Close Losses Mounting for 'Hoos
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 02/13/2010
By Jeff White

BLACKSBURG -- The pattern, for one of these basketball teams, is troubling.

With three minutes left in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena, UVa led Virginia Tech by 10 points on Jan. 28.

With two minutes left in the second half at Cassell Coliseum, UVa led Tech by 3 points on Saturday night.

Each ACC game ended the same way: with the Wahoos ruing lost opportunities and reeling from an excruciating loss.

The clash in Charlottesville went to overtime, the Hokies winning 76-71. The battle in Blacksburg didn't require an extra period.

Tech outscored Virginia 13-4 in the final two minutes Saturday night and won 61-55 before 9,847 fans, about 99 percent of whom were pulling for the home team.

"It's just the worst way to lose, because there's no excuse for it," junior forward Will Sherrill said in the subdued visitors' locker room.

"We're right there, and we just need to execute offensively and defensively. There's too many games that we've been right there with the lead and given it away. So we just gotta get better."

The Wahoos (5-4, 14-8) have been hammered only twice this season: at South Florida on Nov. 16 and at Wake Forest on Jan. 23.

They've lost by 5 points to Stanford, by 3 to Penn State, by 1 to Auburn, by 6 and 5 to Virginia Tech, and, in another overtime setback, by 3 to Wake at JPJ.

"We're right there," sophomore swingman Sylven Landesberg said. "We're able to compete with the best of them. We just need that extra push."

During his postgame press conference, Virginia's first-year coach, Tony Bennett, looked down at the box score on the table and noted that Tech (7-3, 20-4) had three players with at least 10 points: junior guards Dorenzo Hudson (15) and Malcolm Delaney (13) and junior big man Jeff Allen (13).

The 'Hoos, for the second straight game, had two. Against Wake Forest last weekend, Landesberg scored 28 points and junior forward Mike Scott added 10. Against the Hokies on Saturday night, Scott scored 20 and Landesberg 17.

Their teammates were 6 for 29 from the floor. Guards Jontel Evans, Sammy Zeglinski, Mustapha Farrakhan, Calvin Baker and Jeff Jones were a combined 4 for 20.

"Some guys had some rhythm looks, and that's where we need that third guy to step up and make some," Bennett said.

Asked whom he considers that "third guy," Bennett said, "That's a good question. Sammy's been it at times. Sometimes it's been Mu. Sometimes it's been [senior center Jerome Meyinsse] if he's scoring. It could be Jeff in certain games.

"We're searching. There's not a guy. I wish I could tell you there was, and I think that would help us, but that's who we are.

"We keep fighting. Again, we keep telling them, 'Hey, let your defense keep you in there.' It did. But you need to be balanced. You need to make some shots in games like this. It's hard to win it with your defense. In the games we've shot it a little better then, boy, it's a nice combination, and we've been successful."

For the season, Landesberg is averaging 18 points, and Scott is next at 13.4. Zeglinski (9.7 ppg) is third, but he's been sick recently and has missed 21 of his past 27 shots from the floor. He was 2 for 9 on Saturday night and had a costly turnover, caused by the long-armed Allen, with UVa trialing 54-51 in the final minute.

"Our defense once again it kept us in the game, but it was a poor shooting night, especially for me," Zeglinski said. "We just gotta turn it around and start making shots.

The Hokies weren't much more than accurate than UVa -- they shot 37 percent from the floor -- but they executed when it counted. A three-point play by Allen with 1:51 left pulled Tech to 51-51 and revved up an anxious crowd.

Then, after Baker missed an open 15-footer at the other end, Allen slipped away from Meyinsse and calmly drilled a 3-pointer from the right wing to put the Hokies ahead for good.

The 6-7, 230-pound Allen was 2 for 2 from beyond the arc Saturday night, but he's 8 for 25 for the season.

"Yeah, that's a shot we'll live with," Zeglinski said. "Give credit to him for knocking it down."

Virginia, which came in ranked third among ACC teams in 3-point percentage, attempted 18 treys. Only three dropped through. The last was a top-of-the-key shot by Sherrill that stunned the crowd and put the 'Hoos up 49-47 with 3:31 left.

After a Delaney free throw pulled Tech to 49-48, Sherrill spotted Scott alone under the basket and fed him for a dunk that made it 51-48 with 2:06 left. That was UVa's final field goal until Zeglinski drove for an uncontested layup with 7.1 seconds left and the outcome decided.

Another problem for the Cavaliers: They were 10 for 15 from the line on a night when Tech went 16 for 20.

"Our defense definitely carried us throughout the game, but like Coach Bennett said, you gotta be able to knock shots down," Landesberg said. "I think tonight was just one of those nights we weren't really feeling it."

In a sign of things to come for UVa, its first possession ended when Scott's dunk attempt bounced off the front of the rim, delighting the Hokies' fans.

Scott had missed his final 10 field-goal attempts in his previous game, the overtime loss to Wake, and he missed 6 of his first 7 against Tech. But he persevered and eventually found his touch, finishing 8 for 16 from the floor. He also had 13 rebounds, his career high in an ACC game.

A three-point play by Scott gave UVa a 22-19 lead, and he followed with a trey that made it 25-21 at the break. Bennett was pleased to be ahead, but his team's poor marksmanship worried him.

