Down to the wire: Cavs bow to Tennessee, 77-74
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7247
March 18, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio – There will be no trip to the Sweet 16 for the University of Virginia men’s basketball team.

Virginia lost, 77-74, to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament on Sunday at Nationwide Arena.

UVa, which was bidding to make its first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1995, was led by J.R. Reynolds’ 26 points.

Sean Singletary added 19, but missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.

Tenneessee (24-10) was led by Chris Lofton’s 20 points.

Virginia (21-11) trailed by as many as 10 in the second half before getting back in the game.

Singletary 3-pointer made it 73-72 with 11.9 seconds left. Virginia fouled Lofton, who made two free throws for a three-point Volunteers lead.

After Singletary and Lofton exchanged free throws, Singletary’s 3-pointer from about four-feet behind the line bounced off the back rim.

In the first half, Tennessee came out smoking. It appeared as though Virginia hadn’t read the scouting report on the 3-point happy Vols. Five of Tennessee’s first six field goals were triples, propelling it to a 17-10 lead

Fortunately, Virginia had a gunslinger of its own.

Reynolds scored 22 of his points before the intermission. He was 4 of 8 from downtown.

A strong drive to the hole by freshman Solomon Tat gave Virginia a 23-22 lead at the 8:10 mark.

Reynolds scored nine straight points to give UVa a 32-25 lead. A Singletary jumper made it 34-25 – the Cavaliers’ largest advantage – before Tennessee, on the back of Lofton and Wayne Chism, went on a 10-4 run to make it 38-35 at the break.


 

Emotions bubble over in defeat
By Jerry Ratcliffe / jratcliffe@dailyprogress.com | 978-7251
March 19, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - When Virginia point guard Sean Singletary laid sprawled on the floor, face down in dejection after watching his desperation 3-point shot carom off the rim in the final seconds of Sunday’s NCAA South Region showdown with Tennessee, the first person on the court to pick him up was coach Dave Leitao.

It wasn’t just about a coach rushing to comfort one of his team’s leaders, a player that has helped resurrect Cavalier basketball in a short two-year span. Their relation goes much deeper than that. It’s obvious the two enjoy a special emotional connection and that surfaced immediately after Singletary’s potential game-tying shot failed to extend the game into overtime.

As Singletary’s shot sliced through the air in Nationwide Arena, time stood still. Virginia fans tried to will the ball into the basket. Tennessee fans cursed its path.

Leitao, standing almost directly behind the launch, thought it had the proper trajectory. Singletary believed for every single millisecond that it was good.

“When that shot went off his hands, I was just thinking, ‘Please don’t go in,’” said Tennessee guard Chris Lofton, his team’s leader with 20 points.

But when it was just enough off the mark to end Virginia’s best season in a dozen years, Singletary couldn’t bear it. He sank to the floor like a drunk sucker-punched in a bar brawl and laid there as Tennessee’s Sweet 16 celebration spilled over the court.

Moments later, the Cavaliers’ junior all-conference player felt someone tugging at him. It was Leitao, accompanied by the rest of Virginia’s team, there to pick up the pieces.

“Coach realizes the emotions you go through in situations like that,” said Singletary as he choked back his emotions 45 minutes later in the Virginia locker room. “He’s been in that situation plenty of times and he just told me it wasn’t about that last shot. ... He just gave me a hug and said there was nothing to be ashamed of.”

No truer words were ever spoken and Leitao knows because he really has “been there before.”

Leitao’s mind must have rewound to 1982 when he was a senior for Jim Calhoun’s Northeastern team, which lost a triple-overtime decision to Villanova in the second round. Leitao missed a shot at the end of the first overtime that would have won it for the Huskies.

“I trust [Singletary] wholeheartedly,” the Virginia coach said. “If there’s a guy in America that you want shooting that shot, it’s probably going to be Sean. I don’t know for anybody else, but for my money, it’s going to be Sean.

“And when he fell down, my first initial reaction was to console him because it wasn’t about that shot,” Leitao said. “It was about our performance and I wanted to make sure he understood that he has nothing to feel bad about, ashamed about. We wouldn’t be sitting here at all if it wasn’t for his contributions and I think he needed to know that spiritually as well as verbally from me.”

But that’s just Singletary, a kid that relishes carrying the burden on his ample shoulders. He said, barely above a whisper that, if he had played better, then the Cavaliers would have had a better chance to win. He regretted struggling offensively, particularly in the first half.

That’s what teammates are for and J.R. Reynolds was there to pick up any slack. The senior shooting guard terrorized an opponent for the first half for the second straight game before he rolled his ankle and struggled to keep pace in the final 20 minutes.

Just like in the opening round win over Albany, when Reynolds scored 23 first-half points, he had 22 of a game-high 26 at the break against the Vols. That was more than enough to make up for Singletary’s four-point production over the first 20 minutes on a 2-for-6 shooting performance.

All that was good enough to give Virginia a 38-35 advantage heading into the second half with Reynolds at less than 100 percent. The Vols’ 14-4 run to open the second half put them in control and forced the Cavaliers to play catch up the rest of the way until the ACC co-champions put on a furious rally at the end, only to fall victim to Tennessee’s perfect 9-for-9 free-throw shooting down the stretch.

For the game, Singletary finished with 19 points, 10 of those coming from the free-throw line as he was off his mark from the field (4 for 14 overall, 1 for 7 from Bonusphere). Reynolds capped his career with a 26-point effort, 8 for 16 from the field, 4 for 11 from beyond the 3-point arch, and 6 for 6 from the line.

What was it that Leitao said back in early January after dismantling Gonzaga in the worst defeat Zags coach Mark Few said he has suffered in his eight years there? Oh, yeah. Leitao said that Virginia was going to ride these two guards as far and as long as it could.

That ride turned out pretty good, producing 21 wins, the Cavaliers’ best since 1994-95, along with an ACC co-championship and the program’s first trip to the NCAA Tournament in six years and its first tournament win in 12.

The ride ended when Singletary’s last-second heave rimmed in and out in a cruel twist of fate for the Cavaliers.

“Today was a day where we kind of got our heart broken and particularly for J.R. and Sean, who have led a two-year charge that a lot of people didn’t think was possible,” Leitao said.

Sunday’s shootout was the first time in nine games this season that Virginia lost when its two star guards combined for 40 or more points.

“Singletary kept his team in the game along with Reynolds and he has nothing to be ashamed of,” said Tennessee forward Dane Bradshaw.

Virginia’s dynamic backcourt duo can hold their heads high. They carved their notch in Wahoo basketball lore for generations to come and will be remembered as the tandem that breathed life back into a program that had almost been given up for dead.

Sweet 16, Sweet Schmixteen. Cavalier basketball is back on the map and you have J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary to thank.
 

Singletary says he will return, but plans to attend NBA workout
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 19, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Breathe easy Wahoo Nation. Well, sort of.

In the wake of Virginia’s 77-74 loss to Tennessee on Sunday, UVa guard Sean Singletary - for the umpteenth time - said he will be returning for his senior year.

