Virginia Wrestling Wins First ACC Championship Since 1977
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/06/2010

RALEIGH, N.C. - The Virginia wrestling team, behind ACC champions Chris Henrich and Mike Salopek, won the program's first ACC Championship since 1977 on Saturday night in Raleigh, N.C. Virginia racked up 85 points, edging out Maryland (80.5) and Virginia Tech (78.5).
Virginia captured its fourth title overall and the program's first since the George Edwards era. Under Edwards, UVa won ACC championships in 1974, 1975 and 1977. The Cavaliers narrowly missed winning the championship the past two years, finishing two points behind Maryland in each instance.

"It was just about a perfect day," Virginia head coach Steve Garland said. "I'm just trying not to cry right now. It was 1977 the last time we won it and it has been a long time coming. There is so much work that goes into it. To see all of our guys hugging and crying, it means the world to me.

"You know you can do it and you put the work in, but at the end of the day, this tournament is crazy. The last two years we just missed the title by two points. We finally pulled it off. Sure, you come here and think you are going to win it, but until you do it, you just cannot imagine the emotion of pulling it off. Seeing the wrestlers hugging each other after Mike (Salopek) had won, that was a special moment."

The championship was a total team effort. Virginia, ranked 22nd nationally, came in as underdogs to No. 10 Maryland and No. 14 Virginia Tech, but all 10 Cavalier wrestlers reached the semifinal round and placed among the top four in their respective weight classes. UVa was the only team to place in the top four in all 10 weight classes.

In addition to the team championship, a school-record eight Cavaliers qualified for the 2010 NCAA Championships. That breaks the previous record of seven, set in 1997, 1998 and 2009. Ross Gitomer (125), Derek Valenti (141), Shawn Harris (149), Dan Gonsor (157), Henrich (174), Salopek (184), Brent Jones (197) and Jack Danilkowicz (285) all punched their tickets to the NCAA Championships after earning automatic bids. In all UVa, earned one-third of the ACC's 24 automatic qualifier slots.

Virginia held a narrow lead heading into the finals - by seven points over Maryland and by 11 over Virginia Tech. The Hokies won four of the first six individual championships to take a 78.5-77.5 lead over UVa heading into the final four weight classes. Behind Henrich and Salopek's championships, the Cavaliers stemmed the tide and clinched the crown.

Henrich dominated at 174 pounds, winning by technical fall, 20-5, over Tommy Ferguson of North Carolina for his second-consecutive ACC title. The reigning All-American jumped out to a 7-2 lead after one period and needed just 5:08 before the match was stopped for the tech fall. Henrich also posted a pin in just 1:27 against Virginia Tech's Taylor Knapp in the semis. With his two victories, Henrich has now won 15 straight bouts and boasts a 30-2 season record.

Salopek, a redshirt freshman, won a thrilling bout at 184 pounds with a takedown with 12 seconds left in the third period to upset top-seeded Tommy Spellman of Virginia Tech, 2-0. He also defeated Maryland's Corey Peltier, 6-0, in the semifinals and improved to 28-8 this season. Virginia won the 184-pound weight class for the third straight year - Rocco Caponi captured the title the previous two seasons.

Including Henrich and Salopek, Virginia put five wrestlers in the finals. At 125 pounds, Gitomer dropped a 4-1 decision against Jarrod Garnett of Virginia Tech. Gitomer recorded a 19-7 major decision over UNC's Brian Bokoski before downing No. 3 seed James Knox of Maryland to reach the finals. With his two wins Saturday, Gitomer moved into a ninth-place tie with Garland on the all-time Virginia wins ledger with 91 career victories.

Matt Snyder followed with a narrow 2-1 defeat against 11th-ranked Steve Bell of Maryland in the 133-pound class. Snyder, who since January has wrestled up a weight class from his normal 125 pounds, pinned Virginia Tech's Brock LiVorio in the semis to advance to the finals.

At 149, Harris dropped an 8-4 decision to Brian Stephens of Virginia Tech in the championship match. Harris got to the finals after upsetting top-seeded Bobby Ward of NC State, 7-2, in the semifinals.

Valenti took third place at 141 pounds. After falling in sudden victory time to second-seeded Chris Diaz of Virginia Tech, Valenti bounced back with a vengeance, pinning Mike Bell of Duke and Scott Norris of NC State to earn third place. Valenti improved to 24-8 and now has a team-high 10 falls this season.

At 157, Gonsor took fourth place after dropping a 4-2 decision in sudden victory time to Thomas Scotton of North Carolina. After falling in the semis to top-seeded Jesse Dong of Virginia Tech, Gonsor knocked off Colton Palmer of NC State before losing in sudden victory time to Thomas Scotton of North Carolina in the third-place match.

Beau Fisher nabbed a fourth-place finish at 165 pounds. Fisher pulled a 3-1 upset against fourth-seeded Ray Ward of NC State in the opener, and after a loss to No. 1 seed Josh Asper of Maryland in the semifinals, he earned a 5-3 win over Ben Wales of Duke before falling into consolation final, 8-5 to UNC's Kyle Kiss.

At 197 pounds Jones picked up a third-place finish. He recorded his school-record 43rd career pin in the opener, in 6:44 against NC State's Christian McLean. After a 7-4 loss to UNC's Dennis Drury, Jones earned wins over Chris Penny of Virginia Tech and John Barone of Duke to secure third place. With his two wins, Jones moved into sole possession of fourth place on the all-time Virginia wins ledger with 104.

Danilkowicz earned third place at heavyweight. After falling to top-seeded Konrad Dudziak of Duke in the opening round, Danilkowicz bounced back well with a 4-3 win over No. 2 seed Patrick Gilmore of Maryland and a 3-2 decision against NC State's Eloheim Palma in the third-place bout.

Virginia's eight NCAA qualifiers will head to Omaha, Neb., March 18-20 for the NCAA Championships at Quest Center Omaha.

Henrich will be making his third straight NCAA appearance; he won All-America honors last year. Gitomer and Jones each will be wrestling at NCAAs for the second time, while the remaining five will be making their first career appearance at the national championships.


2010 ACC Championships
1. Virginia - 85.0
2. Maryland - 80.5
3. Virginia Tech – 78.5
4. North Carolina – 44.5
5. Duke – 28.0
6. NC State – 15.5

Virginia Results

125 Pounds
1st Round: Ross Gitomer (Virginia) defeated Brian Bokoski (North Carolina) 19-7

Semifinals: Ross Gitomer (Virginia) defeated James Knox (Maryland)
 5-3
Finals: Jarrod Garnett (Virginia Tech) defeated Ross Gitomer (Virginia) 3-2
Gitomer receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

133 Pounds
1st Round: Matt Snyder (Virginia) bye

Semifinals: Matt Snyder (Virginia) defeated Brock LiVorio (Virginia Tech) by pin (5:49)
Finals: Steve Bell (Maryland) defeated Matt Snyder (Virginia) 2-1

141 Pounds
1st Round: Derek Valenti (Virginia) bye

Semifinals: Chris Diaz (Va Tech) defeated Derek Valenti (Virginia) 3-1 (OT)
Consolation Semifinals: Derek Valenti (Virginia) vs. Mike Bell (Duke) by pin (5:57)
Consolation Finals (for 3rd place): Derek Valenti (Virginia) defeated Scott Norris (NC State) by pin (6:37)
Valenti receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