"I said at halftime to our staff, I think we left too many on the table, or too many on the board, where I thought we needed to cash in," Bennett said.

His concenrs proved to be well-founded. Virginia shot better in the second half, but its field-goal percentage for the game, 32.8, was its second-lowest of the season. The 'Hoos shot 32.7 percent in their loss at South Florida.

"Tonight, we were getting a lot of good looks, but they just weren't going down," said Sherill, who was 1 for 4. "We didn't knock down many 3s. Inside, we missed a few layups, missed some free throws, but we still put ourselves in a position to win, and we gave it away."

The game at Tech started a stretch in which the Cavaliers will play four times in eight days. Next up is the makeup game at Maryland. The teams were scheduled to meet Wednesday night in College Park, but the latest snowstorm to batter the D.C. area forced that game to be postponed.

Maryland (6-3, 16-7) hosts UVa at 8 p.m. Monday.

"We gotta take it one game at a time," Sherrill said, "but if we want to make some moves in the ACC, we gotta start winning these close games, and it starts on Monday night."

Postgame Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 02/14/2010

Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett
“Hard-fought game, certainly, the effort was there. We put ourselves in a position to be successful, being up three towards the end, but then it came down to an and-one that [Jeff] Allen made. I thought we were in a position to take a charge, but we kind of turned sideways and gave them that and then Allen hit a big three. Calvin’s [Baker] look was good. I thought we left some points on the board, whether it was at the free throw line or missing some chippies, but a very hard-fought game. When you shoot, you’ve gotta be able to stick some shots. We had Mike [Scott] and Sylven [Landesberg] give us two scorers, but that third scorer is important. I look down at their stat sheet and see three guys in double figures. Their hearts were there. Obviously a rivalry game with a great atmosphere, but tough. I thought our kids laid it out there.”
“We’re more of a mid-range shooting team, that’s our strength. I know we shot good percentages from three early, but they [Virginia Tech] do a good job in man-to-man defense. They take that lane and they load it up so you’ve got to draw and kick. Our guys had some really good looks but we needed that third guy to step up and make some.”
“I think we stopped ourselves and just missed some good looks. We couldn’t get stuff in the lane, so we had to stick a mid-range or three and we didn’t do that. They’re (Virginia Tech) an athletic bunch, they’ll challenge you, and we just couldn’t come away with it. I’ll look at the tape but I want our guys to be confident when the shot’s there. Physically I think we’ll be alright, but mentally, can we handle it? Maryland is coming off a disappointing loss and it will be a gut check. We’ll give our guys the best chance to be physically fresh for the games. ”

Virginia Tech Head Coach Seth Greenberg
“Either way, that was just a hard-fought basketball game. Both teams mirror each other so much, struggle at times to shoot it straight and score. Both teams pride themselves on contesting shots and keeping people out of the lane. Our resiliency is almost mind-boggling to me. The consistency at the end of the game for our guys was great. Jeff’s dunk was ridiculous. For Jeff to have the composure to pick up two fouls in the first two minutes and come back in the second half with great confidence speaks volumes about him and our team. And then we have unsung heroes like Terrell Bell and Dorenzo Hudson.”
“I couldn’t be more proud of how we’re winning. The season is a process of learning each other’s trust, learning roles and developing an identity. I think we’re developing an identity and it’s fun to watch our guys mature as a team. I think we’re poised. Down the stretch, I’m impressed with our poise. We’re not a great team, but we’re resilient, we’re tough and we’re competitive. “
“They’re (UVa) a good defensive team. They play hard, they’re well coached, they’re competitive. We’re very fortunate to win these two games. I’m proud that we won them, and we won them in a way that it’s who we are. I don’t want to take anything away from them. They had some opportunities but our guys went after it. We believe we’re a good defensive team, it’s something we take pride in. ”



 

Cavaliers looking for a little extra push
By Michael Phillips
Published: February 14, 2010
Updated: February 14, 2010
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BLACKSBURG—The Cavaliers are looking for a third scorer to provide consistent production, which is becoming a necessity as they fall short in close games.

U.Va.‘s record stands at 14-8, but ask the players and they’ll tell you it could be better - only two of those losses were by double-digits, and the Cavs were competitive in the final minutes of the other six.

“That shows us that we’re able to compete with the best of them,“ Sylven Landesberg said. “We just need that extra push.“

This is perhaps the growing pains stage of the Tony Bennett project - good enough to contend, but lacking the arsenal to dominate. After all, it’s tough to win a game shooting 32.8 percent from the field.

Last night in a 61-55 loss to the Hokies, Landesberg provided his usual solid night of 17 points, and forward Mike Scott led the team with 20 - he’s become the go-to guy in the paint.

But as Bennett scanned the box score, it confirmed what he suspected, things had dropped off from there.

“We’re searching. There’s not one guy,“ the coach said of a third scoring threat. “We keep telling them to let your defense keep you in there. It’s hard to win with your defense; the games where we’ve shot it a little better, that’s been a nice combination.“

Bennett put emphasis on the word win. He clearly believes that defense is the foundation of success, but those stops haven’t always turned into points on the other end.

The trend emerged early in the season. At the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, Virginia led Penn State by 7 at halftime, only to watch the lead slip away. Sammy Zeglinski missed a game-tying three at the buzzer.

The next time out, Auburn’s Brendon Knox tipped-in an errant shot with one second remain to negate what was a U.Va. lead.