“I’m coming back next year,” said Singletary, who had 19 points against the Volunteers. “We have got a lot to build on and it wouldn’t be right to throw that away.

“We’ve got a good group of freshmen coming in who are very talented and a lot of returning players. Even though J.R. [Reynolds] and Jason [Cain] are gone, we have the bulk of our team back and can make a run at it again.”

However, Singletary said he would attend NBA team workouts that are held prior to the draft.

NCAA rules permit student-athletes to try out with NBA teams, provided the student-athletes don’t receive any form of expenses or other compensation from the team.

“I’ll definitely do that to see what it feels like, and [to see] the type of competition out there,” said Singletary, who cannot hire an agent if he wants to maintain his eligibility, “but I’m definitely coming back.”

Senior J.R. Reynolds, who is currently rated as a second-rounder in numerous mock drafts, didn’t sound 100 percent sure that Singletary, his backcourt mate, was returning.

“He’s going to do whatever the best situation is for him,” Reynolds said. “I know his mother wants him to finish [school] and get a college degree, and I know he respects his mother real well.

“But he’s got to make a decision that’s best for him.”

This will be the first offseason that Singletary will not be going under the knife. After his freshman year, he had shoulder surgery. Following last season, he underwent a hip procedure.

“This will be the first time that I can just work on my game,” Singletary said. “I can’t wait to get my rest and get back out there because there will definitely be greater improvement than there was from my freshman to sophomore year and from my sophomore year to my junior year.”

Lucky shoes?

In Virginia’s win over Albany, J.R. Reynolds’ new orange sneakers were a good luck charm as he scored 28 points on 9-of-13 shooting.

However, against Tennessee, the shoes failed him when he twisted his right ankle late in the first half.

“I couldn’t believe it,” said Reynolds, who was coming off an injury to his hip. “I was like, ‘What’s next?’

“At first I thought I broke it because I heard something pop. But then I was able to walk on it, so I knew it was fine. It was painful. I tried to push through it and block it out.”

Yo, Adrian

Junior Adrian Joseph, who has been the Invisible Man the last few weeks, played one of his best games of the season against Tennessee.

The Trinidad native had 10 points and five rebounds. He had the two most exciting plays of the game. First, he faked a 3-pointer, drove the lane and went in for a vicious dunk. A few minutes later, he came out of nowhere for a putback slam.

A learning experience

Senior Jason Cain, who finished with nine points and five rebounds in his final college game, believes the loss will pay dividends down the road.

“I think this game really opened some of the younger players’ eyes,” Cain said. “It shows you have to work hard ever day and not get too carried away with success. We are a big ACC school and won the regular season conference title. We got smacked in the mouth today and have to learn from it.”

 

Black Sunday for Cavs, Hokies
By lbland
Mar 18, 2007
By Jerry Ratcliffe
Daily Progress sports editor

This will probably go down as “Black Sunday” for basketball fans in the state of Virginia, with both the Cavaliers and Hokies ousted from the NCAA Tournament on the same court within a span of hours of one another.

Valient effort by the two teams, but a bummer nonetheless.

I couldn’t help myself but to ask Pete Gillen, Virginia’s former coach, who was here in Columbus to serve as the analyst for Westwood One’s radio coverage of the South Regional, about his name being tied to the head coaching vacancy at the University of South Florida.

Gillen, who still lives in Charlottesville and remains popular with most of the Virginia fan base, has been out of coaching for the past two years after seven years of heading up the UVa program. Those two years followed 30 years in the coaching profession and covered a span of three head coaching jobs at Xavier, Providence and Virginia.

“I can’t say anything ... it wouldn’t be fair to anybody,” Gillen said during halftime of Virginia Tech’s loss to Southern Illinois. “I’m sorry, Jerry, but I just can’t talk.”

ESPN’s Andy Katz reported today that Gillen met with USF’s AD, Doug Woolard. We know that Dick Vitale took time out during the ACC Tournament in Tampa last week to chat with Woolard and took advantage of the opportunity to push Gillen for the job.

Vitale has stated that if he was the USF AD that the first person he would talk to about the job would be Gillen and wouldn’t move onward until giving the former Virginia coach a close look.

One source said that Gillen may not be the frontrunner because USF may be looking for a younger coach.

Here’s hoping Pete gets another chance.

Man, you had to feel for Virginia’s guards after how far they had taken the Cavaliers this season.

It would have been very interesting to see what may have transpired had J.R. Reynolds in his orange shoes, not rolled his ankle late in the first half of Sunday’s last-second loss to Tennessee. The Vols had no answer for the Roanoke sharpshooter in the first half when he stacked up 22 of his 26 points.

That performance came after Friday’s 28 points in UVa’s win over Albany.

For those of you wondering about the last time a Wahoo had two such dynamic, back-to-back scoring performances in an NCAA Tournament, you have to go back to 1989 when Bryant Stith, the leading scorer in Virginia history, racked up 26 against Middle Tennessee State in the second round, and added another 28 in a win over Oklahoma in the Sweet 16.

Reynolds’ 23 against Albany was the most ever in the first half of an NCAA game by a Cavalier.

We were kidding J.R. in the Virginia locker room during Saturday’s off day interviews about his scoring prowess.

We asked him if he knew where he stood on UVa’s career scoring list and naturally, he said he didn’t.

“You’re 10th,” we said. “Do you know who ranks ahead of you in ninth place?”

Again, J.R. didn’t know until we gave him a hint.

“It’s a guy who is exactly 100 points ahead of you and will forever have bragging rights on you unless you can go deep into the tournament and pass him,” the writers informed Reynolds.

He immediately guessed it was his hometown hero, Curtis Staples, one of his heroes growing up and still a close friend.

Of course, Reynolds was right. Staples finished with 1,757 points.

With his 26 in Sunday’s game, Reynolds finished with 1,683 and remained in 10th, where he should stay until maybe next season pending Singletary’s return to the program. Should Singletary come back, he could surpass Reynolds.

Singletary’s 19 points against the Vols moved the junior point guard up the UVa career scoring list to a tied for 18th with Jim Connelly (1965-67), past Lee Raker and Mel Kennedy and directly behind legendary Barry Parkhill with 1,437. Singletary now has 1,426.

Of course, that depends on whether Singletary comes back for his final year of eligibility or not, something that remains in question (See Whitey Reid’s story on this in Monday morning’s Daily Progress).

Well, that’s about it sports fans, from this trip to Buckeye Country.

Spring football practice begins this week at Virginia, so we’ll be moving from basketball to football rather swiftly while keeping our eye on hoops recruitinig and any shift in Singletary’s status.

 

Cavs takes series versus No. 1 Tar Heels
By Jay Jenkins / jjenkins@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
March 19, 2007

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Brian O’Connor has never enjoyed splitting a doubleheader quite so much.

College baseball coaches can feel that way when they win a series on the road against a national powerhouse.

Thanks to a well-timed rally in the opening game, Virginia took the first game in a doubleheader from North Carolina, 9-6, which coupled with the Cavaliers’ win on Saturday over the top-ranked Tar Heels secured the series.