149 Pounds
1st Round: Shawn Harris (Virginia) defeated Brent Jorge (Duke) 11-2

Semifinals: Shawn Harris (Virginia) defeated 
Bobby Ward (NC State) 7-2
Finals: Brian Stephens (Virginia Tech) defeated Shawn Harris (Virginia) 8-4
Harris receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

157 Pounds
1st Round: Dan Gonsor (Virginia) bye

Semifinals: Jesse Dong (Virginia Tech) defeated Dan Gonsor (Virginia) 12-1
Consolation Semifinals: Dan Gonsor (Virginia) vs. Colton Palmer (NC State) 8-5
Consolation Finals (for 3rd place): Thomas Scotton (North Carolina) defeated Dan Gonsor (Virginia) 4-2 (OT)
Gonsor receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

165 Pounds
1st Round: Beau Fisher (Virginia) defeated Ray Ward (NC State) 3-1

Semifinals: Josh Asper (Maryland) defeated Beau Fisher (Virginia) 12-6
Consolation Semifinals: Beau Fisher (Virginia) vs. Ben Whales (Duke) 5-3 2OT
Consolation Finals (for 3rd place): Kyle Kiss (North Carolina) defeated Beau Fisher (Virginia) 8-5

174 Pounds
1st Round: Chris Henrich (Virginia) bye

Semifinals: Chris Henrich (Virginia) defeated Taylor Knapp (Va Tech) by pin (1:27)
Finals: Chris Henrich (Virginia) defeated Thomas Ferguson (North Carolina) 20-5
Henrich receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

184 Pounds
1st Round: Mike Salopek (Virginia) bye

Semifinals: Mike Salopek (Virginia) vs. Corey Peltier (Maryland)
Finals: Mike Salopek (Virginia) defeated Tommy Spellman (Virginia Tech) 2-0
Salopek receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

197 Pounds
1st Round: Brent Jones (Virginia) defeated Christian McLean (NC State)
 by pin (6:44)
Semifinals: Brent Jones (Virginia) vs. Dennis Drury (North Carolina)
Consolation Semifinals: Brent Jones (Virginia) vs. Chris Penny (Virginia Tech)
Consolation Finals (for 3rd place): Brent Jones (Virginia) defeated John Barone (Duke) 12-9
Jones receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

285 Pounds
1st Round: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) bye
Semifinals: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) vs. Konrad Dudziak (Duke)
Consolation Semifinals: Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) vs. Patrick Gilmore (Maryland)
Consolation Finals (for 3rd place): Jack Danilkowicz (Virginia) defeated Eloheim Palma (NC State) 3-2
Danilkowicz receives automatic berth to NCAA Championships based on finish.

ACC Championships Quotes
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com Release: 03/06/2010

"It was just about a perfect day. I'm just trying not to cry right now. It was 1977 the last time we won it and it has been a long time coming. There is so much work that goes into it. To see all of our guys hugging and crying it means the world to me.
"The last time we won a title was in 1977, the year I was born. I told the guys I have been trying to hold back the tears. This just didn't start in 2006 when I was hired at Virginia. I was a wrestling student-athlete at Virginia in 1996. It has been such a long time coming. We've been close so many times but at the same time it felt so far away because we could not pull it off.
"The way we did it today and the dramatic fashion we did it in, I cannot find the words to explain it.
"You know you can do it and you put the work in, but at the end of the day, this tournament is crazy. The last two years we just missed the title by two points. We finally pulled it off. Sure, you come here and think you are going to win it, but until you do it, you just cannot imagine the emotion of pulling it off. Seeing the wrestlers hugging each other after Mike had won, that was a special moment."
On the team's depth
"That's everything. The last two years we have been very close to leading going into finals because we had guys in the top four. Our goal today, and it was a big goal, was to have 10 guys get in the finals. We darn near pulled it off. Some guys did some phenomenal things. You have to have a team effort to win a championship and we got one today.
"He (Salopek) knows that was his best move and everybody in the gym knew it was coming. We've been drilling a lot with him and he found a way to counter it. The fact was he was able to do it in dramatic fashion, with 10 seconds to go, come on, it can't get any better than that. It was awesome.
Mike Salopek
"That was probably the 15 craziest seconds in my wrestling career. I've wrestled him a few other times and he went for a move (inside trip) from a few other times we have wrestled. I kind of did the same thing at the Southern Scuffle tournament where I got a takedown out of it. He got me with it at the Virginia Duals. I had a feeling it was coming and I was waiting for it and ready for it."
On the pressure to get a win
"The coaches were keeping the importance of the match from me. I thought that Henrich's win did it for us. After I was done I saw how everybody was pumped and jumping around and then I knew we had won the title."
On the championship
"It's a great thing for the program. We've been a team on the rise for the past few years and tonight we were able to take that step to the next level"
Chris Henrich
On having to win big at the end
"I had a feeling it might come down to this from the beginning of the day. I was excited to be in this position. To be honest, I haven't been in a high-pressure situation like that where not only did it come down to me winning, but it came down to me getting as many bonus points as possible. I was excited about it. The game plan was to get a pin and that's not how it happened. Coach Clemsen did a good job of telling me what I needed to do."
On the team title
"It is 100 times better than winning an individual championship right now. To be honest, going into the tournament I would not have thought that, but to watch Salopek win that final match, it was just amazing to be a part of it all.
"We have been the kind of team that has been solid. Today we were finally able to put it all together."
Brent Jones
"It is unbelievable. I didn't wrestle like I wanted to today, but our team had a total collective effort and it makes everything so much better. Five years, to finally get this title is very emotional. All the hard work we've put into it, it is a great way to cap it all off.
"I've been around this program for a while and to see where this program has come and to be a part of bringing home an ACC title is really special. It is something you'll never forget and something you will always be a part of. It feels really good to leave your mark on history."
Ross Gitomer
"I am so happy for every single guy on our team and our coaches. I was wrestling at this thing four years ago and if you told me we were going to win an ACC title I would have told you that you were crazy.
"I've never been around such a tight knit group. We're so united as one and so dedicated to it. It is like one big family."



 

Inspired Comeback Falls Short
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/06/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- By the time he walked into the press room at John Paul Jones Arena on Saturday afternoon, Tony Bennett had regained his composure and put his suit jacket back on.

In the final minute of UVa's fiercely contested game with ACC rival Maryland, however, Bennett had been incensed, and with good reason.

With 38.6 seconds left and the 22nd-ranked Terrapins up 66-65, official Jamie Luckie called Cavaliers center Jerome Meyinsse for blocking on a drive by Sean Mosley. To Bennett -- as well as most in the admittedly biased crowd of 13,431 -- it looked like a charge, and Virginia's first-year coach took off his jacket and threw it down in frustration.

Luckie responded with another controversial call, this one a game-changer. He slapped Bennett with a technical foul, and by the time the Wahoos got the ball back, after four Maryland free throws, they trailed 70-65.

Led by their indomitable senior guard Greivis Vasquez, the Terps went 8 for 8 from the line in the last 38 seconds to hold off the short-handed 'Hoos 74-68 in the regular-season finale for both teams.

"Heck of a time to get the first technical of my career, that's for sure," Bennett said.