“It definitely eats away at us,“ Zeglinski said. “We don’t believe in moral victories. We lost the game, and we had an opportunity to win it. So it’s definitely going to bother us.“

Last night the Cavs had a three-point lead with three minutes remaining, putting themselves in a position to win despite the weak shooting.

“I feel like we were getting lots of good shots tonight, but we just weren’t hitting them,“ guard Calvin Baker said. “But that’s basketball. Coach always says that sometimes you’re going to have nights like that, but you’ve got to rely on your defense.“

With a busy stretch up ahead, U.Va. won’t have much time to reflect. The Cavs left Blacksburg last night and went straight to College Park, Md. for tomorrow night’s make-up game against the Terps, then follow that up with a Wednesday night game at home.

Both those games will be opportunities for players to step up and assume the tertiary scoring role.

Zeglinski is the player most likely to have a big night, after Scott and Landesberg. He’s averaging just a hair under 10 points per game this season. But behind him is a large group that includes Mustapha Farrakhan, Jerome Meyinsse and even Jeff Jones, Bennett said last night.

“I wish I could tell you,“ the coach said when asked who he thought could assume the role.

And as ACC play heats up and the games get tighter, he knows those points mean the difference between winning and losing.

Allen sparks Virginia Tech past Virginia 61-55
By Darryl Slater
Published: February 14, 2010
Updated: February 14, 2010
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BLACKSBURG -- Virginia Tech power forward Jeff Allen spent almost the entire first half of last night's game against Virginia on the bench, having barely broken a sweat before being whistled for his second foul at the 17:05 mark.

He looked out toward the floor, frustrated as he watched a team that needed him, one that has to have him play well if it is going to make the NCAA tournament. And that's all he could do, sit there and watch, because Hokies coach Seth Greenberg never put him back in the game after that second foul.

But Allen, a junior whose few outward emotions are often difficult to read, was more involved in the game than he usually is when he sits on the bench. His coaches noticed him clapping and shouting instructions to teammates about where to shift on the floor. In Cassell Coliseum's locker room at halftime, Allen said little. He rarely does. Greenberg walked over to him, tapped him on the chest and told him, "You've worked too hard. You're gonna be fine, man."

When Allen walked back onto the court and, at last, into the game, he delivered an altogether different performance, a game-changing effort fitting of the Hokies' most talented player. He scored all 13 of his points in the second half, hit two crucial shots in the final two minutes, made an important steal after that and simply carried his team, on the broad shoulders of his 6-7 body, to a 61-55 win.

At the end of the game, Allen grinned through a bloody lower lip -- split open when he was bumped under the basket -- and waved his hands toward the ceiling as the crowd roared its approval of him achieving his goal for the second half. "Determined to finish what I wanted to start in the first half," as he put it afterward, before he went to get stitched up.

After Allen received his second foul, Greenberg told him he was going to spend the rest of the half on the bench. Greenberg saw that the Hokies were hanging in without Allen, and they trailed 25-21 at halftime.

Allen emerged from the locker room wearing a maroon warm-up jacket, presumably for the purpose of warming back up. He told himself to forget the first half. "I think if I'd have kept the first half on my mind I probably would have been a little more sluggish," he said.

Instead, he took over immediately. Greenberg ran a play for him on Tech's second possession, and Allen hit a 3-pointer.

Then he blocked two consecutive Mike Scott leaners with 14:36 left in a tie game; Allen finished with four blocks, all in the second half. A minute later, he ran step for step with guard Calvin Baker on a fast break and used his quick hands, unusual for such a large player, to poke the ball away from Baker for a moment, preventing an easy layup.

But Allen's best plays came after he picked up his third foul with 6:43 left.

Three minutes after that, he backed down 6-9 Jerome Meyinsse, spun and dunked the ball with one hand, putting Tech up 47-46. "That dunk was sick," Greenberg said. With 1:51 left, Allen took a bounce pass along the baseline, stepped toward the basket, drew contact from 6-8 Mike Scott and hit a leaner. Allen's free throw tied the game at 51.

"He just had to be ready," said point guard Malcolm Delaney, who had an off night, with 13 points. "We were gonna get him the ball. They didn't have a low-post player that could stop him."

Tech's next possession after the leaner: Allen rolled off a screen and hit a 3-pointer in front of Tech's bench, putting the Hokies up 54-51. They never surrendered the lead after that. And Allen helped finish Virginia off in typical Allen fashion, jabbing the ball away from guard Sammy Zeglinski on the Cavaliers' ensuing possession, with 46 seconds left.

It was sweet redemption for Allen, who was ejected from Tech's last game against Virginia, a Hokies win Jan. 28, for throwing an elbow midway through the second half. He still remembers the feeling -- "a little scary," he said -- of sitting in the locker room in Charlottesville, being able to track the game's ups and downs only by listening to the sound of the crowd.

He has scored in double figures in all five games since then. Greenberg is admiring his work ethic, how he comes in early for extra shooting -- an up tick in Allen's career, inconsistent at times. But Allen wants to forget past problems, and his team needs him to. Last night, Greenberg said, "just speaks to where he is right now."

Allen's big finish paces Hokies
The forward takes control as VT gets by the Cavs.
By Mark Berman
981-3125

BLACKSBURG -- Once again, Jeff Allen was a major part of the storyline in a basketball game between Virginia Tech and Virginia.