UNC, behind an offensive explosion in the middle innings, salvaged the final game in the series, topping Virginia, 9-4, as 1,295 looked on at Boshamer Stadium.

Virginia, which entered the series ranked seventh in the country, currently stands at 19-4 overall and 3-3 in the ACC. UNC (18-3, 4-2 ACC) lost its first home series since dropping two games to Miami in 2005.

“It is a memorable weekend being able to come down and play the No. 1 team in the country and beat them twice and play good baseball,” O’Connor said. “It is a big, big weekend for our team. If we didn’t have the confidence before this series, and I believe we did, we should certainly have it now.”

Virginia, which registered 15 hits in Sunday’s opening game, trailed 5-3 before pulling off some heroics in the sixth inning. The Cavaliers got four hits and four runs in the frame - including a critical pinch-hit single from John Scaglione - off five different UNC pitchers.

UVa added two insurance runs in the seventh to take a four-run lead, at 9-5. Reliever Andrew Carraway (3-0) earned the win and closer Casey Lambert converted his fourth save of the season by striking out the final three batters he faced.

After spotting UVa a 1-0 lead in the nightcap, UNC took the lead for good in the second with a three-run inning.

Virginia managed to trim the deficit to one in the third before allowing a lone run in the fourth and game-sealing five-run explosion in the fifth.

The Tar Heels, who remain one game ahead of Virginia and Georgia Tech in the Coastal Division, sealed the win for starter Luke Putkonen (4-0) with three scoreless innings of relief work at the end of the contest.

Despite dropping the final game, O’Connor said his team delivered a message.

“We are a team that can beat anybody, which we proved this weekend, and we have the talented players to do it,” he added.

After playing at Richmond on Tuesday, Virginia returns home to open a three-game set with Miami at Davenport Field on Friday at 6 p.m.

 

Wrapped Up In a Series Of Twists
By John Feinstein
Monday, March 19, 2007; E11
COLUMBUS, Ohio

March memories in college basketball are about joy and heartbreak. Anyone who watches the NCAA basketball tournament knows that an inch here or there, a whistle blown or not blown, a pass deflected or not deflected often leads to moments the winners and losers will remember forever.

Virginia and Tennessee played one of those games here Sunday, a second-round classic on a weekend filled with remarkable games and finishes. It was a game that began as a track meet and ended as a chess match.

"I like to talk about the process of a game," said Tennessee Coach Bruce Pearl, whose team advanced with a 77-74 win only after Sean Singletary's 23-footer from the right wing spun out as time expired. "Those last few seconds were all about kids executing. Virginia executed perfectly on the last play, and got Singletary a good look at the basket. It didn't go in." He smiled. "I guess that makes me a genius."

On this day -- Pearl's 47th birthday -- it made him and his team a winner. But it would be simplistic at best, unfair at worst, to label Virginia a loser. In fact, the case can be made that if not for a fluke play late in the first half, the Cavaliers would be heading to San Antonio next week instead of the Volunteers.

That play came late in the first half. J.R. Reynolds, who had been superb in Virginia's first-round win over Albany, had picked up right where he left off. He was burying three-pointers from everywhere -- most of them with a hand in his face -- and when the Tennessee defense extended to deny him the three, he drove to the basket and scored. Before the half was over, he had 22 points.

In the final minute of the half, he went to the basket again. This time though, in a scrum of bodies, Reynolds's right foot came down on someone's ankle. He rolled the ankle slightly, not seriously enough to force him out of the game, but just enough to affect the way he was shooting the ball.

"You could see he didn't have the same lift when he went up to shoot after that," Pearl said. "I ran some plays to drive the ball at him at the other end, but they did a good job with defensive help a couple times when we went by him."

Reynolds's defense is not the key to his game; his shooting is. He made 4 of 8 three-point attempts in the first half, 0 of 3 in the second. He had just four points after the injury.

Even so, the Cavaliers had a chance to escape, in part because reserve Adrian Joseph produced 10 second-half points and because Singletary, on a day when he struggled with his shot, simply would not give up. Unable to make a three-point shot until the last minute of the game, Singletary adjusted, began taking the ball to the basket and got to the free throw line, where he made 10 of 12 foul shots. Tennessee led most of the second half, but couldn't pull away. So it came down to the final 30 seconds with the two coaches dueling with one another.

Dane Bradshaw made two free throws with 28 seconds left to put the Vols up 71-67, Singletary answered six seconds later with two of his own. That was when Pearl decided to put the game into the hands of his best player, all-American guard Chris Lofton. Every inbounds play was designed to get the ball to him.

"I've got faith in our other guys," said Bradshaw, the inbounder. "But I'm going to wait every time if I can for the chance to get the ball to Chris."

Even with Virginia trying to double-team, Lofton kept zigging and zagging to get open.

"The key is the catch," Pearl said. "He did a great job making the catch and then being aggressive. He never got trapped, so they had to foul."

Three times Virginia tried to deny Lofton the ball; three times he got open. Each time he coolly swished both free throws. After the first two, Singletary got behind a high screen and drilled a three-pointer. The second time, under orders from Pearl, with the lead 75-72, JaJuan Smith fouled Singletary as he crossed midcourt with 6.3 seconds left.

Many coaches -- most -- are reluctant to foul in that situation. Xavier's Sean Miller paid the price for that reluctance Saturday when Ohio State's Ron Lewis made a three-pointer to send the game into overtime with two seconds to play. Pearl wanted to try to avoid that. So he fouled.

"I've got [Lofton] on my team," Pearl said. "I've got faith in him to get the ball and to make free throws. If you foul in that situation they have to do four things to tie the game: make a free throw, miss a free throw, rebound the miss and make another offensive play. If you don't foul, they just have to make one play."

With some help from his coach, Singletary almost made that play. After Lofton's last two free throws made it 77-74 with 5.9 seconds left, he dashed upcourt with the ball. Josh Tabb, guarding him, had orders to foul him as soon as he crossed midcourt. Knowing that, Virginia Coach Dave Leitao sent Jason Cain to midcourt to screen Tabb before he could get to Singletary. Tabb smacked into Cain, and Singletary flashed past him.

"At that point Jordan Howell was supposed to come up and help and foul right away," Pearl said. "We had a backup plan if there was a screen. But Jordan didn't get there in time."

He didn't get there in large part because Singletary is water-bug quick and he was smart enough to veer right to stay away from him. As the Tennessee players and bench watched in horror, Singletary pulled up about four feet beyond the three-point line for a squared-up shot.

"I thought it was in," he said later. "I had good rotation and good lift on it."

Standing under the basket, watching the ball arc toward the rim, Bradshaw thought it was in, too.

"I was thinking, 'Why hasn't he been fouled?' " he said. "From where I was, it looked good. The kid kept his team in the game. He had nothing to be ashamed of at all."

Seeing the shot come out, Singletary fell to the floor, face down, burying his head.