"It was a mistake to take my jacket off and throw it down like that. I shouldn't have. But it was the heat of the battle. I gotta see the call [on videotape], but there was certainly a lot of activity a couple plays before. There was a lot of emotion from both coaches, and it's just the heat of the battle. But I feel bad."

With 6.5 seconds left and the score 72-68, Bennett spent most of a timeout staring down Luckie across the court. After the final buzzer sounded, Bennett exchanged sharp words with the official.

"I was just frustrated," said Bennett, who's known for his even temper. "I wanted some clarification on the technical, but I guess when you take your jacket off and throw it ..."

Maybe he deserved a T, Bennett said. He planned to watch the tape and judge for himself. "But I wish our kids would have had the chance to at least tie it or get the win," he said, "and that didn't happen."

Maryland (13-3, 23-7) extended its winning streak to seven and clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season title.

The loss was the ninth straight for the Cavaliers (5-11, 14-15), but the effort was easily their best in three weeks.

They were without their best player, sophomore swingman Sylven Landesberg, and their second-leading scorer, junior forward Mike Scott, contributed only 2 points and 1 rebounds.

They trailed by 11 at halftime after giving up 17 second-chance points -- Maryland grabbed 14 of the game's first 15 rebounds -- and the Cavs were still down 10 with 9:15 remaining.

Yet UVa never surrendered. The 'Hoos battled like a team playing for a championship, not like one that will be seeded ninth at next week's ACC tournament. (Virginia meets No. 8 seed Boston College at noon Thursday in a first-round game.)

"Everybody put their own personal stuff aside and said, 'I'm going to do whatever it takes to help this team win,'" junior forward Will Sherrill said. "And that's really gotta be the mindset every game, every practice, every minute that you're on the floor."

It was Senior Day for UVa, and Meyinsse, swingman Solomon Tat and guards Calvin Baker and Tom Jonke were honored before the game, along with manager Andrew Harrison.

That added another storyline to a rivalry game already notable for the absence of Landesberg. About an hour before tipoff Saturday, a press release was distributed at JPJ in which Bennett announced that Landesberg had been suspended "for failure to live up to his academic obligations."

"There was a lot of emotion," Bennett said later, "with Senior Day and the situation with Sylven, and you're out there bleeding for those kids. You want to see something [good] happening, and they fought back. So I am so proud of them for that. It would have been even sweeter to get [the victory].

"They responded. At times it didn't look good, but they came together and played some pretty good team ball when it was needed and gave themselves a chance."

In his final appearance at JPJ, the 6-9 Meyinsse dominated the paint. He went 7 of 8 from the floor (and 3 for 4 from the line) and finished with a team-high 17 points.

In his past three games, Meyinsse has made 19 of 22 shots from the floor. That's heady stuff for a guy who entered his senior season with 35 career field goals.

"We'll miss him, no doubt," Bennett said.

"He's really evolved, and he's a good story, because he's a great kid who certainly represents the University well. He's well-balanced and has waited for his chance, and probably thought it wasn't even maybe going to come, and it's come, and he's really done well ... He's really taken some nice strides, and I couldn't be happier for Jerome and his family, and I think he's a kid who's going to do very well in whatever he does."

Meyinsse said: "I knew without Sylven tonight I had to be more aggressive on offense, and that's what I tried to do.

"Over the course of the season I've gotten better, and in this last month it's just clicked. I feel like I can score when I get the ball, and I just try to be more aggressive, and good things have happened."

This was the Cavaliers' second game without Landesberg in a week. In the first, with Landesberg out with a thigh injury, junior guard Jeff Jones failed to score in a 67-49 loss to Duke at JPJ. Against Maryland, Jones came off the bench to go 4 for 6 from beyond the arc and 4 for 4 from the line.

"I definitely wanted to make up for that Duke game," Jones said.

The four treys were the most in an ACC game for Jones, who finished with 16 points. Another UVa guard, sophomore Sammy Zeglinski, broke out of a horrific slump, burying four 3-pointers and added 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal.

Zeglinski wasn't perfect, but "he kept knocking and he kept plugging," Bennett said. "He's been in a tough slump, as many of our guys have been shooting the ball, but it was nice to see him battle."

Not since Feb. 3 had Zeglinski made more than one trey in a game. Virginia also got strong play from junior guard Mustapha Farrakhan, who had 8 points, 5 assists and 2 steals, and Sherrill, who came off the bench to score 9 points, an ACC high for the walk-on from New York City.

"We knew with Sylven out, everybody had to step up," said Jones, a former Maryland recruit. "I think a lot of guys did today. We stepped it up defensively and offensively."

A duel between Vasquez and Jones broke out in the second half. A Jones trey pulled UVa to 54-51, but Vasquez, a 6-6 senior, answered 13 seconds later with a 3-pointer.

Jones matched that 17 seconds later, pulling Virginia to 57-54, but Vasquez was just warming up. His fourth trey, with 4:24 to play, made it 62-56, and his fifth pushed the Terps' lead to 65-59 with 3:32 left.

"They were big-time shots, and he's a big-time player," Zeglinski said. "I don't know what else to say."

Vasquez, a frontrunner for ACC player of the year, totaled 23 points, 5 assists and 4 steals in 37 minutes. He took the two free throws after Bennett's technical and, naturally, made both to give Maryland a 68-65 lead.

"What can you say about some of the shots that Greivis hit?" Bennett said, shaking his head. "He's a winner, certainly."

A combination of inspired defense and torrid shooting got the 'Hoos back in the game. In the second half, UVa shot 65.2 percent from the floor, to only 37.5 percent for Maryland.

After freshman center Jordan Williams' free throw gave Maryland a 66-61 lead with 2:51 left, Farrakhan converted a fast-break layup. The Terps turned the ball over, and then Farrakhan slipped a pass to Sherrill, who scored inside to make it 66-65.

Cheers rocked JPJ, and the din grew louder after Sherrill drew a charge from Vasquez at the 1:24 mark, a call that Terrapins coach Gary Williams protested vehemently.

Alas, with a chance to take its first lead of the game, UVa couldn't capitalize. On the left wing, in front of the home bench, Farrakhan dragged his right foot and was called for traveling.

That set up the decisive sequence involving Bennett and Luckie. After the game, Bennett apologized to his players for the technical. He need not have.

"Coach is behind us," Zeglinski said. "I didn't have a problem with [the technical], because he's going to go to war with us, and I really like to see that, because he always has our back."

Meyinsse said: "He's fought for us the whole year. He's always been behind us through the good times and the bad. We respect that in our coach, and I think we have a great future in this program."

Had you told him before the game that Bennett would get a T, Sherrill was asked, would he have been shocked?

"I would have been more shocked that the ref would call a technical in the last minute of a close game," Sherrill said.

'Hoos Move On Without Landesberg
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/06/2010
By Jeff White

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- About an hour before tipoff Saturday at John Paul Jones Arena, UVa distributed a news release in which Tony Bennett announced that all-ACC candidate Sylven Landesberg had been suspended for the rest of the season.

The reason: Landesberg's failure to live up to his academic obligations.

After the game -- a 74-68 loss to 22nd-ranked Maryland in the regular-season finale -- Bennett was asked about Landesberg's suspension.