But this time, it was for leading his team to victory.

Allen had eight points and a key steal in the final four minutes to help the Hokies win 61-55 on Saturday at Cassell Coliseum.

Allen had only four points in Tech's overtime win at UVa last month because he was ejected for a flagrant foul for elbowing Jeff Jones with 13:41 left in the second half.

On Saturday, he had eight of his team's final 16 points.

"I couldn't go two games without doing nothing against UVa," Allen said with a smile.

Allen, who went to the bench with 17:05 left in the first half because of two quick fouls, had all 13 of his points in the second half, as well as all four of his blocks and both of his steals.

"I was determined to finish what I wanted to start in the first half," he said.

Tech coach Seth Greenberg said he tapped Allen in the chest at halftime and said, 'You're going to be fine, man.' "

Allen has scored in double figures in all five games Tech (20-4, 7-3 ACC) has played since his ejection. He has helped the Hokies win four straight games.

"For Jeff to ... come back in the second half with a great sense of purpose and a great focus just speaks volumes for where he is right now," Greenberg said.

Tech, unbeaten at home this season, rose to third place in the ACC. The Hokies are one-half game behind Wake Forest (8-3), which visits Cassell on Tuesday, and one-half game in front of Maryland (6-3), which hosts UVa on Monday.

"As long as we play good defense, we can win games," said Malcolm Delaney, who had 13 points for Tech. "It don't matter how we play on offense sometimes. ... We hit shots when we needed to."

Virginia (14-8, 5-4) led 51-48 with 2:06 to go, but Tech finished the game on a 13-4 run.

"Our resiliency is almost mind-boggling," Greenberg said.

The Hokies shot just 37 percent from the field, but UVa shot 32.8 percent.

"We're not the only ugly team in America, now. There's a whole group of us," Greenberg said. "We're kind of a grind-it-out team. ... Everyone can't be Carolina last year."

Mike Scott had 20 points and 13 rebounds for UVa, with Sylven Landesberg scoring 17 points. But the rest of the Cavaliers had six baskets combined.

"We left some points out there," UVa coach Tony Bennett said. "To win in a setting like this, you've got to be able to stick some shots."

With about eight minutes left, Allen was elbowed and got a bloody lip that will require stitches.

Allen made a spin move and dunked to give Tech a 47-46 lead with 3:46 to go.

"I work on that move," he said.

"That dunk was sick," Greenberg said.

UVa's Will Sherrill answered with a 3-pointer.

Delaney, at the free-throw line for the first time all game, made one of two free throws with 2:39 to go.

Scott dunked to extend UVa's lead to 51-48 with 2:06 remaining.

Allen drove for a layup, was fouled and made a free throw to tie the score with 1:51 to go.

UVa's Calvin Baker missed a jumper and Tech's Terrell Bell got the rebound. Allen buried a 3-pointer to give Tech the lead for good at 54-51 with 1:12 left.

It was the power forward's second 3-pointer of the game.

"I work on it," Allen said. "Coach told me, 'Don't work on it if you're not going to shoot it.' "

After Allen stole the ball from Sammy Zeglinski, J.T. Thompson made two free throws to extend the lead to 56-51 with 45.5 seconds remaining.

Delaney entered the game averaging 11.1 free-throw attempts in conference play but was 4-of-6 from the free-throw line Saturday. Getting so few attempts left him "very" frustrated.

"I guess I was flopping again," he said.

Greenberg, whose team swept the regular-season series for the second time in three years, fist-bumped Dorenzo Hudson (15 points) and Thompson (10 rebounds) at game's end.

This is the earliest date in the season in which Tech has picked up 20 wins.

Allen's second-half recovery lifts Virginia Tech past Virginia 61-55
By Dave Fairbank 247-4637
February 14, 2010

BLACKSBURG - When Jeff Allen picked up his second foul barely three minutes into Saturday's game, it appeared that he again might be a non-factor against state rival Virginia.

But after sitting out nearly the entire first half, Virginia Tech's mercurial junior forward asserted himself in the second half and played a critical role in the Hokies' 61-55 win at Cassell Coliseum.

Allen scored all 13 of his points in the second half as the Hokies (20-4, 7-3 ACC) won their fourth straight game and remained one game in the loss column behind first-place Duke.

"Determined to finish what I wanted to start in the first half," Allen said through a bloody lower lip that would require a couple of stitches.

"In the first half, I wanted to go out and play, and that didn't happen," he said. "I got the two quick fouls, so coach (Seth Greenberg) came and talked to me at halftime, said 'Play through it.' So I came out in the second half and played through it."

Allen was stout late in a game that was more fierce than artistic and closely fought throughout. Both teams shot less than 38 percent from the field, a result of defensive resolve and simple missed shots.

Virginia (14-8, 5-4 ACC) again faltered late against the Hokies, though Saturday's game bore little resemblance to Tech's 76-71 overtime win in Charlottesville last month.

In that game, the Hokies overcame a 10-point deficit in the final three minutes of regulation and then pulled away in overtime.

They did so that night without Allen, who was ejected with 13:41 remaining in regulation after what the officials called a flagrant intentional foul against the Cavaliers' Jeff Jones following a loose ball scramble.

"I couldn't go two games," Allen said, "without doing nothing against U.Va."

Allen also missed a game against Virginia last year after he was suspended for an obscene gesture to fans at the Maryland game.

