balance 3-point attempt that didn't fall. U.Va. forward Jamil Tucker grabbed the rebound and, after being fouled, hit 1 of 2 free throws with 6 seconds left in OT to seal the victory.
 

UVa trims Clemson in OT
Sylven Landesberg plays all 45 minutes and scores a game-high 23 points for the Cavaliers.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The only player to log 45 minutes was the freshest player on the floor Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena.

"I'm glad I looked that way," Virginia freshman Sylven Landesberg said. "I sure didn't feel that way."

Landesberg hit the game-tying basket in regulation, then scored six points in overtime as the Cavaliers knocked off 12th-ranked Clemson 85-81.

If it hadn't been Sunday, he would have headed straight to the barber.

Landesberg, who normally gets his hair trimmed every 10 days, had vowed after a Jan. 6 victory over Brown that he wouldn't get another haircut until the Cavaliers won another game.

Teammates were worried that he might start showing up in cornrows.

"I feel like getting it cut right now," said Landesberg, who finished with a game-high 23 points.

Virginia (8-13, 2-8 ACC) entered the game with eight consecutive losses and a nine-game losing streak would have been the longest since 1961-62.

UVa hadn't lost eight games in a row since 1997-1998, when the Cavaliers ended their skid with a four-point overtime victory over Clemson at home.

That Tigers' team finished 18-14 and was a little less imposing than the outfit that came to Charlottesville on Sunday. Clemson (20-4, 6-4) already had won three ACC road games and entered as an eight-point favorite.

Virginia had been dogged by poor first halves throughout its losing streak but showed signs of a turnaround Tuesday at Florida State, where the Cavaliers held the Seminoles to 26.1-percent shooting from the field in grabbing a 22-20 halftime lead.

There was more of the same Sunday, when UVa built a 33-25 halftime lead while holding the Tigers to 38.5-percent shooting. Clemson missed its first 10 3-point shots.

Clemson opened the second half with three 3-pointers and a three-point play in the space of four possessions, completing a 14-0 run in taking a 39-33 lead.

Virginia missed its first six shots of the second half, but then something unusual happened. The Cavaliers started hitting. They made 22 of their last 32 shots from the field and shot 53.1 percent for the game, their high since the season opener Nov. 16.

The Cavaliers had shot 35.4 percent or worse in five of their previous seven games.

There were reasons for the breakout. Clemson played a full-court press that resulted in 20 UVa turnovers but gave the Cavaliers more fast-break opportunities than usual.

Mostly, Virginia just shot the ball better, hitting seven of 15 3-point attempts. Redshirt freshman point guard Sammy Zeglinski, mired in a 4-for-34 slump from behind the arc, hit all three of his 3-point shots Sunday and finished 6-for-6 from the field.

UVa had five scorers in double figures, only two of them starters, Landesberg and Jeff Jones (12 points). Mike Scott had 18 points and a team-high 10 rebounds, Zeglinski had 15 and Jamil Tucker had 11.

Clemson took the lead to start the overtime on a Terrence Oglesby 3-pointer that made it 77-74 with 4:07 left, but UVa regained the lead following a Clemson turnover and breakaway Zeglinski layup with 3:24 left.

It was one of three Clemson turnovers on the first four possessions of overtime and they finished with 21. Oglesby, who had a team-high 17 points, was responsible for six of the turnovers.

"In the second half, we came out with a lot more energy," Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. "Then, I don't know if we got tired or not, but we didn't defend in the last 5-6 minutes of regulation."

That's when UVa spread the floor and gave the ball to Landesberg.

"Coach [Dave Leitao] asked me midway in the second half if I needed a break," Landesberg said. "I said, 'Coach, I'm good.' I didn't want to tell him how I really felt."

Landesberg said he fed off a crowd of 10,971 that was treated to a halftime ceremony in which three-time All-ACC choice Sean Singletary had his No. 44 retired.

"As I said to the fans at the end of the game, 'They need us and we need them,' " Leitao said. "Sean's presence here today helped energize the building."

 

Landesberg, defense rescue U.Va.
David Teel
February 16, 2009
CHARLOTTESVILLE

Virginia had not lost nine consecutive basketball games since 1962. The Cavaliers had not dropped four straight at home since 1977.

Sunday afternoon, freshman Sylven Landesberg spared the program those ignominies.

With a floater to force overtime and three more buckets in the extra period, Landesberg led Virginia to an 85-81 upset of No. 12 Clemson.

So now we wonder. Can the Cavaliers overcome a wretched ACC start for a second season in a row and salvage a respectable finish?

"I think we're going to just keep rolling from here," point guard Sammy Zeglinski said.

He might be prescient. The Cavaliers (8-13, 2-8 ACC) play four of their last six regular-season contests at John Paul Jones Arena. Moreover, only one of those home opponents, Wake Forest, is ranked.

Entering Sunday, Virginia and Georgia Tech were racing pedal-to-the-floorboard for last place in the conference, the Yellow Jackets staking their claim with a 21-point home breakdown Saturday against North Carolina State.

Riding an eight-game skid, and facing a rival that won here by 31 last season, the Cavaliers were perfectly capable of matching Georgia Tech's ineptness. But they didn't. In fact, they played their best game of the season, by far.

"It has not been easy, obviously, for anybody," coach Dave Leitao said of the past five weeks.

But, he added, "Win, lose or draw we've just come back to the gym and worked."

Worked on defense, mostly, and Sunday it showed. Virginia limited Clemson to 43.1-percent shooting and harassed the Tigers into 21 turnovers, 13 in the opening half.

The Cavaliers guarded most effectively in overtime.

Jamil Tucker forced Raymond Sykes into a 5-second call in the low post, and Zeglinski, often a poor defender, blanketed Terrence Oglesby's attempt at a tying 3-pointer with six seconds left.

But for all that defense, Virginia would have lost again absent Landesberg's uncanny, unorthodox offense. And funny thing is, his late-game drama began with a missed shot.

