Virginia sloppy in win over Lancers
By Whitelaw Reid / wreid@dailyprogress.com | 978-7250
December 8, 2007

With less than a minute to play on Friday night and Virginia up by 19 points, walk-on Will Sherrill received the ball at the top of the key and drained a 3-pointer. The small crowd on hand at John Paul Jones Arena went bananas.

In a game that featured some of the ugliest play since Virginia’s trip to Puerto Rico last December, this was clearly the highlight of their evening.

As UVa players cheered on Sherrill and fellow walk-on Andy Burns during the final seconds, Cavs coach Dave Leitao sat frowning.

Virginia’s 76-57 win over Longwood wasn’t as embarrassing as the San Juan Shootout debacle, but it was just as startling. Two days after losing at home to Syracuse, UVa showed that it has a ton of work to do before the start of ACC play next month.

“This probably ranks right up there with one of the most uninspired performances that we’ve had,” Leitao said. “It’s obviously not acceptable.”

Sean Singletary’s 21 points and eight assists led Virginia (7-2). Singletary also had six turnovers, but he looked a lot better than he did in Wednesday’s game when he tried to play through the flu.

“It was tough,” said Singletary, when asked about the Syracuse game. “I was seeing like three rims out there, but I was out there so you can’t make excuses.”

There should have been no excuses for the way Virginia played against Longwood, but Singletary was able to come up with a couple.

“We didn’t execute much,” he said. “I’m sure our guys have a lot of things on their plate with exams coming up.”

Now, Virginia has 12 days off before a Dec. 19 home game versus Hampton. Much like last December, Leitao will go back to the drawing board to try and right the Cavaliers suddenly shaky ship.

Turnovers are one of the biggest bugaboos. UVa committed 21 against Longwood, a school that just recently became Division-I certified.

Virginia senior Adrian Joseph said Leitao let the players have it behind closed doors.

“No matter what the competition is we have to come out and try and play our ‘A’ game,” said Joseph, who had 13 points and 10 rebounds. “That’s what he was concerned about.”

Joseph gave Virginia an early 16-6 lead after he knocked down two free throws. However, Virginia proceeded to go six minutes without scoring a point. If Longwood hadn’t been so inept themselves - the Lancers had just one field goal during the span - UVa might have been in real trouble.

Finally, Singletary broke the drought when he knocked down a 3-pointer for a 19-10 lead. Virginia went into the locker room with just a 29-22 halftime margin.

UVa started the second half as poorly as it did the first. Joseph immediately turned the ball over and Longwood’s Brandon Giles hit a 3-pointer on the other end to make it a four-point game.

“I’m kind of surprised we got to within four points there,” said Longwood coach Mike Gillian, “because we scored maybe eight points in the first few minutes and then didn’t score again for five minutes because we turned the ball over five times in a row.”

Virginia’s slipshod play continued in the second stanza until it was eventually able to open up a double-digit lead on a Joseph 3-pointer.

“We struggled this time last year, too,” Singletary noted. “We need to mature because we only have a few more games before ACC play.

“We just have to keep plugging, keep working and keep going after it…a win is a win, but we would like to play a lot better. But the season is young.”

Leitao stated the obvious.

“We have a lot of work to do and a short amount of time to do it in,” he said. “We’ve got to shore ourselves up in a number of areas. When and if we do that, we’ll start the process of getting better. But right now we’ve got a whole lot to get better at.”
 

An uninspiring blowout
Leitao disappointed with win; Singletary rediscovers touch
Saturday, Dec 08, 2007 - 12:07 AM
By JEFF WHITE
TIMES-DISPATCH STAFF WRITER

CHARLOTTESVILLE - His team had just won by 19 points. University of Virginia basketball coach Dave Leitao could not have been much less pleased.

"We've been together for two-plus years, and I'm sure there were other days, but this probably ranks right up there with one of the most uninspiring performances that we've had," Leitao told reporters at John Paul Jones Arena.

"It's obviously not acceptable, and we've got a lot of work to do to get better, and we've got a short time to do it in."

Less than 48 hours after losing by two points to Syracuse, U.Va. took the court against Division I newcomer Longwood at John Paul Jones Arena last night. Twenty-one turnovers, some half-hearted defense and eight missed free throws later, the Cavaliers walked off with a 76-57 victory. But Virginia (7-2) looked nothing like the team that won at Arizona last month.

"For the most part after we've lost [a game], we at least played with some inspiration," Leitao said. "We didn't do that today."

U.Va. hammered Longwood by 35 points in 2005-06 and by 41 last season, and this was expected to be another blowout. The Lancers (2-9) were coming off a 34-point loss to James Madison, but they trailed by only seven at halftime last night and by four with 16:35 remaining.

"Now if it would have been 4 minutes left and we were down by four points, that would have been quite different," Longwood coach Mike Gillian said.