Allen's Saturday night hit parade included a three-point play off of a pretty feed from Malcolm Delaney that tied the game at 51 with 1:51 remaining.

Following a Calvin Baker miss at the other end, Allen sank a nervy 3-pointer from the right wing that gave the Hokies the lead for good at 54-51.

"I work on it," Allen said of his perimeter shot. "Coach told me, 'Don't work on it if you're not going to shoot it.' I'm working on it, so I'm going to shoot it."

On Virginia's next possession, Allen flicked the ball away from Sammy Zeglinski at the 3-point line, then came up with the ball and threw it ahead to JT Thompson.

Thompson was fouled and sank both free throws to push the Hokies' lead to 56-51. Tech hit free throws to maintain the spread.

Earlier in the half, Allen also blocked a pair of point-blank shots by Mike Scott, and threw down a manly, one-handed dunk over Jerome Meyinsse to give the Hokies a brief lead when the outcome was still in doubt.

"We know Jeff can score the ball well," Hokies guard Dorenzo Hudson said. "He had a pretty rough first half, probably had to sit out for 16 minutes or so, but we knew he was going to come in and give us a big second half."

Hudson led the Hokies with 15 points, and he and Allen compensated for a tough shooting night by Delaney. The ACC's leading scorer made just 4 of 16 shots and finished with 13 points as the Cavaliers defended him well and rarely allowed him room to maneuver.

Scott led Virginia with 20 points and leading scorer Sylven Landesberg added 17, but he needed 19 shots to get there, as the Hokies limited his clean looks and ability to get to the basket.
 

Cold shooting dooms Virginia
By Whitey Reid
Published: February 14, 2010
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BLACKSBURG — Reporters had to get within inches of Sylven Landesberg as he spoke in extremely hushed tones inside of a crammed Virginia locker room.

Landesberg, holding an ice pack underneath his left eye, looked like his lunch money had just been stolen from him.

In a way, it had.

Virginia Tech, behind clutch play from enigmatic forward Jeff Allen down the stretch, downed Virginia for the second time this season, 61-55, in front of a deafening crowd of 9,847 at Cassell Coliseum.

On a night when Virginia Tech fans all dressed in black as part of a “Black Out,” Virginia shot the ball as if they themselves had blacked out.

“It was a hard-fought game — the effort was there,” said Virginia coach Tony Bennett, whose team must bounce back quick for a road game at Maryland on Monday night. “We put ourselves in position to be successful. ...

“I thought we left some points on the board. Whether it was on the free-throw line or missing some chippies.”

UVa shot just 33 percent from the field, including just 17 percent (3 of 18) from 3-point range.

Tech has now won the last four meetings at Cassell Coliseum.

“I definitely think it’s one we had,” Landesberg said. “We just let it slip away.

“At the end of the game, they executed better than us.”

Mike Scott led Virginia with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Landesberg added 17 points, but was just 7 of 19 from the field.

With just over two minutes to play, Virginia looked like it was in the driver’s seat after Will Sherrill hit a 3-pointer, then found Scott underneath the basket for a wide-open dunk to put the Cavaliers up 51-48.

However, Virginia (14-8, 5-4 ACC) managed just one field goal the rest of the way — a meaningless bucket by Sammy Zeglinski as time expired.

Meanwhile, Allen — who had been ejected from the first meeting for committing a flagrant elbowing foul on Jeff Jones — owned the final two minutes.

First, the 6-foot-7 junior converted a pretty pick-and-roll with Malcolm Delaney as he was being fouled by Scott for a 3-point play to tie the game at 51.

“We defended that play how we wanted to,” Bennett said. “We rotated. We just didn’t take the charge.”

On the Hokies’ next possession, Allen nailed a triple off penetration from Dorenzo Hudson for a 54-51 lead.

To top things off, Allen helped force a Sammy Zeglinski turnover that led to two more points and essentially sealed the Cavaliers’ fate.

For a while, it looked like the first team to score 40 points would win.

The first half was nearly unwatchable. Virginia was a dreadful 9 of 30 from the field (30 percent). Tech (20-4, 7-3) wasn’t much better, shooting just 9 of 28.

Virginia, however, managed to finish the half with a mini-flourish.

Landesberg, following a Hudson miss, got the ball on the break and soared to the basket for a pretty Statue of Liberty dunk to pull Virginia within a point at 18-17.

With under a minute left, Mike Scott corralled a Calvin Baker miss and converted a 3-point play to put UVa up, 22-19.

On the next possession, Scott drilled a 3-pointer from the top of the key as time expired to give Virginia a 25-21 lead going into the break.
 

Cavaliers must learn to win ugly
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Published: February 14, 2010
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BLACKSBURG

When these crusty old rivals met a couple of weeks ago and Virginia Tech pulled out an overtime win over host Virginia, victorious coach Seth Greenberg described his team as not being aesthetically pleasing.

Must be contagious.

In what would contend for the ugliest played game in the ACC this season, Greenberg’s Hokies won again, 61-55, to remain unbeaten at home in 13 games this season.

While Tech may be accustomed to winning that way, UVa can’t seem to pull out a game in that style. The Cavaliers need to look good in order to win. Graceful fast breaks, accurate shooting. Ugly is not their thing.