No one understood how Singletary felt when the shot rimmed out better than his coach. As soon as the buzzer sounded, Leitao was on the court, helping Singletary to his feet, wrapping his arms around him, whispering in his ear. Twenty-five years ago as a junior at Northeastern, Leitao had two shots in the final six seconds of overtime that could have given the Huskies a stunning second-round upset over Villanova. Instead, the Wildcats won the game in triple overtime.

"When I say I know how he felt, I know how he felt," Leitao said. "I had an open shot with six seconds to go and then got the rebound and missed again. It's an awful, empty feeling. At least in that situation, the game wasn't over. This time, the game was over. I feel very connected to Sean. Whether he plays well or doesn't play well is less important to me than what he's meant to the program. At that moment, I wanted him to know that."

Singletary understood.

"He's been through it before, so he understands," he said. "He told me it wasn't about the last shot."

It was a bittersweet moment: a classy coach comforting a classy player at the end of a classic game. A few feet away Pearl waited to shake hands with Leitao and Singletary.

"We celebrate; they console," he said. "It easily could have been the other way around."

It was a memorable ending to a game neither side will forget anytime soon.

Nor should they.

 

Singletary’s last shot rims out for the Cavs
By ED MILLER, The Virginian-Pilot
© March 19, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Virginia and Tennessee combined to shoot 52 3-pointers Sunday, and the last one of the afternoon, launched by the Cavaliers' Sean Singletary, looked as dead-on and true as any of the previous 51.

When it rimmed out, Singletary crumbled to the floor. Coach Dave Leitao walked from the bench to pull up his point guard, already surrounded by teammates.

Virginia lost 77-74 in the second round of the NCAA tournament.

"We kind of got our heart broken," Leitao said.

It was the type of end-game scene unique to March, when as Leitao said, "It becomes a very cruel reality that at any moment in time it could be over."

The kind of game in which the ball spent a lot of time in the air, and fans, players and coaches drew a breath and held it for an instant as another high-arcing shot climbed, crested and fell.

Considering what was riding on it - the careers of Virginia's seniors, the Cavaliers' hopes of advancing to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 1995 - Singletary's 24-footer seemed to hang in the air longer than any other.

"It really looked good, from my end," said Tennessee's Dane Bradshaw, boxing out under the basket.

From Singletary's, too.

"I got good elevation, and good rotation," he said.

The game was destined to come down to a 3. Tennessee (24-10) shoots them brazenly, and even got two early ones from its 6-foot-9, 245-pound power forward, Wayne Chism - before some hesitation crept into the Volunteers' strokes as Virginia's defense stiffened.

J.R. Reynolds nearly matched Tennessee by himself, driving to any spot he felt like, firing 3-pointers and step-back jumpers on his way to 22 first-half points.

Late in the half, though, Reynolds stepped on the foot of a Tennessee player, and rolled his right ankle. Leitao shot him a concerned look as Reynolds limped toward the bench during a timeout. Reynolds continued past his coach, sat down and fiddled with the laces on his sneaker. A trainer walked him to the locker room before the half ended.

Reynolds missed an open 3 early in the second half, and didn't make another all game, managing just four points in the final 20 minutes. Tennessee drove the ball at him, making him work on defense and taxing his sore ankle.

The Volunteers pushed their lead to 10 points. Virginia chipped away, and cut the margin to one on a Singletary 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds left.

Tennessee didn't intend to let him attempt another one. After two Chris Lofton free throws stretched the lead to three, the Volunteers wanted to foul Singletary before he could get off a potential game-tying 3-pointer.

They had to catch him first, and couldn't. Singletary steamed up the floor and used a Jason Cain screen to free himself for a final shot.

Leitao could relate to what Singletary was going through - an "awful feeling" the coach said - as the point guard lay on the court, his forehead touching the hardwood. As a senior at Northeastern in 1982, Leitao missed a potential game-winning shot - then grabbed his own rebound and missed again - in a second-round NCAA tournament game against Villanova. The Huskies lost in triple overtime.

Virginia finished its second season under Leitao 21-11.

He and several players helped Singletary to his feet.

"I understood at that moment in time, because he is so hard on himself, that immediately he would take blame," Leitao said. "And that's the last thing I wanted him to do."

No blame. Just a shot that rimmed out.

 

U.Va. comes up one shot short
Sean Singletary's 3-pointer at the buzzer rims out and Virginia's season ends with a loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
BY DARRYL SLATER
247-4641
March 19, 2007
COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Everybody watched and waited.

Sean Singletary saw his shot spin toward the basket. He leaned forward and held his follow-through. All he remembered later was his mind going blank, the moment so significant that no thoughts could do it justice.

J.R. Reynolds stood in the corner of the court near Virginia's bench, his right ankle throbbing in pain, his white No. 2 jersey soaked in sweat for perhaps the final time.

Will Harris leaped on the sideline and threw his hands up, "because I just knew it was going in."

Josh Tabb spun around near midcourt, where he was screened trying to defend Singletary, and thought, "Please don't go in. Please don't go in."

Virginia assistant coach Rob Lanier figured it had to go in, because, by God, this is the NCAA tournament, and this shot was a magical pinnacle to a magical season.

Then everybody stopped.

Only the ball moved. It spun off Singletary's fingertips 23 feet from the basket. It hit the front of the rim, the back of the rim, and caromed out as the horn sounded. Singletary collapsed to the Nationwide Arena floor. He buried his head in his hands and cried, the finality of Virginia's 77-74 loss to Tennessee smothering him.

The Cavaliers' improbable season ended Sunday in the South Regional's second round of the NCAAs, as they lost an 11-point lead late in the first half by sputtering to start the second: 2-of-7 shooting, five turnovers and seven fouls over the first 8:47.

Reynolds, their senior shooting guard, mirrored that duality. In the first half, he scored 22 points and shot 6-of-10, including 4-of-8 on 3-pointers. But he rolled his right ankle midway through the half while driving into the lane. Already playing with a sore hip, he limped through the second half, scoring four points and shooting 2-of-6, 0-of-3 on 3s.

"I thought it was broken in the first half," he said. "I thought a bone popped or something. I thought it would loosen up a little bit. But the pain just kept coming and coming and coming."

During a timeout with about 15 minutes left, Harris said Reynolds told him, "Yo, my ankle is killing me." Harris' response: "Fifteen more minutes, then we're going to go to someplace that we've never been before."

The fourth-seeded Cavaliers (21-11) hadn't played in the Sweet 16 since 1995. They seemed destined for San Antonio, site of the regional semifinals and final, when they led 36-25 with 4:30 remaining in the first half.

But their sloppiness and Reynolds' injury turned the game in favor of the fifth-seeded Volunteers (24-10), who went up 54-44 with 13:06 left in the game. The Cavaliers stayed close because Singletary, a junior point guard, scored 15 points in the second half, and Adrian Joseph supplemented with 10.

Despite Tennessee guard Chris Lofton making 6-of-6 free throws in the final 18.7 seconds, Virginia trailed by three with 5.9 seconds remaining. Virginia coach Dave Leitao huddled his players for the final time just before Lofton's final two free throws made it 77-74.