The Cavaliers led 72-71 with less than two minutes remaining in regulation when Landesberg penetrated the lane and released a floater from about 10 feet.

"He knew proof-positive he was going to make that shot," Leitao said.

But he didn't, and when K.C. Rivers scored the next three points, Virginia was 30 seconds away from a 1-9 ACC record for the second consecutive year and more whispers about Leitao's job.

Unfazed, Landesberg controlled the Cavaliers' final possession, rubbed off a Tucker screen at the top of the key and hit a tying runner in the lane with 13.4 seconds showing.

"That wasn't exactly how it was supposed to go," said Landesberg, who was supposed to pass the ball out for a potential winning 3-pointer. "But they switched (the screen), so I had to be more aggressive and attack."

Landesberg was equally assertive in overtime, when his three baskets in as many shots gave him a game-high 23 points.

"He's proven this early in his career that he's not only a really good player but also a big-money player," Leitao said.

And Virginia's offensive philosophy with the game in the balance?

"Give him some space, give him some room and trust that he's going to make plays," Leitao said.

Last season the Cavaliers were equally dependent on Sean Singletary, whose No. 44 was retired at halftime Sunday. But Singletary was a senior.

If Landesberg feels burdened, he masks it well. He wants the ball in the clutch, even when he's enduring a rookie's inevitable growing pains.

Landesberg's promise, and the overall youth of this team, figured to buy Leitao a fifth year. But had Virginia ended the season with 16 consecutive defeats, all bets were off.

That calamity averted, and an eight-game drought against ranked teams ended, the Cavaliers recall last season, when after a 1-9 ACC start they finished the regular season on a 4-2 uptick.

Most encouraging Sunday, they were a complete team. They shot 53.1 percent, their best since the season opener against defenseless VMI, and committed only seven turnovers after halftime against the ACC's best full-court press.

Next up, a Wednesday visit from Virginia Tech, a team that, unlike Virginia, still harbors NCAA tournament ambitions.

"We're going to come in Wednesday night with a lot of emotion," Zeglinski promised, "a lot of energy, and we're going to compete."

That's a start.

 

Virginia upsets No. 12 Clemson in OT
By HANK KURZ Jr. - Associated Press

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. | On the day Virginia honored its biggest star of the past decade, Sylven Landesberg showed he's ready to assume the position as the next one.

The freshman guard tied the game on a driving basket with 13.4 seconds left in regulation and added six of his 23 points in overtime Sunday as Virginia beat No. 12 Clemson 85-81, ending an eight-game losing streak on the day Sean Singletary's No. 44 jersey was hung from the rafters.

Fittingly, Landesberg played all 45 minutes, becoming the first Virginia player to play an entire game since Singletary did in a 65-60 victory over Virginia Tech in 2005.

"This win, it's going to help us a lot," said Landesberg, who had four rebounds, three assists and three steals. "We needed just one win to push us ahead, and this was it."

And they got it mostly because of the New York City high school star.

"He's proven this early in his career that he's not only a really good player but he's a big money player," said Virginia coach Dave Leitao, who got on the public address microphone on his way off the court to thank the crowd for contributing to the victory with its energy and support.

It was the first victory for Virginia (8-13, 2-8 Atlantic Coast Conference) since it beat Brown on Jan. 6, and ended its longest losing streak since it lost eight in a row in 1997-98.

"We desperately needed that," said Sammy Zeglinski, who hit all six of his field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and finished with 15 points and six assists.

"It was real emotional and from here on out, we know we can win these games," he said.

Key for the Cavaliers, Zeglinski said, was the early going in the second half, when Clemson erased a 33-25 deficit by scoring the first 14 points of the second half.

"They punched us and we just came back swinging," Zeglinski said.

Terrence Oglesby had 17 points, including five 3-pointers, for the Tigers (20-4, 6-4), but his leaning attempt with about 8 seconds left was well off the mark. When Jamil Tucker grabbed the rebound and was fouled under the basket, his free throw all but clinched the victory.

Mike Scott added 18 points, 15 after halftime, and Jeff Jones scored 12 for Virginia.

The Tigers got 16 points from Trevor Booker and 15 from K.C. Rivers, but they could not sustain the efficiency they brought out of the locker room at halftime.

"If you're not dead-on sharp, you've got a chance, on someone else's home court, you've got a chance for something like this to happen," Tigers coach Oliver Purnell said. "Any time you go to overtime, it's anybody's ballgame, particularly if you're on the road."

After Oglesby's fifth 3-pointer gave the Tigers the lead in overtime, Tucker scored inside, Zeglinski followed a steal by Scott with a layup and Landesberg followed a Clemson miss with another driving basket, giving the Cavaliers an 80-77 lead with 2:53 to play.

When Booker made it a one-point game with two free throws, Landesberg scored on Virginia's next two possessions, and the Tigers got no closer than three points thereafter.

In regulation, Landesberg scored on a drive with 13.4 seconds left to draw the Cavaliers even at 74, and Clemson missed three times — twice from in close — in the closing seconds.

After trailing almost throughout the first half, Clemson opened the second half on a 14-0 run to take a 39-33 lead. Oglesby hit two 3-pointers and Rivers had another as the Tigers' long-range game arrived after they missed 10 of 11 3-point shots before halftime.

But instead of fading, as it has repeatedly this season, Virginia responded. Scott scored six points in a 13-3 run that put the Cavaliers ahead 46-42. They led by as many as five, but the Tigers rallied to tie it numerous times, then went ahead 73-72 on Rivers' 10-footer with 1:20 left. His free throw with 29.4 seconds left doubled the lead before Landesberg tied it.