"That was a hard decision. We know the value he has to our team," Bennett said. "He's a good kid, and it was a difficult decision, but as the statement says, there are some expectations and some standards that have to be adhered to ... Like I said, it was not easy to do, considering the circumstances, but there are, again, some expectations, and there are consequences to those.

"There's a big picture. We're really trying to establish this program with the right kind of things, for the present, for the future, and really trying to build it ... When you come to a school like the University of Virginia, there's some opportunities and expectations that, when they're not met, action's taken. And we want our program, the young men, to understand that when we say things, we mean them.

"Again, I care for him. Hard decision, and we'll see what happens from it."

The decision to suspend Landesberg was Bennett's, the Cavaliers' first-year coach said. In December, senior forward Jamil Tucker was dismissed from the team for academic reasons.

Landesberg, a 6-6 sophomore from Queens, N.Y., leads UVa in scoring, assists and minutes played. He's second in rebounding. As a freshman, Landesberg was ACC rookie of the year.

"He messed up, but we're still family, and we just gotta reach out to him," UVa guard Sammy Zeglinski said. "He's going through some tough times right now, so we want to be there for him."

Asked if he expected Landesberg back on the team next season, Zeglinski said, "I'm not going to comment on that. I have no idea. I'm just going to be there for him as a teammate and a friend."

The rest of the team learned before its shootaround Saturday morning that Landesberg had been suspended.

"Coach Bennett expects us to put as much effort into academics as we do into basketball," junior forward Will Sherrill said after the game.

Sherrill said he hadn't talked to Landesberg since the suspension was announced but planned to do so.

"I really hope he will come back," said Sherrill, who's also from New York City. "He's a great teammate and a great friend. I love the guy like a brother."

Cavs lose game, Landesberg
Virginia loses its regular-season finale, but the bigger news involves its best player.
Doug Doughty

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- On any other day, Tony Bennett's first career technical foul might have qualified as a shocker.

The bigger bombshell came 45 minutes before tipoff, when Virginia announced that Bennett had suspended leading scorer Sylven Landesberg for academic negligence.

Just when it appeared that things couldn't get any worse for UVa, the Cavaliers came up with their most inspired performance in a month, taking ACC co-leader Maryland to the wire before falling 74-68 at John Paul Jones Arena.

It was the ninth straight loss for Virginia, which had lost each of its previous six games by double figures.

UVa (14-15 overall, 5-11 ACC) trailed by as many as 14 points in the second half before whittling the deficit to 66-65 on a Will Sherrill layup with 1:39.

After Sherrill took a charge against Greivis Vasquez, Virginia had the ball and a chance to take the lead but official Roger Ayers called Mustapha Farrakhan for a travelling violation with 1:01 left.

As Bennett got up to protest the call, he was met by lead official Jamie Luckie.

It would not be their last confrontation.

On Maryland's next possession, Sean Mosley made a move to the hoop and was met by UVa's Jerome Meyinsse. From the midcourt area, Luckie called a blocking foul on Meyinsse.

Bennett, not known for his tirades, jumped off the bench and made a move toward midcourt before ripping off his coat. He was headed back to the bench when Luckie hit him with a technical.

Maryland's Greivis Vasquez hit two free throws that resulted from the technical; then, Mosley hit two more free throws to put the Terrapins ahead 70-65 with 38 seconds left.

UVa got as close as 72-68 on Sammy Zeglinski's fourth 3-pointer of the game with eight seconds remaining, but 22nd-ranked Maryland (23-7, 13-3) prevailed and clinched at least a share of the ACC regular-season championship.

"It was a very difficult place for us to play," said Maryland coach Gary Williams, whose Terps had not won in Charlottesville since the 2006 opening of John Paul Jones Arena. "To Virginia's credit, they did everything they could to win the game."

The Cavaliers, who had shot 40 percent from the field only once in the previous eight games, shot 65.2 percent from the field in the second half and 53.1 for the game.

Bennett said he had decided Friday night to suspend Landesberg for the remainder of the season, which could end as early as Thursday in the first round of the ACC Tournament. Teammates were informed when they started arriving at JPJ around 10 a.m.

"It was a hard decision because we know the values he brings to the team," said Bennett, who had been advised of Landesberg's irregular class attendance.

"He is a good kid but there are some expectations and standards that he has to adhere to."

Only one week earlier, Virginia also had faced fifth-ranked Duke without Landesberg, who was sidelined for one game by a thigh bruise.

Bennett was pleased with UVa's effort in a 67-49 loss to the Blue Devils, but the Cavaliers shot a season-low 31.4 percent in that game.

"I definitely wanted to make up for that game," said junior Jeff Jones, who started in Landesberg's place against Duke but was scoreless in 20 minutes of action, missing all three of his shots from the field.

A 14-4 Virginia run in the second half Saturday included Jones 3-pointers on back-to-back possessions and he finished with 16 points. The Cavaliers were led in scoring Meyinsse, who hit seven of eight shots from the field and finished with 17 points, his fourth straight game in double figures.

Meyinsse is 13-of-14 from the field in the last two games and 19-of-22 in the last three.

He also was involved in the play of the game, the blocking foul that preceded the technical.

"I was hoping it would be a charge," Meyinsse said. "I thought he ran me over."

The play came at the end of the floor where Sherrill had drawn a charge on the previous possession, a call that had Maryland's bench in an uproar.

Less than a minute later, it was a normally mild-mannered Bennett who had to be restrained.

As shocking as the idea of Bennett picking up a technical might have been, "I would have been more shocked that a ref would have called a technical in the last minute of a one-point game," Sherrill said. "That's tough to take."

Luckie declined to meet with a pool reporter after the game, scribbling "unsportmanlike technical foul" on a scrap of paper that he handed to an attendant.

Bennett apologized to his team after the game and later told the media, "It wasn't a good time to get the first technical foul of my career -- that's for sure."

The defeat left Virginia with its longest losing streak since 1961-62, but of greater import was the future of Landesberg, a sophomore. Several teammates said they planned to get in touch with him after the game and Bennett held the door open for a Landesberg return in 2010-2011.

When asked if Landesberg would ever play for the Cavaliers again, Bennett responded, "I hope so."