A nice way of putting it

Both coaches, Greenberg and Virginia’s Tony Bennett, described the contest, which featured sub-40 percent shooting by both teams (UVa 32.8, Tech 37.0) as “hard fought.”

That’s another way of saying U-g-g-g-g-l-y.

Or, to be politically correct, offensively challenged.

“We’re a grind it out team,” Greenberg said afterward. “It’s who we are. I’m not embarrassed about it. Everyone can’t be [North] Carolina last year. Michigan State has been to a lot of Final Fours playing ugly.”

The Hokies haven’t reached that point, but have gotten off to the best start in program history through the first 24 games (20-4 overall, 7-3 ACC) in playing to their strengths.

Meanwhile, Bennett’s Cavaliers, the surprise of the ACC in the first half of the season, could be headed for hard times. Having now lost their last two outings — and three of their last four in close contests — they certainly have proved they know how to lose ugly, but haven’t unlocked the key to winning that way.

No rest for the weary

Things now get tougher: five games in 11 days, four on the road, four in different states.

Virginia’s biggest obstacle has been an inability to produce a reliable third scorer to go along with star Sylven Landesberg and solid post player Mike Scott every night. Those two seem to always get theirs, while the rest of the team tends to struggle.

Saturday night was a perfect example.

Landesberg gets 17, Scott gets 20. The rest get 18.

Making matters even worse was that the rest hit 6 of 29 shots.

Ouch!

“We’re searching,” Bennett said when the topic of a third scorer came up.

The new Wahoos coach knew early on that would be a major challenge and deep into the season, there’s still no real solution to the problem.

“Sometimes it’s Mu [Mustapha Farrakhan, who shot 0-2], sometimes it’s Sammy [Zeglinski, 2-9], or Rome [Jerome Meyinsse, 1-5], or Jeff [Jones, 1-2],” Bennett said.

As Greenberg made no apologies for who his team is, Bennett used the same terminology.

“That’s who we are,” the UVa coach said.

While he preaches defense daily, even Bennett told his players that it’s hard to win a game like Saturday’s with just defense.

You gotta make shots.

Still, the Cavaliers, now 14-8, 5-4, had a three-point lead with two minutes to go. Granted, a trey is nothing with that much time on the board, but still, Bennett’s guys haven’t figured out how to win ugly.

Greenberg’s have.

Sometimes, they say, a team is a reflection of their coaches. Bennett used to be called “Coach Dreamboat” by Washington State coeds.

Greenberg chuckled last night, “Hey, I’ve got a face for radio.”

And his team has a resiliency that most coaches would trade some of the fancy stuff for.

They know how to win, no matter how ugly it gets.
 

Virginia basketball looking for third scoring option
By Zach Berman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, February 14, 2010

BLACKSBURG, VA. -- Tony Bennett peered at the box score in the minutes after Virginia's 61-55 loss to Virginia Tech on Saturday and saw only two players on his team with double figures. The Cavaliers' coach preaches defense, evaluates games by defensive performance and has a habit of turning questions about offense into explanations about defense.

But even Bennett could identify what Virginia (14-8, 5-4 ACC) was missing as it lost its second consecutive close game.

"That third scorer," Bennett said. "Whoever it is, that's important."

Virginia forward Mike Scott finished with 20 points and guard Sylven Landesberg scored 17 points, but no other player on the roster topped six points. The Cavaliers shot only 32.8 percent. The seven players who attempted field goals other than Landesberg and Scott connected on just 20.7 percent of their attempts.

"I thought we left some points on the board," Bennett said. "In a setting like this, whether it was at the free throw line or missing some chippies, you got to be able to stick some shots. Shooting that percentage is tough."

On the same box score, Bennett noticed that the Hokies (20-4, 7-3) had three scorers finish with double figures. Virginia Tech's balanced attack, featuring Dorenzo Hudson (15 points), Malcolm Delaney (13 points) and Jeff Allen (13 points), spread the Cavaliers' defense and did not allow Virginia to leave anyone open. That's among the reasons why the team in one corner of the state has 20 wins, whereas the Cavaliers must win six of its final seven games just to reach the 20-win plateau.

For portions of the season, the third scorer has been guard Sammy Zeglinski, who made only two of his nine field goal attempts on Saturday. Sometimes the contributions come from guards Mustapha Farrakhan or Jeff Jones, and even forward Jerome Meyinsse. But the fact that Bennett could not identify who that scorer is shows exactly the predicament Virginia finds itself in entering Monday's game at Maryland.

"We're searching," Bennett said. "There's not a guy. I wish I could tell you. That would help us. But that's who we are."

Bennett said that Virginia must remain focused on defense, given the team's roster and identity. But he also admitted it's hard "to win it with your defense" when shots do not fall on offense.

Questions about a third scorer failed to draw a consensus in the Cavaliers' locker room after the game. Scott said it does not matter who the player is as long as Virginia follows it system, pointing out that Landesberg carried the team in a Jan. 31 victory over North Carolina. Landesberg refused to acknowledge that the team lacks a third player capable of fulfilling that role, and said it's merely a matter of execution.

"We have a lot of guys who can score," Landesberg said. "It was just one of those nights that we weren't hitting our shots as a team."

But opponents "stack the deck" against Landesberg, as Bennett said, and Scott has been the only consistent beneficiary. Scott seldom reaches 20 points like he did on Saturday, usually teetering between 10 and 15. Landesberg draws enough attention to establish a consistent third scorer -- if only the team knew who that was.