 

Cavaliers man up in victory
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 16, 2009

Five days from a second-half defensive meltdown in Tallahassee, Virginia’s struggling basketball team finally managed to put 40 minutes of defense together on Sunday afternoon in an 85-81 overtime upset win over 12th-ranked Clemson.
A major point of emphasis over the past two seasons, the Cavaliers’ ineptness on defense has been well-documented. Virginia has firmly implanted itself during that span as the ACC’s worst defensive team.
Time for a change
Starters have lost their jobs over their inability to play defense. Others have watched their playing time diminish because of their shortcomings in that department.
However, are we witnessing a sea change in how the Cavaliers conduct their business?
“What’s been the major factor in the games lately has been our defensive intensity,” said freshman guard Sylven Landesberg, who put away the Tigers on a daring drive down the middle of the Clemson defense in Sunday’s upset at John Paul Jones Arena. “Up until about a week ago, when we had really struggled in the first half, we’d have good defense and bad offense or decent offense and bad defense. Now, we’ve been able to put it together for a whole game.”
Though the Cavaliers lost at North Carolina last weekend and at Florida State last Tuesday, they managed to play pretty good defense in the first halves of those games to at least give them a chance to stop their tailspin.
In each case, the Tar Heels and Seminoles won in the second half to extend Virginia’s longest losing streak (eight games) in 11 years.
Losing in Tallahassee, especially the way it happened, left a bad taste in the Wahoos’ collective mouths. Florida State connected on 70.8 percent of its shots in the second half.
Not that Virginia coach Dave Leitao hasn’t preached defense since the day he set foot on campus four years ago, but maybe someone finally turned on their listening ears this week.
Cavs ‘D’ gets it done
Clemson brought forth a huge challenge in that the Tigers had a strong inside-out game with bullish Trevor Booker in the middle and the likes of K.C. Rivers and Terrence Oglesby on the perimeter.
Booker, by the way, leads the ACC in field goal percentage, while Oglesby is second in long-range bombing accuracy. Rivers, well, he can do it all.
Leitao knew that his team couldn’t play zone defense against the Tigers or else take the risk they’d be cut to ribbons by the perimeter shooters. So, the Cavs had to literally man up.
They had to play man-to-man defense all game long, which wasn’t an easy task.
That meant that Mike Scott, though he has an inch or two on Booker, had to play jaw-to-jaw defense against one of the league’s strongest players. It also meant that redshirt freshman Sammy Zeglinski had to find a way to fight through all of the Tigers’ screens to keep sharpshooting Oglesby from turning JPJ into his personal shooting gallery.
Rivers was yet another issue. He had put up a career-high 32 at UVa last season with eight treys when Clemson blew the Cavs out of the gym.
Virginia set the tone early as the Tigers were held to 38.5 percent from the field. Rivers didn’t scratch, Oglesby shot like he needed a GPS to find the rim (three points), while Booker kept Clemson in the game with 10 points.
While the visitors managed to play much better offensively in the second half (51.5 percent), Virginia did it better, hitting 54.8 percent as Landesberg & Co. found their rhythm.
Still, it required overtime, where the Tigers faltered as Virginia’s defense stiffened. Clemson scored only one field goal in the extra period on 10 possessions.
“Defense is something you have to do every day,” Leitao said.
He put a special emphasis on it a couple of weeks ago when he told the Cavaliers that in order to change the outcome of games, they had to change something about what each of them would do: mental approach, energy, preparation, execution, and defense.
“We were unsuccessful at North Carolina and Florida State but we executed better,” Leitao said. “Defensively we hadn’t put 40 minutes of basketball together, but defensively we’ve been better.”
The easiest way for a coach to get his point across to a team is for them to win by doing what he has asked of them. Leitao said he won’t go to practice and say ‘I told you so,’ but chances are he will have their attention when he talks about defense.
“I try not to hang defense out there as the end all, be all, but if you do it, winning is the result,” he concluded.
Winning is something there hasn’t been a whole lot of around this program the past two seasons. In fact, Virginia had won 24 of its last 53 games, only six of its last 25 against ACC competition heading into Sunday.
No wonder a group of students rushed to the floor to celebrate the win. No wonder Leitao grabbed the microphone and thanked the crowd.
No wonder that UVa great Sean Singletary, who had his No. 44 retired during halftime ceremonies, made a mad dash for the Cavalier locker room to enjoy the win with his former teammates.
It was Virginia’s first win over a ranked team since beating No. 17 Arizona in Tempe in November of 2007, and the Tigers were the highest-ranked victim of the Cavs since Singletary put a dagger in No. 8 Duke’s heart on Feb. 1, 2007.
So, the drought is over. The end of the eight-game skid required overtime, but that’s OK with the Cavs.
They don’t have long to feel good about themselves though with their archrival, Virginia Tech, coming to town on Wednesday.
If the Cavaliers don’t forget how to play defense, they just might make it two in a row.

 

Cavs top Tigers, snap skid
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 16, 2009