While the officials verified the time left in the game, Leitao scribbled a play on his whiteboard. If you can get it to J.R., get it to him, Harris recalled Leitao telling Singletary. If not, go for it.

Leitao thought Tennessee might foul Singletary, as it did on the previous possession. So he told Jason Cain to free him with a midcourt screen. But if the Volunteers did hack Singletary, he planned to make the first free throw and intentionally miss the second.

Leitao broke the huddle, as Harris recalled, with a simple order in the season's most critical moment: "Run the play." Then the Cavaliers put their hands in the middle. "Together!" they shouted.

The play worked perfectly. Cain surprised Tabb, Tennessee's freshman guard, by cutting him off with the screen. Singletary dribbled right, and like that, Virginia's leading scorer had an open look with about two seconds left.

Leitao: "If there's a guy in America that you want shooting that shot, it's probably going to be Sean."

Cain: "I've seen him make that shot a million times."

Singletary: "It definitely looked good."

When it wasn't, he couldn't bear the sight. He fell to floor and shielded his eyes, as if not watching would end his agony. His teammates and Leitao rushed to pick him up and carry him into his senior season.

Reynolds, his backcourt mate for three years, stood nearby and looked blankly at the opposite end of the arena, staring off into the rest of his life.

"I couldn't believe it was over," he said.
 

Regardless of outcome, Cavs should be proud
David Teel
March 19 2007

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- Sean Singletary crumbled to the floor, the NCAA tournament's cruel, immediate finality more devastating than any opponent. Flashing back 25 years, Dave Leitao rushed to console his All-American.

"I've been there," the Virginia coach said, "and it's an awful feeling."

The feeling struck the Cavaliers early Sunday afternoon when Singletary's last-ditch 3-point attempt rimmed out and the horn sounded in a 77-74 second-round loss to Tennessee in the South Regional.

But no matter the frustration, no matter the pain, Singletary and friends should remember this:

They got an open look for their best player.

They had a remarkable season.

"I have no regrets," senior Jason Cain said in the quiet but determined locker room. "Looking back where I came from (my) first year, from a nothing team with no expectations to making the tournament, winning a game and having a chance to go to the Sweet 16."

Leitao's been there, literally, almost 25 years ago to the day. It was March 14, 1982, and Leitao's Northeastern Huskies were entangled in a second-round overtime against Villanova. With five seconds remaining and the game tied in the first OT, Leitao missed a 15-foot jumper, snared the rebound and missed the stickback as the clock expired.

Northeastern lost in triple overtime.

It was the final game of Leitao's playing career.

Now you know why the handshakes with the Volunteers could wait. Now you know why he rushed onto the court, wrapped his arms around Singletary and lifted the junior to his feet.

"I understood at that moment in time, because he is so hard on himself, that immediately he would take the blame, and that's the last thing I wanted him to do," Leitao said.

The willingness, indeed the need, to shoulder responsibility, to take the biggest shot on the grandest stage: That's Singletary's greatness in capsule.

Yes, he missed 10 of 14 shots Sunday, six of seven from beyond the 3-point arc. But Tennessee couldn't stop him off the dribble, couldn't keep him from penetrating the lane. All the Vols could do was foul, sending Singletary to the line 12 times.

No one else should have had the ball in the final five seconds.

"He's been our backbone all season," freshman reserve Will Harris said. "We're not going to let our leader lie on the floor dead. ... If he goes down, we have to be there to pick him up. ... He has nothing to hang his head about."

No one does. The Cavaliers and Volunteers could play 10 more times, and each would likely win a handful. They're that close, separated by fates such as the sprained right ankle that hampered Virginia's J.R. Reynolds during the second half and the banked 3-pointer that Tennessee's JaJuan Smith heaved in with 5:32 remaining.

The game was lost in the opening seven minutes of the second half, when Virginia committed five turnovers and seven fouls, fueling a 17-points-in-seven-possessions run that gave Tennessee a 54-44 lead. But there is so much for the Cavaliers, regular-season co-champions of the ACC, to take from the experience.

Four missed jumpers notwithstanding, Mamadi Diane defended Tennessee star Chris Lofton effectively; Adrian Joseph (10 points and five rebounds) showed he can be more than a stationary shooter, grappling inside for rebounds and twice dunking in traffic; and Singletary reaffirmed his elite status with 42 points and 14 assists in two tournament games.

Directing it all was Leitao, the ACC coach of the year. From the sideline to the interview room, Leitao looked quite ready for prime time. He was thoughtful, engaging and prepared his team impeccably - bringing Cain into the backcourt to help break Tennessee's press was a clever ploy.

"He had an instant perspective," assistant coach Rob Lanier said. "The one good thing about Dave, he's been in that locker room so many times, the good and the bad. So perspective from him comes easy."

Leitao's posture translated to his players.

"We know what it takes to get here now," Harris said. "Coming in we had no idea."
 

For U.Va. fans, see-saw game results in anguish
After Tennessee's win, some try to take solace in Cavs' improvement
BY CARLOS SANTOS
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 19, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- From the bars on the Corner, to the fraternity houses on Rugby Road, you could almost hear the collective groan go up in Hooville yesterday afternoon.

Cavalier flags -- fluttering everywhere on the Corner seemed to go limp. The bars cleared almost immediately after the defeat. There was no postgame celebration here.

So close. 77-74.

The fourth-seeded University of Virginia men's basketball team's hope of reaching the Sweet 16 was dashed in the last few seconds of a tight, see-saw game against fifth-seeded Tennessee.

The groans were very loud at O'Neill's Irish Pub on the Corner, where some die-hards fan were watching the game on the three big-screen TVs on the upper floor.

"It was back and forth," said Andrew Davis, a second-year student at U.Va. "I thought we had it. . . . I didn't know it was going to be such a tight game."

His buddy, Jim Rome, a self-described rabid Cavaliers fan, took the loss a bit harder.

"I said whoever came out strong in the second half would win it. Tennessee did," Rome said. "It was a good game, though. . . . This year we did a lot."

It was a good game, punctuated with moans of anguish when the Cavaliers fell behind and roars of approval when they stormed back, time after time, right to the end.

"It was down to the wire," said Nathaniel Stone, a fourth-year student. "You can't get much better than that."

Stone was philosophical about the sad end to a good season.

"In four years, it's good to finally see a winning team," he said. "We've always had potential. Next year's going to be a good year."

Stone said the tournament experience will be key for the Cavaliers next year.

"It gives them a little taste of their potential," said Stone. "Now we've broken the drought."

Davis and Rome held the same positive outlook.

"It's a lot better than we've done since 1995," Davis said. The Cavaliers had not won in the tournament since 1995.

Said Rome: "I think they did a fantastic job this year."

 

UVA ousted from NCAA tournament
Singletary misses late shot as Vols defeat Cavs
BY JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 19, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Tennessee forward Dane Bradshaw, standing under the basket, thought the shot was good.