Cavs lose to Maryland on a day filled with adversity
By MICHAEL PHILLIPS
Published: March 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- When football coach Mike London finished his postgame presentation and the giant brooms swept across an empty John Paul Jones Arena, they pushed away the evidence of a bizarre 24 hours for the Virginia basketball program.
In the debris was a note on official University of Virginia letterhead, headlined "Sylven Landesberg Suspended From Games For Remainder of the Season."
Next, the athletic tape that held Sammy Zeglinski's ankle somewhat intact as the Cavs fought to the finish against Maryland in a 74-68 loss.
And finally, a handwritten note on Marriott stationary, from the game officials, citing Rule 10, Section 5, Article 2 of the NCAA Men's and Women's Basketball Rules -- their only explanation for a call that cut short a furious Wahoos comeback.
It was the ninth straight loss for Virginia, but nothing like the previous eight. Coach Tony Bennett picked up the first technical foul of his career with 38.6 seconds left, altering what had been a one-point game.
One possession earlier, Maryland's Greivis Vasquez had turned the ball over, and Terps coach Gary Williams was pestering officials about what he felt was a missed foul call on that end. Virginia's possession ended with Mustapha Farrakhan whistled for traveling, a call that drew the ire of the crowd and Bennett.
With U.Va. still down one, Maryland's Sean Mosley drove to the hoop, colliding with Jerome Meyinsse and drawing a whistle. The charging call didn't come from official Roger Ayers, standing under the basket, but from Jamie Luckie, positioned at the half-court line.
Bennett turned his back, took off his jacket, wadded it up and threw it at his seat. Luckie turned around, and, seeing the jacket being tossed, called a technical foul. After making all four free throws, the Terps coasted to victory.
The officials declined an interview request, and released the rule book citation, which says a technical may be issued at the ref's discretion for, among other things, "Objecting to an official's decision by rising from the bench or using gestures."
Bennett apologized in the locker room, but the players dismissed the thought.
"We didn't want an apology," Zeglinski said. "He's going to war with us, and I really like to see that. He's always going to have our back."
The Cavs were in the game because they had risen to the occasion after hearing of Landesberg's suspension earlier in the morning.
Forward Jerome Meyinsse made the most of his senior day by scoring 17 points to lead the team and demonstrate just how much he's improved during his four years at U.Va.
Zeglinski also came out firing, hitting 4 of 8 3-point attempts.
His stats would have been even better he hadn't rolled his left ankle midway through the second half. He left briefly to have it retaped and jumped right back into the fray.

Terps escape Virginia with win
Vasquez's big second half helps Maryland pull away from Cavaliers
By Jeff Barker | jeff.barker@baltsun.com
March 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. - - The No. 22 Maryland Terrapins can finally exhale after surviving one of those uncomfortable sorts of games that they were expected to win handily - and almost didn't win at all.

Maryland's journey toward a share of the Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season championship included some unsettling late-game moments Saturday before the Terps held on for a 74-68 victory over reeling Virginia.

The best that can be said about the game for Maryland is that it's over. And now the Terps (23-7, 13-3 ACC), who won their seventh in a row and extended Virginia's losing streak to nine games, can savor their best regular-season conference record since the 2001- 02 season.

With the win - aided by Virginia coach Tony Bennett tossing his jacket and receiving a critical technical foul with 38 seconds left - Maryland earned a share of the ACC regular-season title with No. 4 Duke, which routed North Carolina, 82-50, on Saturday night.

"It wasn't about how it looked. It was just, 'Get the win,' " said Maryland coach Gary Williams, who conceded his team was probably "mentally tired" after a stretch of games that included an emotional home win over Duke and a buzzer-beating victory over Georgia Tech.

"As crazy a six-game stretch as I've ever been in," the coach said. "It was a very difficult situation for us to be in."

Maryland, the No. 2 seed, will receive a first-round bye when it opens play in the ACC tournament Friday in Greensboro, N.C. The Terps face the winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 10 game.

Maryland learned shortly before game time that Sylven Landesberg, Virginia's leading scorer at 17.3 points per game, had been suspended for the rest of the season, including the ACC tournament. Landesberg was cited for failing "to live up to his academic obligations."

"That was a hard decision," said Bennett, who is in his first year as Virginia's coach. "There are some expectations and some standards that have to be adhered to."

Maryland has struggled in recent seasons at John Paul Jones Arena, losing the past three games. So the Terps couldn't be blamed for a feeling of discomfort as Virginia erased almost all of a 14-point Maryland lead.

"It was going to be difficult because we've never won in here," said Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez, who missed his first five shots of the second half before hitting three 3-pointers in the final seven minutes. "They almost got us. They almost got us crying."

The Cavaliers (14-15, 5-11) trailed only 66-65 after a layup by Will Sherrill with 1:39 remaining. The orange-clad crowd - which had been relatively quiet as the Terps rolled to a 34-20 first-half lead - turned up the volume.

With 38 seconds left, Maryland guard Sean Mosley (St. Frances) collided in the lane with senior center Jerome Meyinsse, who was playing his last home game.

Meyinsse went down and was called for a blocking foul. Bennett almost immediately peeled off his jacket, leading to a technical foul on the Virginia bench.

Vasquez volunteered to shoot the free throws. "Oh, definitely. God put me in that situation right there. I was like, 'Now I have to win this game,' " Vasquez said.

Vasquez's free throws put Maryland ahead 68-65. Mosley immediately hit two more, giving the Terps a five-point lead.

"Heck of a time to get the first technical of my career," Bennett said afterward.

Bennett didn't directly criticize the officials for calling a technical at such a critical juncture. But the coach said it wasn't only Virginia's bench that was displaying plenty of emotion.

"It was a mistake to take my jacket off and throw it down - heat of the battle," Bennett said. "Those kids battled hard. I wish they would have had a chance [at the end]. It's a tough one to swallow because there was a lot of emotion on both benches."

Maryland won largely because it was aggressive on the boards. The Terps had 22 second-chance points compared with Virginia's two. Maryland converted 20 of 26 free throws, while the Cavaliers were 7-for-8.

At the end, the Terps seemed more relieved than happy.

"You have to give Virginia a lot of credit, losing Landesberg like they did," Williams said.

"Anytime you're on the road and a team hangs around like that, they've got a chance."

Bennett sticks to standards, no matter the cost
By JERRY RATCLIFFE
Published: March 6, 2010

What an odd season this has been in Virginia basketball, particularly when it has come to personnel.
From the early season academic suspensions of Assane Sene and Jamil Tucker — the latter eventually dismissed for the entire campaign — to the disciplinary suspension of tri-captain Calvin Baker, to the latest development Saturday, the Cavaliers have learned one thing.
It’s Tony Bennett’s way or the highway. This cat doesn’t mess around.
A shockwave made its way around John Paul Jones Arena about a half hour before game time when news broke that Virginia’s best player, sophomore Sylven Landesberg, had been suspended for the remainder of the season. Even visiting Maryland was stunned by the news.
What was left of the Cavaliers deserved applause for an admirable effort against the ACC co-leading Terps, fighting back from a 14-point deficit to within a single point at the 1:39 mark, before bowing, 74-68.
Bennett also deserves applause for sticking to his principles. No exceptions, whether it’s a walk-on violating team policy or a star. Everyone gets the same treatment, everyone must adhere to the same rules.
When some coaches might look the other way, Bennett rules with an iron fist no matter how much it hurts.
“It was a hard decision [to suspend Landesberg] because we know the value he brings to this team,” the Virginia coach said after his team’s ninth straight loss. “He is a good kid, but there are some expectations and standards that he has to adhere to. It was a hard decision, but I hope that it helps.”
Bennett went on to explain that even with an opportunity to perhaps upset Maryland, there were expectations and consequences for not meeting those expectations.
When asked by this columnist if the expectations were those of the University of Virginia or specifically from Bennett’s own program, the coach said: “my program’s expectations.”
One of those expectations is for players to attend class and that’s where Landesberg, who leads UVa in scoring, assists, and minutes played, got into trouble.
According to sources, Landesberg messed up in only one class, a class that is graded on showing up and participation. One source said that Landesberg had not attended the class a single time.
“Sylven has failed to live up to his academic obligations,” Bennett said. “It’s important for our current and future players to understand it’s a privilege to compete in the ACC and attend one of the finest institutions in the country. My hope is through this action, it will help Sylven and the other young men in our program understand the value of a degree from the University of Virginia and the opportunities it provides for life after basketball.”
Landesberg, who did not attend the game, was not available for comment. His status with the program is not known.
“I really hope he will come back,” said teammate Will Sherrill. “He’s a great friend of mine, a great teammate, and I’m going to talk to him and try to pick his head up and do everything I can to try to get him to come back.”
While the players were informed of Bennett’s decision at 10 a.m. on Saturday, just before their pre-game meals, it is believed the coach acted on his decision Thursday.
“When he first got here, coach Bennett told us his standards and said that if you don’t abide by these, I’m not going to yell and scream but I’m going to punish you and I believe that’s what happened,” said senior Jerome Meyinsse, an All-ACC Academic team member who led the Cavaliers with 17 points.
Virginia played with pride on Senior Day and made the Terps sweat to hold onto a share of first place.
For the Cavaliers, there’s little else to play for as they finished ninth in the ACC and will likely face Boston College in the ACC tournament in Greensboro.
They’ll show up starless and 17.3 points per game missing from their lineup, but assured that their coach cares about them and means business.
Bennett’s way is better than the highway.