Break out those clippers. Save a chair for Sylven Landesberg. The Virginia freshman is headed to the barber shop.
And nobody could be happier about that than Wahoo Nation — and perhaps Landesberg’s parents.
Landesberg, who vowed not to cut his hair until Virginia won a game, had gone since early January without a visit to his barber.
On Sunday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena, Landesberg scored 23 points — including a game-tying bucket at the end of regulation — to help Virginia snap an eight-game losing streak. UVa, which had four other players — Mike Scott, Sammy Zeglinski, Jeff Jones and Jamil Tucker — score in double figures — shocked visiting Clemson, beating the No. 12 Tigers in overtime, 85-81, in front of a crowd of 10,971.
“I might go there right now — to the barber shop,” said a smiling Landesberg, who played a season-high 45 minutes.
If it wasn’t against NCAA rules, Virginia coach Dave Leitao would probably want to pay for the haircut.
As has been the case all season, it was Landesberg who came up big when it mattered most.
With Virginia (8-13, 2-8) trailing by two with 26 seconds left in regulation after Clemson’s K.C. Rivers split a pair of free throws, Landesberg received the ball out front. After a screen forced Tigers defender David Potter to pick up Landesberg near the top of the key, the freshman bided his time as the crowd at John Paul Jones Arena rose to its feet.
“I just danced with him for a little bit,” Landesberg said, “and waited for the right time to attack.”
Landesberg drove hard to his right, around Potter, and scored on a layup to tie the game at 74 with 13.4 seconds left.
Still, Clemson (20-4, 6-4) had a chance to win. In the frantic final seconds, the Tigers had three quality shot attempts — two from Rivers and one by Demontez Stitt — but couldn’t convert.
“We got three shots in the lane,” said Clemson coach Oliver Purnell. “You hope you get a foul called in that situation. I’m certainly not saying that there should have been [one], but that’s the kind of mindset — to get a layup and go to the line.”
In overtime, Virginia took over.
After a Terrence Oglesby 3-pointer gave Clemson a brief three-point lead, Virginia — behind press-breaking layups from Zeglinski and Landesberg — went on a 6-0 run. Landesberg, who scored six of his points in the extra session, scored three of Virginia’s last four baskets.
Clemson’s last gasp came with six seconds left. Trailing by three, Oglesby, trying to draw a foul on Zeglinski, forced a leaning 3-pointer from the right wing.
“I knew he was going to pump fake and try and get me to jump, so he could draw a foul,” said Zeglinski, who had 15 points and six assists, “but I stayed on the ground to force him to make a tough shot and he missed it.”
After Tucker hit a free throw at the other end to clinch the game, the celebration was on. Virginia students mobbed the court to congratulate the players, then began singing the school song.
The atmosphere was so hunky dorey that Leitao grabbed the courtside microphone and addressed the crowd.
“Thank you for this win today,” said the embattled coach. “You gave it to us. The only thing I’m going to ask is — we have another one on Wednesday night.”
Leitao was referring to Virginia’s next game against Virginia Tech at John Paul Jones Arena. Tech defeated UVa, 78-75, on Jan. 10.
“I think we’re just going to keep rolling from here,” Zeglinski said. “We’re a young team. This is very satisfying, but we have a quick turn-around.”
If Virginia can play the kind of defense they did on Sunday, beating the rival Hokies and just about anybody else who visits JPJ is certainly in the realm of
possibility.
UVa put forth its best defensive performance of the season against Clemson. In the first half, the Cavs held the Tigers to just 39-percent shooting. In overtime, the Tigers shot just 1 of 6 from the floor.
Leitao said the relief in the locker room among his players following the game was palpable.
“They were happy, obviously,” he said. “[They were] joyful and congratulating one another, which I think is supposed to be the case when you win, probably a little bit more today than in games past because we hadn’t won in a while.”
Leitao believes his young team never lost confidence during the slide — the program’s longest since the 1997-98 season.
“Through this whole thing, which hasn’t been easy for anybody, you have to continue to prepare, and more than anything — live,” Leitao said.
“If you believe in certain things that you do every day, then, at some point, they were going to come true.”
Landesberg said the team didn’t let talk of a 1-15 ACC finish bother them.
“I mean we’re always facing some kind of adversity — whether it’s being picked to finish in last place in the ACC or after the losing streak people saying we could go 1-15,” he said. “We don’t really let that affect us. If anything, we use that as motivation.”

 

Cavaliers trip No. 12 Tigers, scramble ACC title race
Upset snaps eight-game losing streak, is Cavs’ first win against ranked opponent since 2007
Ernie Washington, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Monday, February 16 2009

Sophomore forward Mike Scott scored 18 points on 8-12 shooting to help Virginia upset No. 12 Clemson in overtime Sunday at John Paul Jones Arena. The win gave Virginia its second ACC victory of the year. Maybe Virginia graduate Sean Singletary should come back more often for home basketball games.

Singletary was in Charlottesville for the retirement of his No. 44 and had the chance to witness Virginia play arguably its best game of the season, as the Cavaliers ended an eight-game ACC losing streak en route to upsetting No. 12 Clemson 85-81 in overtime. The victory marked Virginia’s first victory against a ranked opponent since the squad topped No. 17 Arizona 75-72 Nov. 17, 2007.

“I told [the players] when we were struggling ‘before you can change the score, before you can change the outcome, you have to change something about what you do,’” coach Dave Leitao said. “I think they did a good job both in their mental approach ... and themselves structurally.”

Virginia played solid basketball from the start, building an early 16-5 lead. The team continued to play well on both sides of the ball throughout the first half of play, and it entered halftime leading Clemson 33-25.

“I thought Virginia really took it to us in the first half of the game and out-efforted us,” Clemson coach Oliver Purnell said. “We turned it over 13 times [in the first half] and certainly weren’t sharp offensively by any measure.”

The game quickly turned sour for the Cavaliers, however, as the Tigers opened the second half scoring 14 unanswered points in just 3:34 of action. The Cavaliers could have folded then — down 39-33 — but instead, the team rallied.

“They responded the same way they have to what’s been going on the past few weeks,” Leitao said. “Win, lose or draw — we’ve come back into the gym and just worked, and I think the same thing happened during that stretch where we just didn’t let the moment adversely affect us. I think it was all of our jobs to continue to encourage one another.”

Virginia redshirt freshman guard Sammy Zeglinski’s three-pointer knotted the score at 40 with 14:38 remaining, and it then became a back-and-forth affair right down to the wire.

The Cavaliers found themselves down 74-72 with 30 seconds left in regulation, needing someone to step up and make a play. Freshman guard Sylven Landesberg answered the call, making a driving layup with 13.4 seconds left to tie the game at 74.

“He’s proven this early in his career that he’s not only a really good player, but he’s a big money player,” Leitao said. “Give him some space — some room — and trust that he can make plays.”

Unlike Landesberg, the Tigers failed to capitalize on a number of opportunities during their final possession in regulation. Sophomore guard Demontez Stitt missed a jump shot, and senior forward K.C. Rivers missed the subsequent tip-in opportunity, forcing overtime.

“You’re trying to do anything to get the ball out of there,” Virginia junior forward Jamil Tucker said about Clemson’s last-second chances around the rim. “It seems like it slows down a little bit trying to get the ball out.”