"I'm trying to be that guy," Zeglinski said. "For whatever reason, I'm not making shots right now. It's a little disappointing. But I'm going to keep working hard, keep fighting, because we got a lot of season left, and I'm going to have to make some shots."

Even though Zeglinski is correct when he says that a good portion of the season remains, much of that season will take place during the next 10 days. A combination of last week's snowstorm and the ACC scheduling has left Virginia facing five games in 11 days, four of which are on the road in four states.

Virginia already knew its margin for error was slim, but it cannot continue to lose close games if it hopes to make Bennett's first season in Charlottesville memorable. Saturday was another game decided in the final minutes -- only two of the Cavaliers' eight losses have been by more than six points -- and Virginia can only be successful if it finds consistent offense from someone other than Landesberg and Scott.

"Some guys had some real good looks," Bennett said. "That's where we need that third guy to step up."

Cavs reach ITA semis
By Jay Jenkins
Published: February 14, 2010
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Cameron Indoor Stadium has some new competition.

Magically, The Boar’s Head Sports Club turned into a haunted house for the Georgia men’s tennis team Saturday night.

There were frenzied fans screaming. There were students dressed in odd costumes, including one adorning a Scooby-Doo outfit. There were also constant cheers.

All of it worked as No. 2 Virginia dismantled seventh-seeded Georgia 4-0 in the quarterfinal round of the ITA National Men’s Indoor Championships.

It marked the first time that Georgia had played against Virginia in a true road match.

“We have never played them in our house and they came in here and we told them to get out real quick so that was fun,” said UVa’s Drew Courtney, “but we didn’t win the tournament tonight.”

With their second straight victory over the Bulldogs, the Cavaliers (6-1) advanced to a semifinal date with No. 3 Ohio State today at 3 p.m. Fifth-ranked Tennessee and No. 8 Texas, a surprise winner over top-seeded USC, will square in the other semifinal contest at noon.

Virginia, which lost the first 14 matches in the head-to-head series with Georgia, opened the match by securing the doubles point as Lee Singer and Sanam Singh won 8-5 at No. 3 and Houston Barrick and Jarmere Jenkins won 8-6 at No. 2.

It clearly set the tone for the evening.

“Georgia has great tradition and we have so much respect for their program,” Virginia coach Brian Boland said. “We played an excellent match tonight and it started in doubles and the momentum carried through to singles.”

Courtney put Virginia up 2-0, whipping Drake Bernstein 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.

As the other matches progressed, it was obvious that the Cavaliers had the advantage. In fact, Virginia lost just one set in singles before two more victories by Michael Shabaz and Singh sealed the outcome.

The final point in Shabaz’s match highlighted the evening, sending a massive road through the masses.

“The crowd was awesome. It was electric,” Boland said. “We appreciate our fans that came out and supported us. We have always believed that we have the best fans in college tennis.

“Tonight was a testament to how great they are.”
 

Cavaliers Blow Past Georgia 4-0 to Reach NTI Semifinals
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 02/13/2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE – Second-seeded Virginia reached the semifinals of the ITA National Team Indoor Championship for the fourth consecutive year with a 4-0 win over seventh-seeded Georgia in a quarterfinal Saturday night at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The two-time defending champion Cavaliers continue their quest for a third straight title on Sunday when they meet third-seeded Ohio State at 3 p.m.

A facility record crowd of 1,250 packed the club on Saturday for the four quarterfinal matches.

“The atmosphere was absolutely electric tonight,” said Virginia head coach Brian Boland. “We have always said that we have the best fans in college tennis and they proved it again tonight. Our guys really appreciate the support and it really gives us a boost. We hope to see everyone back here and more on Sunday.”

The Cavaliers (6-1) took a 1-0 lead in the match by winning the doubles point. Lee Singer (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) and Sanam Singh (Chandigarh, India) got Virginia started with an 8-5 win over Christian Vitulli and Bo Seal at No. 3 doubles. Jamrere Jenkins (College Park, Ga.) and Houston Barrick (Brentwood, Tenn.) clinched the opening point with an 8-6 win over Drake Bernstein and Javier Garrapiz at No. 2 doubles.

Virginia jumped out to a quick start in singles, winning five of six first sets from the Bulldogs (5-1). In three of the matches, the Cavaliers won in straight sets to secure the victory. Drew Courtney (Clifton, Va.) topped Bernstein 6-2, 6-1 at No. 4 singles, Singh downed Garrapiz 6-3, 6-3 at No. 2 singles and Michael Shabaz (Fairfax, Va.) defeated Nate Schnugg 6-4, 7-5 at No. 1 singles.

The match was a rematch of last year’s National Team Indoor final in Chicago. Sunday’s match with the Buckeyes is a rematch of the 2008 NTI final.

“We played a great match from doubles down on to singles,” said Boland. “We have a lot of respect for Georgia as their history and tradition speaks for itself. This was a great win, but we now need to focus on a tough Ohio State team tomorrow.”

Ohio State reached the semifinals by rallying from a 3-0 deficit to top No. 11 seed Florida 4-3. Sunday’s first semifinal (noon) pits No. 5 seed Tennessee against No. 8 seed Texas. The Volunteers topped No. 4 seed UCLA 4-2 on Saturday, while the Longhorns upset top-seeded USC 4-2.