Sylven Landesberg Suspended, Is His Virginia Collegiate Career Over?
by Ben Gibson

The slogan of Virginia athletics for years now has been this simple phrase: Uncompromised Excellence.

While that phrase has yet to really apply to the major revenue sports, it did seem to describe the career of Sylven Landesberg.

The McDonald's All-American from New York had the unenviable task of replacing point guard Sean Singletary as the face of the program. The expectations were heavy and even if Virginia suffered through one of its worst seasons in decades last year, Landesberg lived up to the hype.

The ACC Rookie of the Year wasted no time in making a lasting impression for the Cavaliers. In his debut against the defensively-challenged VMI Keydets, Landesberg exploded for 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists.

The performance broke Jeff Lamp's school record for most points in a collegiate debut. In fact, it was the second best debut for an ACC player in conference history.

Landesberg had arrived.

However, on Saturday, the only thing Landesberg will arrive to is the bench of the John Paul Jones Arena as he watches his team lose at home for perhaps the last time of his collegiate career.

Virginia coach Tony Bennett announced earlier this afternoon that Landesberg was suspended for the rest of the season, citing a failure to live up to academic expectations.

Now, in the short term, this means nothing at all, really. Virginia's season is all but lost at 14-14; the promise of 5-2 record in the ACC has been squashed by an eight-game losing streak that has sucked the joy out of Charlottesville.

Sure, Landesberg may have had enough magic in him to steal a game or two and maybe even get Virginia into one of the lesser postseason tournaments. However, the Cavaliers have no real chance at sustaining success until Bennett's first recruiting class arrives this summer.

In the long term though, this may be a critical moment in pushing Landesberg towards testing the NBA waters.

Rumors swirled last year that Landesberg might test the NBA waters, but it was clear he still had some things to work on. Scouts needed to know that he could hit the mid-range jumper as opposed to simply trying to attack the basket each and every possession.

Landesberg responded with a vigorous offseason regimen to improve the deficiencies in his game. He became a better passer, his shot improved, and he continued to work on his strength and athleticism.

Yet, despite all these improvements this season, Virginia has still struggled. Landesberg has yet to find a complementary piece, someone he can rely on to alleviate the scoring pressure and help make him the best player he can be.

As a result, Landesberg and his nine 20-point performances have gone for not this year. His decision to spend another year in college and raise his profile has not worked.

So now the question becomes, what will Landesberg do now?

Virginia takes its academics very seriously. The Cavaliers have seen plenty of academic casualties, and just because coach Bennett said he is suspended for this season does not mean everything will be smooth sailing in 2010-11.

In fact, academic problems do not go away, they usually get worse.

Landesberg still has flaws in his game. However, college may not be the place to fix those deficiencies.

The sophomore has a difficult decision in front of him: As much as he may want to be a lottery pick, staying at Virginia may never allow him to get above that mid to late first round plateau.

Does Landesberg have the patience to go through a rebuilding project in an offense predicated around calculated and deliberate possessions?

If Landesberg does call it a career at Virginia, he will certainly have a mixed legacy. On one hand, the sophomore provided some amazing moments.

As a freshman, Landesberg showed an unusual amount of intestinal fortitude, snatching victories from the jaws of defeat.

In just the second game of his career, Landesberg hit the game-winner against South Florida as part of his 21 points. This was just a few days after hitting the game-clinching free throws against VMI.

In his ACC debut, Landesberg had 26 points on the road against Georgia Tech. He also hit clutch free throws to force the game into overtime and to put Calvin Baker into possession to hit the go-ahead bucket with under 10 seconds to go.

Every ACC victory his freshman year had the imprint of Landesberg.

However, this season saw Landesberg disappearing at critical moments. With a 10 point lead and three minutes remaining against the Virginia Tech Hokies, the Cavaliers were unable to put the final nail in the coffin at home.

Landesberg was unable to score late in the game; in fact, often he was either turning it over or getting blocked in his face.

Despite all his talent, Landesberg was unable to do what matters most: win.

Now should he really be saddled with that blame considering the lack of support he had around him? Probably not, but then again, legacies are never completely fair.

Virginia basketball is going to need time to restore the program to its glory of yesteryear. Landesberg may not be there when it finally happens, but he certainly deserves a better finale than this.