After a three-pointer from Tiger sophomore guard Terrence Oglesby to start overtime, Virginia went on a 6-0 run to go up 80-77. Following two free throws from Clemson junior forward Trevor Booker, Landesberg made two consecutive baskets to put the Cavaliers up 84-79. Virginia had a chance to put the game away after two more Tiger free throws, but Tucker missed a three-pointer and the Tigers found themselves with the ball and 24 seconds on the clock. Zeglinski, though, placed excellent pressure defense on Oglesby during the ensuing possession, forcing him to miss a contested three-pointer.

“I knew he was going to try to draw the foul,” Zeglinski said. “He got to the three-point line, he pump-faked — I stayed on the ground and forced him to throw up a bad shot.”

Tucker grabbed the rebound off Oglesby’s miss with 6 seconds left and made one of two free throws off a Clemson foul to ice the game. The victory also gave Virginia a win against its highest-ranked opponent since the Cavaliers toppled No. 8 Duke 68-66 in overtime Feb. 1.

“It was real emotional [in the locker room after the game],” Zeglinski said. “From here on out, we know we can win these games.”

The last time Virginia broke an eight-game ACC losing streak was in 1998, and — ironically — that win also came against Clemson in an overtime victory at home by the same four-point margin. Virginia now will hope to ride the momentum from yesterday’s victory into Wednesday’s game against in-state rival Virginia Tech; Leitao said he is relying on fans for support, noting that increased fan involvement can energize a team and help carry it to victory.

“As I said to the fans at the end of the game, we really need each other,” Leitao said. “They need us and we need them. It’s a marriage that I think has been very, very good, and I think will be good.”

 

Put up or shut up
Paul Montana
Published: Monday, February 16 2009

The other day, I sat down with the Virginia men’s basketball schedule — an oxygen mask at the ready — to see if I could find another Cavalier win the rest of the season.

Home against Maryland the last game of the year — maybe. Home against Virginia Tech Wednesday — a possibility. At N.C. State Saturday — unlikely, but don’t rule it out.

Yesterday against No. 12 Clemson was on the list of “ain’t gonna happen.”

So, it’s only natural that this game was the one. The way the fans, and even the players, reacted after Virginia sealed the 85-81 overtime victory, you would have thought they just clinched the ACC title.

“There was a lot of excitement — dancing,” sophomore Mike Scott said.

“I get to get a haircut, ‘cause I wasn’t cutting my hair ‘til we got a win,” freshman Sylven Landesberg added.

The last time Virginia went on an eight-game losing streak was in 1998; the Cavaliers broke the streak with a win against Clemson — at home, in overtime, by four points. Go figure.

Nevertheless, before the game, I had a 10-plus point victory by Clemson in the bag. Before tipoff, however, wasn’t the only time when I was sure Virginia would get trounced. The next moment was halftime; as well as Virginia showed in the first half, Clemson played equally lousy. The Tigers had 13 first-half turnovers— many of them unforced — and shot a paltry 1-of-11 from three-point range.

Sure, the Cavs had 13 turnovers in the opening period as well, but that is more acceptable against Clemson coach Oliver Purnell’s full-court, trapping defense.

“We certainly weren’t sharp offensively [in the first half] by any measure,” Purnell said.

My halftime conviction that Virginia would go down was confirmed with 16:26 remaining in the second half. After Wahoo fans were overjoyed by both a Virginia lead at the break and the return of Sean Singletary for his jersey retirement ceremony, Clemson dropped 14 straight points to pull ahead by six.

If there was a time for Virginia and its fans to quit, it was then. I know I had pretty much thrown in the towel.

So how did Virginia manage to bounce back? Perhaps Singletary — who talked to his teammates the day before the game and spoke with reporters following the halftime ceremony — said it best.

“I see signs of life,” Singletary said. “They haven’t been hanging their heads at all, and coach [Leitao] has been real good in motivating them, so they’re [going to] be okay.”

Singletary’s sentiment was evident in many areas. It showed on the defensive end, where Virginia played its best 40 minutes of man-to-man defense this season. It showed in overtime when, on Clemson’s first possession, the Cavaliers drew a five-second call as Clemson senior center Raymond Sykes failed to find a teammate out of the post.

“We talk about change, and before you can change the outcome, of changing the way you approach how they’re [going to] play defense,” Leitao said. “I’ve seen it the last few practices and the last week-and-a-half, in that there’s much more conversation, there’s attention to detail and there’s competition. Guys are upset when people score on them.”

Leitao’s mentioning of the better defense “the last week-and-a-half” was when I smacked myself on the head for failing to at least recognize the possibility that Virginia might win yesterday. Why? Because, as bad as Virginia has been all season, the Cavs have been on an upward trend since the second half against Boston College Feb. 4.

In that game — after yet another woeful first half — Leitao put a second-half starting lineup on the floor that few ever imagined they would see: Calvin Baker, Jeff Jones, Sylven Landesberg, Solomon Tat and Assane Sene.

This was a move that I applauded Leitao for — something drastic had to change, and perhaps tinkering with the lineup was the right move. Though the Cavaliers went on to lose that game, they won the second half by 10 and played with the kind of passion that had been absent for nearly the entire conference season.

Since then, Leitao has stuck with that lineup to start games, and Virginia has continued improving. North Carolina hammered the Cavs again in Chapel Hill, but they managed to hang with the Tar Heels for the first half, and ... Well, let’s face it — it’s North Carolina in Chapel Hill. The next game, they led an exceptional Florida State team at halftime in Tallahassee, marking the first halftime lead for the Cavs since Jan. 6 against Brown. Virginia went on to lose by 11, but had the Cavs made a few more of their many open looks, the story might have been different.

Which brings us to yesterday against Clemson. Should we have expected Virginia to beat a top-25 team at home? Of course not.
Nevertheless, I, in any case, was shortsighted in my firm prediction. I looked at Virginia’s recent scores, looked at what Clemson did to Duke Feb. 4 — the Tigers slaughtered the Blue Devils 74-47 — and came to what I thought was the obvious conclusion: another defeat in blowout fashion. I neglected my own words praising Leitao for making the right change at the right time a few weeks ago against Boston College. I denied the possibility that Leitao’s change could result in an upset as big as this one.