In addition to the two semifinal matches on Sunday (noon and 3 p.m.), there are also six consolation matches. Play begins at 9 a.m. and admission is free.

No. 2 Virginia 4, No. 7 Georgia 0

Doubles:
1. Courtney/Shabaz (UVa) vs. Hunt/Schnugg (UGA) 8-8 DNF
2. Barrick/Jenkins (UVa) def. Bernstein/Garrapiz (UGA) 8-6
3. Singh/Singer (UVa) def. Vitulli/Seal (UGA) 8-5

Singles:
1. #3 Michael Shabaz (UVa) def. Nate Schnugg (UGA) 6-4, 7-5
2. #12 Sanam Singh (UVa) def. #45 Javier Garrapiz (UGA) 6-3, 6-3
3. #16 Jarmere Jenkins (UVa) led Jamie Hunt (UGA) 6-4, 5-4 DNF
4. #31 Drew Courtney (UVa) def. #60 Drake Bernstein (UGA) 6-4, 5-4
5. Bo Seal (UGA) led #58 Houston Barrick (UVa) 6-3, 2-5 DNF
6. #28 Lee Singer (UVa) led Christian Vitulli (UGA) 6-4, 4-3 DNF

Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3,2
Singles: 4,2,1
 

Jesien hits 4-minute mark
By Mark Lorenzoni
Published: February 14, 2010
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In Seattle, until Saturday, it had been almost 30 years since a local runner had broken track’s most prestigious barrier.

Former UVa standout Andrew Jesien came from behind to run a fourminute mile as he rocketed to a 3:58.91 finish at the Husky Invitational at the University of Washington.

Jesien made a decisive move with a little over a quarter of a mile to go, rocketing from the back of the pack to sprint across the tape with the front-runners. His impressive time was four seconds faster than his previous best effort.

“Breaking the four-minute mile has been a goal of mine for eight years, and two months ago my workouts indicated that I could actually realize that dream during this indoor season,” Jesien said. “I’ve had tremendous support from my parents, my former UVa teammates, my new RMR teammates and especially from [Virginia coach Jason] Vigilante. He really helped me to believe I could do this and helped me lay out an excellent race plan.”

One of Vigilante’s other athletes, Ryan Collins, also had an excellent outing in Seattle as he established a new UVa record for the indoor 5,000 meters. The speedy junior’s 13:46 shattered Kris Herdt’s 1989 school record by over 15 seconds.
 

Cavalier Men Claim Saturday Night at The Armory III Title
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 02/14/2010

NEW YORK CITY, N.Y. - Six Cavalier men won individual titles at the Saturday Night at The Armory III to lead the men's squad to a dominating 128-87.5 victory over second place Rutgers. On the women's side, four Cavaliers claimed individual titles to lead Virginia to a third place finish with a score of 107.33. Conference-foe Maryland won the title with 121.6 points, while Columbia edged the Cavaliers with a score of 110.
In addition, junior Greg Nelson, sophomore Maureen Laffan, sophomore All-American Lance Roller and freshman Robby Andrews each met the NCAA provisional standard in their respective events, while Andrews was named the Most Outstanding Performer of the Meet.
Andrews led the Cavaliers in a dominating 800m run. In leading all competitors across the line, Andrews finished with an NCAA provisional qualifying time of 1:48.02 - which ranks third all-time, while Roller also ran a provisional qualifying time in the event. Finishing in 1:49.48, Roller ranks sixth all-time at Virginia, while senior Steve Finley also competed in the event and finished with the program's eighth-best mark of 1:50.95.
On the women' side, junior Lyndsay Harper won her first individual title in the 800m, finishing in a personal-best 1:49.48 to rank fourth all-time at Virginia.
In field events, Laffan continued to improve her provisional qualifying mark in the shot put, throwing a personal-best 51' 11.25" to win her second-straight individual title in the event at the Armory this year. She now sits second on the all-time list and trails only Billie-Jo Grant's throw of 53' 0" from 2008.
In the high jump, Nelson cleared a personal-best 7' 0.25" to win his first individual meet title and move into second on the program's all-time records. His mark trails just Herman Moore's best jump of 7' 3" from 1990 and ranks third in the ACC this season.
In other field events, freshman Janelle Clayton won her first-ever individual collegiate meet title, clearing 5' 8.5" in the high jump to move into sixth in program history, while sophomore Vincenzo Chiariello claimed his second-straight title at the Armory in the weight throw. Chiariello finished with a mark of 58' 6.5".
In the triple jump, both junior Marcus Robinson and freshman Dallas Rose won their second-straight individual titles at the Armory this year. Robinson leaped a personal-best 49' 11" in the men's competition to move into seventh on the all-time list, while Rose tied a personal-best jump of 40' 6.25". Meanwhile, sophomore Matt Meyer won the long jump with a leap of 23' 0.5".
In the hurdles, sophomore Chidi Uche improved her time on the top-10 records, completing the 60m hurdles in a time of 8.58 to move into third all-time.
Wrapping up events on the track, the men's distance medley relay team of Finley, senior Alex Bowman, freshman Brett Johnson and junior Robbie Eckardt won their relay in 9:59.88.
The Cavaliers will take next weekend off to prepare for the ACC Indoor Track and Field Championships scheduled for Virginia Tech on Feb. 25-27.