So did the University of Virginia's all-ACC point guard, Sean Singletary, who'd launched the basketball from 25 feet away with about 2 seconds left.

So did virtually everyone else inside Nationwide Arena yesterday. The Volunteers were supposed to foul before a potential overtime-forcing shot could be attempted, but 6-10 Jason Cain set a solid pick at midcourt for Singletary, who dribbled free toward the 3-point line.

The Cavaliers could not have asked for more than the shot Singletary got.

"I've seen him make the shot a million times," Cain said. "It fell in, but it just didn't want to stay there."

The ball bounced off the rim, and time expired before either team could regain possession. And so U.Va.'s second season under Dave Leitao ended with a 77-74 defeat in the NCAA tournament's second round.

"The loss hurts," said Cain, one of two seniors for Virginia, "but we have nothing to be ashamed of."

In this South Region game, the fifth-seeded Volunteers went 8 for 8 from the line in the final 27 seconds to hold off No. 4 seed U.Va. Junior guard Chris Lofton, the SEC player of the year, made the last six free throws.

After Singletary's two foul shots made it 75-74 with 6.3 seconds left, U.Va. double-teamed Lofton, hoping to see the inbounds pass go to a less-accurate shooter. Lofton got free anyway and caught Bradshaw's pass. He was fouled with 5.9 seconds left and sank both free throws.

"He did a better job of getting himself open than we did at keeping him from getting the basketball," Leitao said, "so I've got to give him a lot of credit."

As usual, guards Singletary and J.R. Reynolds carried the Wahoos. Leitao can only imagine what might have happened if Reynolds had not rolled his right ankle late in the first half.

Hindered by his injury, the 6-2 senior scored only four of his game-high 26 points after intermission. He had 28 in Virginia's first-round win over Albany, and Reynolds started yesterday's game with a flurry of 3-pointers.

Singletary, a junior, took over late. He scored nine of his 19 points in the final 35 seconds, including a trey that pulled Virginia to 73-72.

"Today was a day where we kind of got our heart broken," Leitao said, "particularly for J.R. and Sean, who have led a two-year charge that a lot of people didn't think was possible."

Virginia, picked to finish eighth in the ACC, instead earned a share of the regular-season title. They finished with a 21-11 record and advanced to the NCAAs for the first time since 2001.

"I think our program has totally turned around in these last two years," Singletary said.

That didn't make the defeat easier for him to take. When the final horn sounded, Singletary dropped to the floor in anguish and lay there, face down. Leitao rushed over to console the player with whom he's formed a special bond.

"I understood at that moment in time, because he is so hard on himself, that immediately he would take blame," Leitao said, "and that's the last thing I wanted him to do."

In a game that featured three of the nation's premier guards -- Reynolds, Singletary and Lofton Virginia could claim victory in the backcourt battle. Lofton scored 20 points but was only 4 of 16 from the floor.

The Volunteers dominated in another key area, though, outrebounding U.Va. 39-29. Ryan Childress came off the bench to grab a game-high eight boards for Tennessee, and the 6-9, 238-pound sophomore also contributed 10 points.

Tennessee is headed to the Sweet 16 for the first time in seven years. After spending nearly a week near Ohio State's campus, the Volunteers will face the top-seeded Buckeyes (32-3) in a third-round game Thursday night in San Antonio, Texas. The teams met Jan. 13 in Columbus, where Ohio State prevailed 68-66.

"It motivated us to know we could play against Ohio State again," said Tennessee freshman Duke Crews, a graduate of Bethel High in Hampton, Va.

Tennessee, which scored 121 points in its first-round rout of Long Beach State, encountered much more resistance yesterday. Still, the Vols flashed their offensive prowess early in the first half, burying five 3-pointers in a span of 3:50. But the Cavs tightened their perimeter defense and built an 11-point lead late in the first half.

By halftime, however, the Vols had cut their deficit to three. They went ahead to stay on JaJuan Smith's three-point play with 15:05 to play.

 

Cavs show strengths and limits
Cavaliers displayed strengths and limits Stellar backcourt could carry U.Va. only so far in tourney
BY JOHN MARKON
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER Mar 19, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ohio After his attempt at a game-tying 3-point shot went off target yesterday, the weight of a long, difficult season finally buckled the knees of Sean Singletary.

Singletary dropped to the floor at Nationwide Arena, unwilling, at least for a while, to look up at a scoreboard or the celebrating groups of Tennessee players, either of which could have confirmed Virginia's 77-74 loss to the Volunteers in a second-round NCAA tournament game.

Paramedics weren't summoned, but U.Va. coach Dave Leitao would have beaten them to the scene.

"We're emotionally connected," Leitao said. "Whether Sean played well or plays well is of less consequence to me than what he's given to our program."

Or what he may need to continue to give. While Virginia's 21-11 season can stand as proof that many things are possible with two outstanding players, yesterday's loss offered conclusive evidence that there's a limit to how far two guys can carry a dozen teammates.

Until yesterday, the Cavaliers were undefeated (8-0) when Singletary and senior wing guard J.R. Reynolds combined for 40 points or more. Reynolds (26) and Singletary (19) walked off with 45 against the Vols. It should have been enough, but wasn't.

"I think we've done a good job this season camouflaging our weaknesses," said Leitao, who would have been more correct if he'd said the Cavs had done a good job winning despite their weaknesses.

There was no camouflage. Everyone knew Virginia was a team with two studs and a bus full of spare parts and role players.

So many aspects of the Tennessee game went exactly as Leitao and the Cavaliers may have wanted them to. If you could have sneaked into Virginia's locker room before the game, you may have seen the following keys written down on a chalkboard:

Throw a defensive net over Chris Lofton: Lofton, the SEC player of the year, was dogged by Mamadi Diane from start to finish. Lofton took 16 shots and missed all but four. The Cavs couldn't keep him off the foul line in the final minute, however, and Lofton was perfect on six free throws to help ice the game.

Control tempo: Perhaps the first eight minutes were played at Tennessee's preferred racehorse pace. The Cavs seemed to want a halfcourt game and got it.

Eliminate breakaways and easy baskets: Tennessee had four fast-break points. Leitao admitted Virginia sacrificed some rebounding to get back on defense, but the tradeoff seemed a good one.

Get to the foul line: Virginia (73 percent for the season) was a far more reliable foul-shooting team than the Vols (65 percent) and needed to maximize that advantage. The teams combined for 51 personal fouls and U.Va. made 31 of 35 free throws, exactly as Leitao would have ordered from room service.

Manage late-game situations: Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl couldn't say enough about how well Leitao and Singletary orchestrated the final two minutes. The Cavs gave themselves every chance to win.

The big "what if" for Virginia was an ankle twist sustained by Reynolds late in the first half, when he seemed ready to match or surpass his career high of 40 points. While Reynolds was on the court for almost every second of the second period, he was obviously at less than full speed. He scored 22 points in the first half, 4 in the second.

And his next stop is Alumni Hall.

While the Cavaliers are infinitely more disciplined and determined under Leitao than they were for predecessor Pete Gillen, there's still an obvious need for players who have more than one dimension on the court. If a few don't arrive or emerge, Singletary may not make it through his senior year.