The first of back-to-back 3-pointers by senior forward Adrian Joseph started a 16-0 run for U.Va. But the announced crowd of 11,366 had little to cheer in the final 15 minutes.

"We struggled this time last year, too," said point guard Sean Singletary, who's not about to panic. "But we need to get mature, because we've got three of four games before we get into ACC play."

Battling strep throat and flu-like symptoms against Syracuse, Singletary played one of his worst games. He missed 11 of 14 shots from the floor and 6 of 8 free throws. Such struggles from the line were unprecedented for the two-time all-ACC pick, who's shot about 85 percent from the line for his career.

"It was tough," Singletary said. "I was seeing, like, three rims out there. I really couldn't focus in. But you can't make excuses. I was out there playing, and we almost got it, but we lost. We needed a lot more from everybody."

Against Longwood, Singletary said with a smile, he "saw one solid rim," and his touch from the line returned. He wasn't perfect - the 6-0 senior had six turnovers - but Singletary made all eight of his free throws and finished with 21 points and eight assists.

 

UVa breaks with victory
The Cavaliers overcome a lackluster game in which they commit 21 turnovers.
By Doug Doughty
981-3129

CHARLOTTESVILLE -- Sean Singletary only saw one rim when he looked at the basket Friday night, which might have accounted for his 8-for-8 performance at the free-throw line.

"I felt a little bit better," said Singletary, who had a game-high 21 points in a 76-57 victory over Longwood. "It was tough the other night, because it felt like I was looking at three rims."

Singletary had missed five straight free throws Wednesday, when he was 2-for-8 from the line in a 70-68 loss to Syracuse.

"When you lose by two points, that's pretty hard to take," said Singletary, who confirmed that he's had strep throat for most of the week.

With Friday's win, UVa improved its record to 7-2 heading into a 12-day exam break, but the home team wasn't doing much smiling, particularly third-year head coach Dave Leitao.

"You name it and we didn't do it," Leitao said. "We've been together for more than two years and this is probably one of the most uninspiring performances we have had. It's obviously unacceptable."

In a 91-56 victory over Longwood last February, Virginia scored 58 points in the first half. The Cavaliers had exactly half that many in the first half Friday night.

A 6-2 run allowed UVa to take a 29-22 halftime lead, but the Lancers (2-9) trimmed the deficit to 34-30 on a 3-pointer by Dirk Williams with 16:51 remaining.

"This is one case where I can honestly tell you, I had no idea we were down by four points at any time in the second half," said Longwood coach Mike Gillian.

It wasn't as if the Lancers did anything particularly well Friday night, when they shot 28.3 percent from the field, committed 17 turnovers and were outrebounded 49-31.

The Cavaliers had 21 turnovers, but maybe the most telling sign that their heads were elsewhere came at the free-throw line. UVa converted 3 of 9 free throws in the first half.

At one point, after Calvin Baker and Sammy Zeglinski both had missed both ends of a two-shot opportunity, Will Harris stepped to the line for a one-and-one. After a Harris miss, the Lancers were called for a lane violation, and then Harris missed again.

The Cavaliers knocked down 14 of 16 free throws during a 47-point second half, but nothing could have brightened Leitao's mood at that point.

"I'm not looking at anything that I saw from a positive standpoint," Leitao said. "If you have a flat tire on your car, does it matter if it's shiny?"

Singletary contributed eight assists to the Cavalier cause, but he had six turnovers -- the seventh time in nine games that he has had five or more. He averaged barely over three turnovers a game in 2006-2007.

Junior Lauris Mikalauskas started at center in place of Ryan Pettinella, who has a shin injury and was not in uniform Friday. Senior Tunji Soroye, expected to start in the pivot for the Cavaliers, underwent preseason knee surgery, but his practice work should increase in coming weeks.

 

This is one win UVa won't savor
By Andy Bitter
Lynchburg News & Advance
December 8, 2007

CHARLOTTESVILLE - There were no superlatives after Virginia's game against Longwood on Friday. No kudos. No distinctions. No praise. Just a dour Dave Leitao, giving the bare minimum of answers to reporters, frustrated with his team's effort and trying to find a way to avoid another December swoon.
And this was after a 76-57 Cavaliers win.

"We've been together for more than two years and this is probably one of the most uninspiring performances we have had," a deadpan Leitao said. "It's obviously not acceptable."

There were some bright spots. Sean Singletary, who is still recovering from strep throat that affected him against Syracuse on Wednesday ("I was seeing three rims," he said), bounced back with 21 points and eight assists.

Reserves Mike Scott and Will Harris gave solid contributions. Scott, a freshman, had 11 rebounds and nine points in 24 minutes, the most action he's gotten all year. Harris added eight rebounds and four points.

And the Cavaliers (7-2) held Longwood (2-9) to 28.3 percent shooting, statistically the best they've done this season.

But Leitao was in no mood to dish out any praise.