Terps too much for Cavaliers
By WHITEY REID
Published: March 6, 2010

If there’s one thing that Virginia basketball fans should know by now, it’s this: No matter how good or bad a season the team is having, you don’t miss Senior Day.
Two years ago, Sean Singletary went off for 27 points in the final regular-season home game of his career. Last season, Mamadi Diane helped pull off a shocking upset of Maryland that nearly ruined the Terrapins’ postseason hopes.
On Saturday afternoon at the John Paul Jones Arena, Virginia once again hosted Maryland. This time, there were almost too many storylines to keep track of.
“I hope your deadlines are late tonight,” Virginia forward Will Sherrill told a group of reporters after the game, “so you have a lot of time [to write].”
Where to begin?
Virginia played valiantly without leading scorer Sylven Landesberg, who was suspended for the rest of the season for academic issues; Normally mild-mannered coach Tony Bennett picked up the first technical foul of his career for spiking his jacket like it was a football; and Maryland star Greivis Vasquez showed why he is a strong favorite for ACC Player of the Year.
But, when all the drama was over, Virginia was on the losing end — yet again — dropping its ninth straight game, a 74-68 loss.
Maryland, meanwhile, kept its perch atop the ACC.
“There was a lot of emotion on Senior Day, the situation with Sylven,” said Bennett, who had his jacket back on for the postgame press conference.
“They fought back and I am so proud of them for that. It would have been even sweeter to get [the win], but they responded. At times, it didn’t look good, but they came together and played some pretty good team ball when it was needed and gave themselves a chance.”
One that was quickly taken away by officials.
With under a minute to play, Virginia was trailing by a point when Maryland’s Sean Mosley drove down the middle of the lane and slammed into Jerome Meyinsse, who was called for a blocking foul.
“I was hoping it was a charge,” Meyinsse said. “I thought he ran me over.
“But I looked up and it was a block. It was unfortunate that the call didn’t go our way.”
Bennett was livid. The coach turned away from the court, swiftly removed his jacket and flung it down to the ground as he walked back toward the bench area.
Bennett was promptly hit with a technical foul that all but killed Virginia’s hopes of pulling off the upset. Maryland (23-7, 13-3) knocked down four straight free throws and that was pretty much it.
Sherrill, who was key during Virginia’s late-game rally, said it was pretty shocking that a technical was called in the final minute of a one-point game, especially considering how much yelling Maryland coach Gary Williams had done on the sideline when Vasquez had been hit with an offensive foul call the possession before.
“He was in the ref’s ear a lot,” Sherrill said. “You know, it’s a tough call. But the University of Virginia doesn’t quite have the same level of respect that some of the other programs in the ACC have. We have to go out and get that respect.”
Virginia (14-15, 5-11) trailed 38-27 at the break. In the second half, UVa began to claw back following a ferocious baseline dunk by Meyinsse (team-high 17 points) that made it a
53-48 game with 7:40 left to play.
Right about then, UVa caught fire from the perimeter. Jeff Jones (16 points) banged in back-to-back 3-pointers to pull UVa to within three points. The only problem? That’s also when Vasquez (23 points) began feeling it. The senior hit triples on three of the Terrapins’ next four possessions.
“What can you say about some of the shots that Greivis hit,” Bennett said. “Every time, he answered, and that’s the sign of an elite player. He’s a winner certainly.”
Still, Virginia was eventually able to pull to 66-65 after Mustapha Farrakhan found Sherrill wide open underneath the hoop for an easy layup.
On Maryland’s next possession, Vasquez was called for the offensive foul. However, Virginia gave the ball right back when Farrakhan was called for a travel with 1:01 to go.
That set the stage for the foul call on Meyinsse, and Bennett’s technical. Bennett was so upset that he confronted the official after the game.
“I was just frustrated,” Bennett said. “I wanted some clarification on the technical. But I guess when you take your jacket off and throw it, he must have caught the tail end of that.
“I’ll look at the tape. I might look at it and say, ‘Absolutely,’ or ‘I don’t know.’”
Bennett, who
apologized to his players in the locker room, said he just felt bad for his kids.
“They came back in the second half and fought and defended hard, played together,” Bennett said. “I wish they would have had a chance. It’s a tough one to swallow because there was a lot of emotion on both benches.”
Dunks
After the game, the officials called Bennett’s technical an “unsporting technical foul” and referenced rule 10, section 5, article 2 of the rule book. ... Per Senior Day tradition, Bennett started seniors Solomon Tat, Calvin Baker and Meyinsse. They were joined by Mike Scott and Farrakhan.

Maryland holds off Virginia, earns share of ACC title
By Steve Yanda
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, March 7, 2010

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- As Virginia Coach Tony Bennett seethed over the first technical foul of his career, senior guard Greivis Vasquez strode over to the Maryland bench and informed his own coach that he would be taking the resulting free throws.

By that point, the Terrapins had let a 14-point lead wither to one as the chokehold John Paul Jones Arena seemed to have had on Maryland in recent years tightened. With 38.6 seconds remaining, Vasquez stood alone at one end of the court and made two free throws.

"That was the game right there," said Vasquez, who finished with a game-high 23 points.

No one on either side disagreed. Maryland held on to defeat Virginia, 74-68, on Saturday, and as a result, the Terrapins (23-7, 13-3) claimed a share of their first regular season ACC title since 2002. The win also marked Maryland's first here since 2006.

For a long stretch during the second half, viewers could have been forgiven for thinking they were watching a replay of last year's regular season finale, when Maryland blew a 13-point lead at Virginia after losing its focus.

On Saturday, the Terrapins seized a commanding first-half lead with a demonstrative showing on the boards. Maryland outrebounded Virginia, 22-10, and outscored the Cavaliers, 17-2, in second-chance points before the intermission.

"It kind of disappeared after halftime," Maryland Coach Gary Williams said. "We thought we could go after the offensive glass and we did. We scored and we were in good shape, but we weren't playing well overall in the first half, and it caught up with us in the second half. It's the old story: You give someone confidence that they can play with you -- maybe they had some doubts, you know, somewhere in that game -- but once they saw that they could play with us, they went after us."

Virginia (14-15, 5-11) shot 65.2 percent in the second half and allowed the Terrapins to collect only five more second-chance points. Bennett said he tightened his front-court rotation and asked his players to make a more concerted effort to take the ball inside after the break. The Cavaliers shot 53.1 percent on the afternoon, the highest shooting percentage Maryland has allowed this season.

Reserve guard Jeff Jones scored three-pointers on consecutive possessions to pull Virginia within three points of the lead with just less than six minutes remaining in regulation. Virginia spent the next few minutes finding ways to re-cut Maryland's lead to three, and for a while, the Terrapins were able to answer each time.

But a Vasquez turnover with just less than two minutes to play turned into a layup for Virginia's Will Sherrill. Maryland's lead was down to one. Vasquez said he had been attempting a pass to freshman forward Jordan Williams, who was not looking for the ball.

"They almost got us," Vasquez said. "They almost got us crying."

Vasquez noted that the Terrapins "got sloppy at times," and Gary Williams said his team was "probably mentally tired," given the emotional ride of the previous six games.

Those contests -- all wins -- included a buzzer-beating, game-winning three-pointer against Georgia Tech, a double-overtime triumph over Virginia Tech and a close win over No. 4 Duke on Wednesday.

With less than a minute to play, referee Jamie Luckie called a blocking foul on Virginia forward Jerome Meyinsse to the dismay of Bennett, who flung his suit jacket onto the court in a fit of frustration. His team -- riding an eight-game losing streak and playing without its leading scorer, sophomore guard Sylven Landesberg, who was suspended for academic reasons -- was in position to claim an upset, and he didn't think Luckie was looking.

"He must have caught the tail end of that," Bennett said.

Because Duke defeated North Carolina, 82-50, on Saturday night, Maryland will share the regular season ACC championship with the Blue Devils and carry the No. 2 seed into next week's conference tournament. They open the tournament Friday night at 7 against either North Carolina or Georgia Tech.

"We worked hard the whole season to get where we are today," sophomore guard Sean Mosley said. "It's one of them feelings that I'll never forget, winning a regular season ACC title."
 

Game On: It's Time for UVa-Syracuse Lax
Courtesy: VirginiaSports.com
Release: 03/07/2010
March 7, 2010
7:36 a.m.

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- The sun is out, the snow is almost gone, and the temperature is supposed to reach 60 degrees here for the first time in what seems an eternity.

It's a glorious day for the most eagerly awaited matchup in college lacrosse: Syracuse vs. UVa.

"This game has hardly ever failed to live up to expectations," Cavaliers coach Dom Starsia said.

"It's so fun," said sophomore Steele Stanwick, the only returning starter on UVa's attack.

"You grow up always watching Syracuse and Virginia and say, 'I want to play like those guys play.' It's fun, because the teams like to both get up and down and kind of play similarly. It's almost like a track meet in the sense that the teams, they value the ball, but at the same time they want to take some chances."

UVa (3-0) hosts the 'Cuse (2-0) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Klôckner Stadium. The two-time defending NCAA champion Orange is ranked No. 1 nationally. The Wahoos are No. 2.