But at least he knows Leitao has his back.

It may have been Leitao's best move of the day. At this level of the game, the moment one season ends, another begins.
 

U.VA. NOTES
Richmond Times-Dispatch Mar 19, 2007

WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN: Virginia's superlative guards senior J.R. Reynolds and junior Sean Singletary -- will look back with regret on yesterday's game against Tennessee in Columbus, Ohio.

Reynolds scored 22 points in the first 14 minutes to help U.Va. build a seven-point lead over the Volunteers. Late in the first half, however, Reynolds rolled his right ankle when he stepped on a Vol's foot. Reynolds scored only four of his game-high 26 points in the second half, and Tennessee rallied to win 77-74 in the NCAA tournament's second round.

"I just didn't have the same lift or the push-off" after suffering the injury, Reynolds said.

With 1,683 career points, Reynolds ranks 10th at U.Va. He scored 20 or more points 26 times during his four seasons at Virginia.

Singletary scored 19 points yesterday but made only 4 of 14 shots from the floor. He had five assists -- his teammates had none -- but turned the ball over six times, and twice he missed the front end of a one-and-one.

"I didn't have the game I wanted to, but I tried my best," Singletary said.

The Philadelphia native has said repeatedly in the past month that he'll return for his senior season at U.Va. Singletary's postgame comments yesterday suggested that his plans haven't changed.

He and Virginia's other returning players are "going to look forward to next year and new recruits and try to usher them in right as soon as they get on campus," Singletary said, "just get their mindset in a winning form and just keep going forward."

Reynolds and 6-10 Jason Cain were the Cavaliers' only seniors this season. Cain went 9 for 10 from the line yesterday. Both figures represented career highs.

X-FACTORS: How U.Va. fared against quality opponents this season often hinged on the play of sophomore swingman Mamadi Diane and junior forward Adrian Joseph. Each distinguished himself against the Volunteers.

Diane wasn't productive on offense -- he was 0 for 4 from the floor -- but played superb defense against Tennessee guard Chris Lofton, The Associated Press' choice as SEC player of the year. Lofton scored 20 points but made only 4 of 16 field goal attempts.

"I couldn't really get a good look," he said.

Joseph came off the bench to score 10 points, grab five rebounds and block one shot in 23 minutes. The Trinidadian doesn't often venture inside the 3-point line, but two of his four field goals came on dunks.

TAKE IT TO THE BANK: After Joseph scored inside to pull U.Va. to 61-59 with 6:52 left, he blocked a shot at the other end. Singletary then missed from beyond the arc, but the Cavaliers locked down on defense. With the shot clock about to expire, UT guard JaJuan Smith to put up a contested 3-point attempt from the top of the key.

It banked off the glass and into the basket to stretch the Vols' lead to five.

"It was just one of those things that went in at the right time," said Smith, who finished with 16 points.

U.Va. coach Dave Leitao said Smith's trey "was momentum for them as much as it was three points. . . . In order to win and advance, you're going to have to do things like that, and they made a couple more plays like that."

-- Jeff White
 

Honor we can all agree on
Clayton O'Toole, Columnist

COLUMBUS, OHIO -- I sat down in front of my computer to analyze the game that just ended between Virginia and Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament here at Nationwide Arena in Columbus. Tennessee took a page out of Virginia's playbook and started hot, draining three-pointers from all over the court. Throughout, however, the Cavaliers showed incredible guts battling back and almost stealing a victory from the Volunteers if not for fate's twisted humor and J.R.'s tweaked ankle. But as I sit in the media workroom listening to Tech down by 10 to Southern Illinois, the only thing I can think of is how honored I feel to have witnessed the last four seasons of Virginia basketball, this past season in particular.

First and foremost, I have been honored to share the last four years with J.R. Reynolds. An undersized, moderately recruited shooting guard when he arrived in Charlottesville four seasons ago, Reynolds molded himself into one of the truly great shooting guards in the country. In the first halves of his final two games, Reynolds shot 13 of 19 from the field and eight of 13 from three for a total of 45 points.

It takes more than numbers to describe Reynolds' contribution to this year's Cavalier team. There were numerous times this season when Reynolds, and Reynolds alone, was Virginia's offense. Not the offense's primary threat, mind you, but the entire offense. The second half of the N.C. State game in Raleigh comes to mind, as Reynolds scored 18 consecutive points in leading the Cavaliers to their first ACC road win of the season. It is truly a shame that we did not get to see a completely healthy Reynolds in yesterday's game. After tweaking his ankle just before halftime, he simply wasn't the same player in the second half. As I sit here today, there is no doubt in my mind that Virginia would have won that basketball game if J.R. were 100 percent.

Second to Reynolds, I am honored to have been a part of the first two seasons of the Leitao era in Charlottesville. In an incredibly short amount of time, Leitao has completely revitalized a catatonic Virginia basketball program. Not only has he brought more wins to Charlottesville, but Leitao and his staff have brought back respectability to a program without an identity for much of the recent past. Today's Cavaliers play extremely hard for 40 minutes, consistently perform way beyond their assumed talent levels and live and die with the bounce of the ball. That is the kind of team I am proud and honored to witness play.

The crazy part is -- for those of us who plan to support Virginia basketball well beyond graduation -- that the Leitao era has just begun. As Leitao himself has said many times, there are still many holes to fill in just year two. I am supremely confident that despite the losses of Reynolds and Jason Cain, Leitao and the rest of the Cavaliers will continue the upward trend that spiked north this past season. And, just for the record, Singletary spoke of "looking forward to next year" after yesterday's game and it didn't include the letters N, B or A. Wahoowa!

Lastly, I am honored to be a part of the first class to usher in John Paul Jones Arena this season. Though many Wahoos may remember the arena best for JT's rendition of "Dick in a Box," I will forever remember the wonderful memories I have of an undefeated home ACC record in The John's first season.

Thank you J.R. Thank you Jason. Thank you Coach Leitao. And thank you to the entire Virginia program from the student body; it has truly been an honor.

 

Rubeor leads Cavaliers to victory over Towson
Junior scores career-high seven goals to help Cavaliers defeat Towson 13-9
Megan McDonald, Cavalier Daily Associate Editor

As the Virginia men's lacrosse team defeated Towson University 13-9 Saturday afternoon, junior attackman Ben Rubeor scored a career-high seven goals and the Cavaliers extended their winning streak to six games, the longest in the nation.

"I am just glad we were able to get the win," Rubeor said. "This was a very quality team today and I am really not concerned about my points as long as we end up with more points than the other team at the end of the game."

Rubeor was named the ACC men's lacrosse player of the week last week after he notched the game-winning goal in the final minute of play against Princeton. Saturday, before taking a single shot, he took the field against Towson (2-2) with a nation-leading 19 goals.

Rubeor put Virginia (6-1) on the board first with a goal in the opening minute of play. Then, when Virginia fell behind 3-2 in the second quarter, Rubeor shot and scooped up his own rebound to tally his second goal of the afternoon.