"If you've got a flat tire on your car, does it matter if it's shiny?" he said.

Wednesday night's 70-68 loss to Syracuse at the John Paul Jones Arena might have taken a toll.

"We really exerted ourselves physically and emotionally out there (Wednesday)," said forward Mamadi Diane, who scored 11 points. "And it showed."

It wasn't as if Longwood was playing over its head. The Lancers, who are 2-46 in true road games the last three seasons, shot 24 percent in the first half, but trailed just 29-22 at the break.

Forward Kirk Williams, who led the Lancers with 20 points, sank one of his four 3-pointers at the 16:51 mark of the second half to get Longwood within 34-30.

"This is one case where I can honestly tell you, I had no idea we were down by four points at any time in the second half," Longwood coach Mike Gillian said.

Virginia answered with its best stretch of basketball, scoring the next 16 points to go ahead by 20 and put the game out of reach. Adrian Joseph, who finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds for his fourth double-double this season, drained back-to-back 3s to start the run.

Still, something was off. UVa committed 21 turnovers and gave up enough open shots on defense to come away unsatisfied.

"I am sure our guys have a lot of things on their plate with exams coming up. We struggled this time last year too," Singletary said, referring to Virginia's forgettable appearance last December in the Puerto Rico Shootout, where it got shellacked in its first two games. "We just need to get back on track because we only have three or four games before ACC play."

For Longwood, which finished its reclassification process and is a full Division I member, the game was a positive step, despite being its seventh straight loss. The Lancers' last two losses at Virginia were by 35 and 41 points.

This was their first game without junior Dana Smith. The 6-foot-5 forward, who missed all but three games last season with a right knee injury, suffered what is believed to be an ACL tear of his left knee in a 32-point loss to James Madison on Wednesday (he has not yet had an MRI). He'll likely miss the rest of the season.

Danny Wilson started in Smith's place and had seven points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.

"It's unfortunate, but it's the reality of what you go through," Gillian said. "Some of those other guys have to step in there and play well. And they did that for long stretches tonight."

 

Leach: Cavaliers' team play will challenge Tech offense
GARRY SMITS
MORRIS NEWS SERVICE

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Konica Minolta Gator Bowl followed one of football's oldest cliches in pitting a nearly unstoppable offense (Texas Tech) versus an almost impregnable defense(Virginia) for its Jan. 1 game at the Municipal Stadium.

Virginia coach Al Groh said it's not that easy to categorize the first meeting between the two schools as the Cavaliers defense (ranked 13th in the nation in fewest points allowed) meets Tech's offense (first in the nation in passing offense and second in total offense), which racked up mind-boggling numbers under coach Mike Leach.

"In this era of spread offenses, the stress is on a defense," Groh said Thursday during a news conference for the two Gator Bowl coaches, at a downtown Jacksonville hotel. "What Mike and his staff have done is very creative and very challenging for any defense."


It's the fact that the Cavaliers' defense is composed of intelligent, team-oriented players that Leach said presents the biggest challenge.

"I've always felt that the best defense against us is the defense that plays well as a team," Leach said. "Chris Long is a great pass rusher, but Oklahoma had six of those guys. Texas had a few. We've seen that. But Virginia is well-coached with very smart kids on defense. I think that gives us more problems than a team with an outstanding pass rush or secondary."

Quarterback Graham Harrell passed for 5,298 yards and 45 touchdowns for Tech (8-4), with freshman wide receiver Michael Crabtree catching 125 passes for 1,861 yards and 21 touchdowns. The Red Raiders beat Big 12 champion Oklahoma 34-27 in their final regular season game and also scored 43 points against Texas (losing 59-43) and beat Texas A&M 35-7.

Groh also said getting to Harrell before he could unload the ball might not be the best answer to Tech.

"They get rid of the ball so quickly that they don't take a lot of sacks," he said. "In that case, you have to find a way to make plays downfield on the ball."

Although Tech enters the game with the scary, 21st-century offense, Virginia brings its own street cred to the game- the Cavaliers won an NCAA-record five games this season by two or less points, including a stretch of four out of five.

Leach said he admires that kind of tenacity.

"When the games got close and the meat was on the table, they found a way to win," Leach said of Virginia.

Early reports of ticket sales by the two teams are promising, said Gator Bowl chairman Kelly Madden. Counting Virginia's allotment of 13,500 and Tech's 12,750, around 58,000 tickets have been sold.

That's already 5,000 more than were sold for the ACC Championship game in Jacksonville last week.

"Both teams are excited about being here, and I think once Jacksonville fans understand the kind of teams coming here, they're going to want to support it," Madden said.

Gator Bowl president Rick Catlett said it's been his sense that area fans love offense, and will warm to the matchup.

"I think football fans in Jacksonville love to watch teams come in and sling it around the barnyard," Catlett said. "They've got that in Texas Tech, and they've got a team with a great defense like Virginia to see if they can stop them."