Now, I look at the schedule again, and I see Virginia Tech coming up Wednesday. After Virginia fell to the Hokies Jan. 10, I went so far as to call Virginia the inferior athletics program not only based on performance of the revenue-generating sports, but also in terms of personnel and atmosphere.

Here’s hoping that for the second straight game, Virginia shuts me up.

 

Singletary’s number retired
Published: February 16, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE - Energy surged through John Paul Jones Arena yesterday afternoon as the University of Virginia welcomed back a favorite son.

At halftime of U.Va.'s game with ACC rival Clemson, Sean Singletary, his parents and other family members gathered at midcourt with Athletic Director Craig Littlepage. Turning their eyes to the rafters, they saw a banner unfurled, marking Singletary's official admission into a legendary group at Virginia.

Singletary, who graduated from U.Va. in 2008, became the seventh men's basketball player in school history to have his number retired. His No. 44 joins Jeff Lamp's 3, Barry Parkhill's 40, Ralph Sampson's 50, Bryant Stith's 20, Wally Walker's 41 and Buzzy Wilkinson's 14.

"It's a great accomplishment to be mentioned with the names of those guys, and I'm just happy," Singletary told reporters at halftime after the ceremony. "I'm excited. It's not every day this happens to someone, and I realize it's a privilege."

Among those on hand to salute Singletary yesterday were Parkhill, Stith and Wilkinson.

Singletary, a rookie with the Charlotte Bobcats, said his honor was "a credit to everybody that's around me, my family and the great people of Charlottesville who have supported us through the ups and downs of my career."

A four-year starter at point guard, the 6-0 Singletary made the all-ACC first team three times, a feat accomplished by only two other Cavaliers: Sampson and Stith. He's the only player in ACC history to have totaled 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 400 steals in his career.

- Jeff White

 

Singletary’s number retired
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 16, 2009

Good karma is one of the things that the powers that be at Virginia were hoping for when they decided to have Sean Singletary’s number retired during halftime of Sunday’s UVa-Clemson game.
Good karma they received.
Singletary’s presence coincided with Virginia snapping an eight-game losing streak.
In a brief halftime ceremony, Singletary’s uniform No. 44 was unveiled on a banner hanging in the rafters of John Paul Jones Arena.
Singletary, as he stood on the court with his parents, grandparents and his older brother’s family, was introduced via video tribute, which, not surprisingly, concluded with his game-winning shot (and scowl) versus Duke a couple of years ago.
Singletary joined Jeff Lamp (3), Barry Parkhill (40), Ralph Sampson (50), Bryant Stith (20), Wally Walker (41) and Buzzy Wilkinson (14) as other former Virginia players who have had their numbers retired.
“It’s a great accomplishment to be mentioned with the names of those guys,” said Singletary, during a hastily gathered news conference. “I’m just happy. I’m excited. It’s not every day that this happens to someone. I realize it’s a privilege.”
Singletary is the first Virginia player to have both his jersey and number retired. His jersey was retired in ceremonies prior to his final regular season home game last season. The numbers of players honored with jersey retirement remain active, but Singletary’s No. 44 will now be retired.
Singletary finished his Virginia career in 2008 as one of three Cavaliers to earn first-team All-ACC honors three times (only 25 players in the history of the ACC have accomplished the feat), one of five UVa players to score more than 2,000 points and ranked among the program’s leaders in a number of statistical categories.
He concluded his UVa career by scoring in double figures in a program-record 55 consecutive games and he became the first player in ACC history to have 2,000 points, 500 assists, 400 rebounds and 200 steals in a career.
Prior to Virginia’s overtime victory, Singletary — now a member of the NBA’s Charlotte Bobcats — said he wasn’t worried about the state of the UVa basketball program.
“Those guys and coach, and the team — they’re all good guys and work hard every day,” he said. “They don’t hang their heads because they’re struggling. They’re having growing pains. It’s a process. I’m just happy to come back, but if I can give the guys a little energy, well, that’s good, too.”

 

U.Va.-Clemson miscellany
Jeff White
Feb 15, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE—Here are some postgame notes from U.Va.‘s overtime win over Clemson, courtesy of Virginia’s athletic media relations staff:

Team Notes
*The win was Virginia’s first win over a ranked opponent since a 75-72 at #17 Arizona (Nov. 17, 2007)
* The 12th ranked Tigers were the highest ranked team the Cavaliers have beaten since a 68-66 overtime win over No. 8 Duke at JPJA (Feb. 1, 2007)
* Both of Virginia’s ACC wins this season have come in overtime
* Virginia had five double-figure scorers for the first time since the win at Georgia Tech on Dec. 28

Individual Notes
* Mike Scott (18 pts, 10 rebs) had his seventh double-double of the season
* For Scott, it was his 12th double-figure scoring game and his eighth double figure rebounding game
* Scott’s (18) points are an ACC career high
* Sylven Landesberg (23 points) scored in double figures for the 17th time this season
* Landesberg had his 12th 20-point game of the season, extending his UVa freshman record
•*Jeff Jones (12 points) scored in double figures for the fourth time this season and the third time in the past four games
* Sammy Zeglinski (15 points) scored in double figures for the 10th time this season
* Zeglinski’s (15) points were an ACC career high
* Zeglinski was 6-6 from the floor, the first perfect shooting game by a Cavalier this season (min 5 made)
* Jamil Tucker (11 points) scored in double figures for the 10th time this season

Player career highs
* Sylven Landesberg tied a career high with three steals
* Mike Scott tied a career high with three steals


 

U.Va. football: still more staff turnover
Jeff White
Feb 15, 2009

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Bob Pruett won’t be the last assistant to leave Al Groh’s staff this winter, based on what I’m hearing.

An official announcement may not come until tomorrow, but Bob Diaco, who in early December was named Virginia’s defensive coordinator, appears headed to the University of Cincinnati, where he’ll hold that same position.