The 'Hoos have won six of the past seven meetings in a series they lead 13-12. Each team has scored 343 goals against the other.

"We've beaten them the last two years, and they've won the national championship," UVa midfielder Brian Carroll said, "so obviously losing this game doesn't mean you can't be on top at the end of the season.

"That said, I still think this game is important."

So does Carroll's coach.

"This is a game you use as a measuring stick for everything that you've been doing," Starsia said. "This is going to be a real challenge for our young attackmen especially. They're a little bit of a work in progress. We haven't seen a team that's nearly as athletic as [Syracuse]."

In 2007 and '08, the teams' regular-season meetings were in Baltimore. This will be Syracuse's first game in Charlottesville since March 4, 2006.

A season ago at the Carrier Dome, the 'Hoos edged the Orange 13-12 before nearly 17,000 fans. The crowd won't be that big Sunday at Klôckner, but it won't be surprising if 5,000 or 6,000 show up.

"Last year at the Dome was incredible," Stanwick said. "I can imagine it being something similar here at Klôckner. Hopefully it's going to be something special."

-- Jeff White

 

Cavaliers ready for clash with Orange
By WHITEY REID
Published: March 6, 2010
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For more years than he can remember, Virginia coach Dom Starsia has used the mantra, “There are no big games,” in an attempt to get his team to play with the same focus no matter who the opponent is.
Unfortunately, Starsia has gone to this well so often that he now admits its impact probably isn’t as great as it once was.
“The players don’t take me as seriously about it,” said Starsia, laughing.
That will especially hold true today when No. 2-ranked Virginia hosts No. 1 Syracuse at Klockner Stadium.
For many years now, this has become the game to circle on just about any lacrosse fan’s calendar. If there ever was a big regular-season game, this is it.
“But it’s still early in March,” Starsia warned. “You don’t want to sell your soul for this…if you rip your emotional soul to pieces after this one, how did you put it back together as you move forward?”
Syracuse has lost the last two regular-season meetings against Virginia, only to go on to win the NCAA title both times.
This season, Chris Daniello and Cody Jamieson lead the Orange on offense. Both have six points, as Daniello and Stephen Keogh lead the team with five goals. John Galloway has been strong in goal, sporting a 6.69 goals-against-average.
“They’re very slick around the cage, a little bit of a work in progress in the midfield on offense, similar to how we are on the attack,” Starsia said. “They’re very athletic in the defensive midfield.”
Sophomore Chris Bocklet led UVa with seven goals and two assists in two victories last week, including three straight goals against Stony Brook.
Today’s game will be the first at Klockner Stadium this season. Snowfall in Charlottesville forced Virginia to host its home opener at the University Hall Turf Field.
Starsia says his squad is ready to go.
“It’s two evenly-matched teams getting after it again,” he said. “Both teams are sort of working through issues at the offensive end of the field. Both teams match up similarly. I expect it to be another exciting game.”

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Virginia rebounds to rout Dartmouth
By JAY JENKINS
Published: March 6, 2010
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It took only a few minutes to land Virginia’s top-ranked baseball program in the same spot it finished Friday’s game.
This time, however, a one-run deficit did not stand — the Cavaliers pounded out 16 hits en route to a 14-3 victory over Dartmouth at Davenport Field.
The turnaround came less than 24 hours after Virginia was knocked off 2-1 by Wright State, the program’s first loss since climbing to the nation’s top spot in multiple polls.
“Friday’s loss was a tough loss in a pitcher’s duel,” Virginia coach Brian O’Connor said. “Wright State figured a way to win that ballgame, but I was proud of our players to come back today after Dartmouth jumped up 1-0 in the first inning.
“We came back and swung the bats very aggressively. That’s something that is tough to do after a tough loss.”
Virginia pounded Dartmouth starter Ben Murray for six runs in the
second inning, taking its first lead of the weekend, and chased the right-hander from the game during a lengthy fourth inning.
Murray (0-1) was unable to retire a Cavalier in the fourth, a frame highlighted by run-scoring doubles from Dan Grovatt and Steven Proscia and a triple from Tyler Cannon.
“We put yesterday behind us and we came out swinging the bats,” Proscia said. “Our team had a great approach and we took advantage of that today.”
Virginia did not score again over the final four innings, but it did not matter after junior Robert Morey silenced Dartmouth, scattering five hits over six full innings.
“I thought Robert Morey threw a pretty good game,” O’Connor said. “He threw a lot of pitches, unfortunately. I would have liked to have seen him go into the seventh inning, but he had good stuff.”
Morey (2-1) struck out three of the 23 batters that he faced and lowered his earned run average to 3.63 heading into league play next weekend.
“His next start is going to be on Saturday down at Florida State,” O’Connor said. “He is going to have to be at his best for us to have a chance. I think Robert is ready for that challenge.”
There was a scary moment in the seventh inning when Grovatt, who was used as a relief pitcher, was drilled in the foot by a comeback up the middle by Dartmouth pinch-hitter Jason Brooks.
Grovatt was pulled from the game but left the field on his own power.
“That ball was shot out of a cannon,” he said. “I will be OK.”
Offensively, Virginia had six players register multiple hits. Junior second baseman Phil Gosselin paced the attack with four singles and Proscia added three RBI, giving him 17 on the young season.
“Our guys have been able to get on base,” Proscia said, “and I have been fortunate enough to put some balls in play and where I wanted to.”
Dartmouth (1-1) opened play in the three-team round-robin event on Saturday with a 3-2 win over Wright State.
UVa will open a two-game slate today at 11:30 a.m. with another contest with Dartmouth. A rematch against Wright State is slated to start at 3 p.m.
The Cavaliers plan to start sophomore RHP Will Roberts in the opener and junior RHP Cody Winiarski in the nightcap.

Menchville's Clifton Richardson is a "soft commitment" to U.Va., according to his father

While it’s true Menchville High’s Clifton Richardson was in Charlottesville on Saturday, and he liked what he saw and heard, his father said he’s not yet a firm commitment to the Cavaliers.
Richardson’s father, Clifton, Sr., said his son has made a “soft commitment” to U.Va., but the final decision hasn’t been made. Clifton, Jr., a 6-foot-1, 195-pound junior, was in attendance Saturday at U.Va.’s men’s basketball game against Maryland.
“He didn’t commit,” Richardson, Sr. said. “He’s a soft commitment. He said he’s interested in going there, but he didn’t commit yet. We’re going to sit down and talk about what he’s going to do.”
Though internet reports indicated Saturday that Richardson, Jr. had made a firm commitment to U.Va., his father refuted those reports. Richardson, Jr. couldn’t be reached for comment.
Last season, Richardson, Jr. had 1,268 yards rushing and 11 touchdowns to go along with 118 yards receiving. His father said he believes U.Va. is recruiting his son as a running back. Other schools have recruited him as a wide receiver.
Richardson, Jr. said in early February his top five list of schools included U.Va., Virginia Tech, Maryland, West Virginia and Miami. All five programs have offered him. He’s considered by most recruiting analysts to be one of the top 10 rising senior recruits in the state of Virginia.
“He was talking to (U.Va.’s coaches) and he said he likes Virginia, but he didn’t commit yet,” Richardson, Sr. said. “If I could predict the future, I’d say he’ll go to U.Va.”
Posted by Norman Wood