University of Virginia Library

Cagers Break Even, Win Big 5 Title

By Davis Marshall
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Captain Chip Case receives trophy after Big
Five Tournament win.

"We're playing good ball clubs
and we're playing them down to
the wire. I feel certain the tide is
going to change" summed up head
Coach Bill Gibson after his cagers
fell short in upset bids over Wake
Forest and N.C. State last weekend.

Virginia, initiating post-Christmas
action after winning the
state's Big Five Tournament, led
both Carolina squads into the
second half but fell before balanced
comebacks tempered by fine outside
shooting.

Saturday night the cagers engaged
the nation's fifteenth ranked
team, North Carolina State, at
Greensboro. Playing, in the words
of Coach Gibson, "as fine a first
half as I think we can expect to
play," the eagers contained the
Wolfpack's big three of Vann
Williford, Paul Coder and Ed
Leftwich. Meanwhile Tim Rash,
bombing from the outside, led a
balanced offensive attack which
overcame a 9-0 deficit to take a
35-27 lead into the locker room at
the half.

But the embarrassed, unbeaten
Wolfpack stormed onto the court
full of fire and fury for the second
half. Perhaps using momentum
gained through nine lop-sided wins
the Raleigh guards started connecting
from the outside, forcing the
Cavaliers out of their dependable
zone. Then Williford and Coder, no
longer hampered by the pressing
zone, worked on tired Scott McCandlish
and Bill Gerry for short
inside shots and finally found the
range. Williford's 23 points and
Coder's 18 led the Wolfpack to a
71-60 final verdict. Tim Rash,
perhaps not shooting enough, tallied
a seasonal high of 16 and
McCandlish added 14 points and a
game high 14 rebounds.

About the Wake game the night
before Coach Gibson commented
the Cavaliers "...played a pretty
fine first half with the exception of
a couple of dry periods." After
falling behind in the early skirmishing
by a dozen points Virginia
rallied to a two point deficit by
halftime. But, despite a fine defensive
job on Demon Deacon star
Charlie Davis, Wake Forest quickly
regained the lead after a Rash
jump-shot put Virginia ahead by
one just after the intermission.
From then on the Cavaliers could
do little to stem the tide as big Gil
MacGregor, a strapping 6-8 and 240
pounds, dominated the boards with
his rebounding and tap-ins. The
final score was 65-58 as the
Deacons, rated in the pre-season
top 30, won their sixth game in
nine starts.

"We didn't come here to lose or
expecting to be over our head.
We're playing as well as possible
right now." The man speaking was
Bill Gibson and the statement was
made on Thursday prior to Virginia's
participation in the Big Five
Tournament. By Saturday night the
Thursday skeptics had eaten their
words as Virginia, looking very
unlike a 1-5 cellar dweller, romped
to the Big Five Title and their
quota of pre-season predicted wins
as they dumped Richmond 87-76
in a mild upset and then squashed
William & Mary for the crown,
92-72.

In downing Richmond the Cavaliers
used the same route they did a
year ago when they reached the
finals only to lose to Virginia Tech
in the inaugural tournament. The
game was never really close until
the final 3:52 when the Spiders
closed the gap to one, 73-72.

Richmond had remained in the
game at first on some nifty foul
shooting as they hit on their first
22 free throws. For the night they
were 24-26. The Cavaliers also did
well from the foul line, hitting on
31 of 40 to take over the ACC lead.

With floor general Chip Case
leading the way the Cavaliers pulled
away from W&M's stubborn Indians
the next night. Trailing 36-35 at
halftime the eagers held the Indians
to six points and one field goal in
the first ten and a half minutes of
the second half. By the time Bob
Sherwood cashed in a three point
play with 10:22 left the Cavaliers
were in firm control by 68-42 and
well on their way to victory. All
five starters hit double figures with
Case leading the way with 22
points.

The voting for the most outstanding
player award was indicative
of Virginia's performance. Case
garnered 22 points to win the
trophy while Gerry was four votes
back and McCandlish five votes
back. Tim Rash was fifth in the
voting for the MVP. Bill Gerry was
also honored as the ACC Player-of-the-Week.