Diaco will be reunited at Cincinnati with Brian Kelly, under whom he worked as an assistant at Central Michigan in 2005. Kelly guided Cincinnati to the Big East title in 2008.

Pruett retired last week, citing family reasons. That continued a tumultuous offseason for Groh, who in early December announced that three assistants – his son Mike, Levern Belin and Steve Bernstein – would not remain on the U.Va. staff.

Diaco, who turns 36 on Thursday, came to U.Va. from Central Michigan after the 2005 season. He coached linebackers (along with Al Groh) and coordinated Virginia’s special teams in 2006, ’07 and ’08.

Pruett was Virginia’s defensive coordinator in 2008, but his title was changed to assistant head coach for defense in early December, at which time Groh promoted Diaco to coordinator.

At Cincinnati, Diaco will replace Joe Trosey, whom Kelly fired last week. The Bearcats closed last season by losing to Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl.

With Diaco gone, don’t be shocked if Groh, who has worked closely with the defense throughout his tenure at his alma mater, takes over as coordinator.

He’d still have two vacancies on his staff, and it’s likely that Ron Prince, a Groh protégé, might fill one of them.

Prince, of course, spent five seasons as a Virginia assistant before leaving to become Kansas State’s head coach in December 2005. He coached the offensive line and, for the final three seasons, served as offensive coordinator at U.Va., but those slots on Groh’s staff are taken by Dave Borbely and newcomer Gregg Brandon, respectively. Prince could take over as special-teams coordinator.

In November, K-State announced that Prince would not return as coach in 2009.

 

Just spoke to Bob Diaco/Doug Doughty

"I have no comment," said Diaco, Virginia's newly named defensive coordinator, when asked if he will be leaving Virginia for the University of Cincinnati.

On my way back from the UVa-Clemson men's basketball game, I had learned that Jeff White had reported on his Richmond Times-Dispatch blog that Diaco is leaving.

I don't who know White's source is, but I've since had Diaco's departure confirmed independently.

"To me, Al Groh is the voice for Virginia football," Diaco said. "I'll have to take my directive from coach Groh."

Neither Virginia nor Cincinnati reported any staff changes Sunday.

The Bearcats distributed a news release Monday in which it was reported that defensive coordinator Joe Tressey would not be returning as the result of philosophical differences with head coach Brian Kelly.

I was amused at Diaco's reaction when I told him that Jeff White was reported that he was leaving.

"I haven't talked to Jeff White," he said. "I don't know Jeff White."

White shouldn't be offended. I'm not sure Diaco knows who I am either.

Diaco leaving, Prince possibly returning
By Jerry Ratcliffe and Jay Jenkins Daily Progress Sports
Published: February 15, 2009

According to sources, newly appointed Virginia defensive coordinator Bob Diaco is leaving the program to take a similar post at the University of Cincinnati.
However, at the same time, it is believed that former Cavalier offensive coordinator Ron Prince may be returning as assistant head coach.
Prince, who served as UVa’s offensive coordinator and offensive line coach, left the Cavaliers to become head coach at Kansas State, where he served for three seasons before being released in 2008.
Diaco was named defensive coordinator in December after Groh reshuffled his staff following a 5-7 campaign. He succeeded Bob Pruett, who was elevated to assistant head coach for defense.
However, Pruett announced his retirement this past week due to health and family reasons.
Diaco came to UVa in 2006 as special teams coordinator and lineback-ers coach after working as co-defensive coordinator at Central Michigan, under current Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly.
When the dust settles, only four assistant coaches from last year’s staff will return: offensive line coach Dave Borbely, Wayne Lineburg, who has switched from wide receivers to running backs coach, Anthony Poindexter, who has switched from running backs to the secondary, and Bob Price, who coaches tight ends and serves as recruiting coor-dinator.
Attempts to reach Prince on Sunday night were unsuccessful.


 

Squad slays Dragons at Klöckner
No. 1 Virginia opens season with 13-7 victory against Drexel, avoids repeat of 2006 season
Jack Bird, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor
Published: Monday, February 16 2009

Senior attack Garrett Billings racked up a team-high five goals on 13 shots Saturday in the Cavaliers’ 13-7 win against Drexel. Billings also added 2 assists. The Virginia men’s lacrosse team found retribution for its 2006 season-opening upset with a 13-7 home victory Saturday against Drexel.

After junior midfielder Brian Carroll snuck a shot past Drexel goalie Mark Manos two minutes into the game off an assist from freshman attack Steele Stanwick, the Cavaliers seemed unstoppable for the remainder of the first half, as they reeled off six more consecutive goals.

The Dragons, meanwhile, failed to find the back of the Cavalier net until just less than four minutes to play in the opening half. Virginia entered the locker room with a commanding 7-1 lead at the break.

As the second half of action got underway, however, Drexel made it clear that it was not ready to give up.

“I thought our discipline broke down a little bit,” Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. “I thought we took some fouls we didn’t need to. At the end of the day, we might have rushed a couple of shots ... We got in the penalty box and gave them a couple of those and we didn’t need that ... I assumed they were going to claw back into the game a little bit.”

The five-and-a-half minutes of penalties Virginia served likely catalyzed the Drexel offense. The Dragons managed to capitalize on three of five man-advantage opportunities, including their lone goal in the first half.

“I think we wished we had done a little better [on man-down],” junior defender Ken Clausen said. “I think they ran a couple wrinkles that we hadn’t seen before. Also a couple times we were two men down, and the goalie was screened ... Bottom line [is that] we can’t be man down as much as we [were]. That’s something we have to improve on. If they are getting goals on man-up, then we have to stop getting penalties.”

Virginia, on the other hand, failed to score on any of the extra-man opportunities the Dragons presented to them, failing to capitalize on the 3:30 Drexel was man-down.

“I don’t think our extra-man was particularly sharp today,” Starsia said. “We have an [experienced] group there. I expect that we’ll be better.”

The rest of the two teams’ statistics appeared fairly even. The clearing percentages were nearly identical, and Virginia only managed to edge Drexel in ground balls 43-37, while winning just two more face-offs than the Dragons.