"I'd have to say this is the best I have seen Ben play," sophomore attackman Garrett Billings said. "Today he really took it upon himself to not let us get behind against Towson."

Even with a career-high 15 saves, Towson junior goalkeeper Matt Antol could not thwart former high school teammate Rubeor's scoring-run. Indeed, as a Towson native, Rubeor not only saw several familiar faces on the field but also faced a program that he grew up following.

"I always followed Towson and enjoyed watching them play," Rubeor said. "It was an honor to play against them today."

Despite the efforts of Rubeor, Billings and sophomore Danny Gladding, Towson managed to stay in the game. In the first half, Virginia's defense was consistently penetrated by the Towson offense. The Tigers were able to get inside and shoot at close range from the edge of the crease -- the kind of shots Cavalier senior goalkeeper Kip Turner cannot be faulted for not saving.

"They pulled us out and threw the ball inside," Virginia coach Dom Starsia said. "Towson's smart and clever, and early on we were ball watching. This was the kind of game where we needed to be alert and attentive on defense. We needed to be on our toes and I thought we got better as the game wore on."

At the half, Virginia entered the locker-room with only a narrow 7-6 lead. When the team retook the field, however, both Rubeor and junior Jack Riley scored quickly and increased the Cavalier lead to three.

"We definitely let them get some easy ones on us in the first half," Billings said. "But the second half Rubeor really stepped up to lead the game, and I knew we would come out hard in the third quarter. We got that early lesson against Drexel and no one wants to let that happen again."

Though Towson never went away, the Cavaliers' sharper play in the second half allowed Virginia to successfully defend its lead until the end. As Rubeor continued to send the ball into the back of the net, senior Adam Fassnacht won a career-high 14 of 21 face-offs and helped the Cavaliers maintain possession of the ball. For his part, Turner had six saves and remains undefeated at Klöckner Stadium (18-0).

"Ben made a big play whenever we needed it," Starsia said. "Since the beginning he has been our leader at the offensive end and we need him to play like that. To have any right to expect those numbers from him in any game is probably a little extraordinary, but that's who he is for us right now."

 

A battle of two halves
By Andy Bitter and Nathan Warters
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 18, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Size doesn't matter

Virginia figured to have a decisive rebounding advantage on Sunday, considering Tennessee only started one player taller than 6-foot-4. Not so.

The ACC's fourth best rebounding team took a pounding on the glass, getting out-rebounded by the Volunteers 39-29 in a 77-74 loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Cavaliers had six offensive rebounds, less than half their average, and converted them into only five points.

Ryan Childress, a 6-foot-9 reserve forward who averages 15.3 minutes a game, was thrust into the lineup when Tennessee's big men got into foul trouble and hauled in a game-high eight rebounds.

Asked where the rebounding differential ranked among the factors in the game, Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl said, "Maybe at the top."

Only Utah (+16) and North Carolina (+13) out-rebounded the Cavaliers by a bigger margin this season. UVa lost both of those games as well.

Back for more?

Sean Singletary, as he has for the last half of the season, reiterated his intention to return to Virginia for his senior year on Sunday. The junior point guard spoke confidently about UVa's chances next season, saying he looked forward to ushering in the Cavaliers' incoming freshmen class.

"We've got a lot to build on, so I hate to throw it all away," said Singletary, who is projected as a late first- or early second-round pick if he were to leave. "We're building a program and I want to be a part of it."

The deadline for early entry players to declare for the draft is April 29. Players who declare but do not hire an agent can still withdraw their names by June 18.


 

Buzzer-beater falls short, as do Cavaliers
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
March 18, 2007

COLUMBUS, Ohio - By all accounts, the shot looked good. The 25-footer felt right coming out of Sean Singletary's hand, on target from top of the key with the necessary oomph and prepared to shred twine, just as his 3-point heave two possessions earlier had.

Not this time. It came up short, glancing off the front of the rim, rolling off the back and bouncing out of bounds as the horn sounded in Virginia's 77-74 loss to Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA tournament on Sunday.

Singletary fell to his knees, then face down on the floor as the emotions of an ended season collapsed on him all at once. Head coach Dave Leitao walked over, picked Singletary off the ground and consoled his fallen leader, whose teary eyes were buried in his hands. Teammates gathered, too.

"They just said, 'Don't hang your head,'" said Singletary, who scored nine of his 19 points in the last 39 seconds but could only dwell on the three more he could have had. "'You've got nothing to be ashamed of.'"

Reassuring words, sure, but hardly enough to ease the pain for fourth-seeded Virginia (21-11), which endured a roller coaster ride in its final game, leading by 11 early thanks to the hot hand of J.R. Reynolds (26 points), giving it away after halftime and nearly storming back from a 10-point deficit in the final 13 minutes.

"It's tough," sophomore wing Mamadi Diane said when it was all over. "It felt like everything dropped."

The win propelled fifth-seeded Tennessee (24-10) to the Sweet 16 for the first time since 2000. Next up for the Vols is Ohio State, the South Region's No. 1 seed.

Virginia, which bucked all odds of making it this far after being picked to finish eighth in the ACC in the preseason, came up just shy of its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1995.

"Most of what we did during the season was with our heart on our sleeve," Leitao said. "And when you put it out there, it sometimes can reward you in the very best of ways. But when it doesn't, it can also break your heart in the very cruelest of ways.

"Today was a day where we kind of got our heart broken."

Virginia trailed 69-66 with 39 seconds left but Tennessee never flinched, making all eight of its free throws down the stretch. SEC Player of the Year Chris Lofton made six of them, a silver lining to an otherwise sub-par 4-for-16 shooting night that still ended with him scoring 20 points.

The Cavaliers hung around, though, thanks to Singletary. His only 3-pointer of the game came off a high screen with 11.9 seconds left that cut the Vols' lead to 73-72. Tennessee's plan was to not let him get the same look at another shot. After Lofton made two free throws, they fouled Singletary before he could get off a shot. He made both free throws.

Lofton again made the lead three with a pair of free throws with 5.9 seconds remaining, when Singletary took the inbounds pass and darted up court. Tennessee head coach Bruce Pearl screamed for his team to foul him.

"You do it for four reasons, because they have to make four plays to beat you," Pearl said. "They've obviously got to make the first (free throw). They've got to miss the second one. They've got to rebound the miss and they've got to make another offensive play and score, versus making one play."

The plan fell apart, though. Singletary raced past his defender and around a high screen by Jason Cain. He squared up and got off a great look from a few feet beyond the 3-point line with two seconds left on the clock.

"I've seen Sean make that shot a million times," Cain said.

Leitao also has seen the reaction, the dejection of a gritty point guard who shoulders the burden of every loss, taking them personally. So the coach immediately walked over to help up Singletary.

"Because he is so hard on himself, (I understood) that he would immediately take the blame, and that's the last thing I wanted him to do," Leitao said. "I've been there and it's an awful feeling.

"I wanted him to know, just like I've tried to be there for him every day, that I'm still going to be there for him."