One area that Virginia did dominate, however, was shooting, as the Cavaliers took 59 shots to the Dragons’ 23. Although Virginia only managed a scoring percentage of 22 compared to Drexel’s 30, Virginia took enough shots that the difference did not matter.

“It’s just taking what we get,” said senior attackman Garrett Billings, who led the Cavaliers’ charge with five goals and two assists. “If the transition opportunities are there, we take them — that’s the most exciting way to play — but we can score the [settled goals], too.”

Virginia must now hunker down and play its second game in two days, hosting Bryant this afternoon at Klöckner Stadium. It will be the first ever Division I game for the Bulldogs.

“We don’t know anything about them, really,” Starsia said. “We at least will get ourselves mentally prepared and get ready to play on Monday.”

Even though the opponents may be different and more challenging come playoff time, the quick turnaround presents an opportunity to prepare for the rapid succession of games seen during the ACC and NCAA tournaments — both of which Virginia hopes to be a part of.

“Its nice to go through the routine of playing two games in 48 hours because hopefully in the ACC tournament or the NCAA tournament, we’ll have to do that,” Starsia said. “Whatever the level of competition, the physical requirements are basically the same, so we need to be able to turn around and play again.”

After their first challenge of the season and with their second game today, the Cavaliers already know they must work on staying out of the penalty box and taking better shots. The one thing that cannot be practiced or coached, though, is already there.

“I like the hustle that everyone is bringing,” Clausen said. “Everyone is flying around for ground balls. We’ll see if that’s going to lead to more penalties, but the bottom line is we have to play smarter.”

 

UVa aims to take another step forward
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 16, 2009

When Virginia hosts Bryant University this afternoon at Klockner Stadium, UVa junior Ken Clausen will finally be on the same field as Mike Pressler — the coach he thought he was going to be playing for when he was coming out of high school.
That was before what would become known as the “Duke lacrosse scandal” unfolded.
As a result of the situation, Clausen elected to attend Virginia instead of Duke. Meanwhile, Pressler was unceremoniously let go by Duke and is now the coach at Bryant.
“I’m looking forward to it,” said Clausen, a defender. “It’s always good seeing him. I never thought I’d have the opportunity to play him or see him in a game, so I’m really excited for playing against him, and also Zack Greer who is an unbelievable player.”
Greer, a three-time All-American and the NCAA’s all-time leading goal scorer while at Duke, is finishing his eligibility up at Bryant. The team captain will be leading the Bulldogs into their first-ever Division-I game.
“They’re going to bring a lot of energy,” said Virginia coach Dom Starsia, “and I told the team that I really would like to bring even more energy than they’re going to bring out here.
“Mike Pressler is a friend and we’re happy to be playing the game, but everything for us is an opportunity to get better and that’s how we have to look at [it]. We have to be taking a step forward.”
Virginia (1-0), which won its season opener versus Drexel on Saturday, will be looking to limit its penalties against Bryant. Against Drexel, UVa was down a man on five occasions, which led to three Dragons goals.
“I think we wish we would have done a little better,” said Clausen, when asked about the Cavaliers’ man-down defense. “They ran some wrinkles we hadn’t seen before, and also a couple of times we were two men down, which really makes it difficult.
“I think bottom line, we can’t be man-down as much as we were. That’s something we have to improve on.”

 

Men’s Tennis Tops Tennessee 4-0 to Reach National Indoor Final
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/15/2009

CHICAGO – The No. 5 Virginia men’s tennis team reached the finals of the 2009 ITA National Team Indoor Championships with a 4-0 victory over No. 8 Tennessee Sunday afternoon at the Midtown Tennis Club. The Cavaliers will meet No. 3 Georgia in the final on Monday as they look to repeat as National Indoor champions.

“I am so proud of the guys on this team,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “They played so well from start to finish today. That is a testament to the leadership this team has. We had a battle yesterday with UCLA, but came out ready to go today against a good Tennessee team.”

Virginia, the reigning ITA National Indoor Champions, took the doubles point for a 1-0 lead. The Cavaliers got an 8-4 win at No. 3 doubles as Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va,) and Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) downed Christian Hansen and Matt Brewer. Dominic Inglot (London, England) and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) clinched the opening point for Virginia with an 8-3 win over Boris Conkic and Matteo Fago at the No. 2 position.

In singles, the Cavaliers got off to a strong start by winning four of the six first sets. In three of those matches, Virginia quickly won the second set to close out the match. At No. 6 singles, Courtney topped Brewer 6-4, 6-1 to make the score 2-0. Steven Eelkman Rooda (Amersfoort, The Netherlands) followed with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Hansen at No. 5 singles. Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) ended the match with his 6-1, 6-3 victory over Conkic at No. 2 singles.

“We are excited to be in another final,” said Boland. “We have a lot of respect for Georgia and know that it is going to be a great match.”

The championship match will be at noon (CT) on Monday.

No. 5 Virginia 4, No. 8 Tennessee 0

Doubles
1. #3 Singh/Barrick (UVa) led Smith/Sandgren (Tenn) 7-6 DNF
2. #27 Inglot/Shabaz (UVa) def. #21 Conkic/Fago (Tenn) 8-3
3. Courtney/Singer (UVa) def. Hansen/Brewer (Tenn) 8-4

Singles
1. #50 John-Patrick Smith (Tenn) led #43 Dominic Inglot (UVa) 6-2, 4-2 DNF
2. #24 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #103 Boris Conkic (Tenn) 6-1, 6-3
3. #11 Michael Shabaz (UVa) led Davey Sandgren (Tenn) 6-4, 2-3 DNF
4. Matteo Fago (Tenn) led #68 Houston Barrick (UVa) 7-5, 2-1 DNF
5. Steven Eelkman Rooda (UVa) def. Christian Hansen (Tenn) 6-2, 6-2
6. #108 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. Matt Brewer (Tenn) 6-4, 6-1

Order of Finish
Doubles: 3,2
Singles: 6,5,3