University of Virginia Library

Record Cavalier Output

Cavs Topple Panthers For Twentieth

By RANDY WERT

illustration

Photo by Bob Humphreys

Tom Bagby Presents Plaque To Four Seniors Before Their Last University Hall Performance

Bagby Was Fifth Man On First Year Team With McCandlish, Miller, Rash and DeWitt In 1968-'69

It was a night of hellos and
goodbyes in University Hall as
center Scott McCandlish and
lone underclass starter Barry
Parkhill returned to old form
to lead Virginia to an 84-74
triumph over upstart Pitt in
the final appearance of
Cavalier fourth yearmen at
home.

After farewells were
administered to seniors Tim
Rash, Frank DeWitt, Chip
Miller, and McCandlish before
the contest with Tom Bagby's
reading an emotional salute to
a capacity throng, McCandlish
wasted no time in showing
everyone that his problems,
whatever they may have been,
had been attended to, and
played his finest game of the
year. Leading the point
parade with Parkhill at 22
points (9 for 10 from the
field), McCandlish had a
strong first half with II tallies
and several tenacious
rebounds, generally playing
with the authority that many
thought had escaped him.

Virginia staged two spurts
during the second half which
forged the margin of victory
after making the trip to the
locker room down by five,
largely due to 58% Panther
floor shooting not to mention
ten turnovers. Frank DeWitt's
fall away from the lane tied
the game at 51 all at 13:48 in
the last half and the Cavs
outscored Pitt 11-4 in the
following 4:28. Again, Big
Scott, much to the crowd's
delight, was the driving force,
notching a tap in, a hook and
both ends of a one-on-one.

Panther coach Charles
"Buzz" Ridl called time and
made a few adjustments
which propelled the visitors
back to a 68-68 knot at 5:43,
then took a two point edge on
an easy layup by Billy Knight,
frustrated much of the night
by DeWitt's defense, and early
foul trouble. Chip Miller won
back a three point margin by
converting a one-on-one and a
technical shot (one of four
called on various Panthers).
Pitt then went cold for the
first time all evening and put
only four points on the board
in the last five minutes of play
while the 'Hoos tallied 14.

Another big hello came in
relation to the fine team play
exhibited at many stages of
the game by the resilient
Cavaliers as many scoring
opportunities were foregone
in lieu of sharp feed passes to
teammates. Parkhill, armed
much of the game with a
stone cold glower on his face,
returned to the driving,
twisting baseline tactics which
drew much attention earlier in
the season and many fouls last
night.

By far the most
overwhelming "goodbye" of
the night came in relation to
official Cliff Fair who drew
dissenting opinions from the
opposing coaches. Pitt's Ridl
said, "The man's name is Cliff
Fair and that's the perfect
way to describe his
officiating-fair. He works a
lot of our games and you
won't find a more fair
official." On the other hand,
Bill Gibson submitted, "Cliff
Fair is incredible. He worked
all the Pitt games, and lives in
Pittsburgh. He did a
fantastically bad job tonight.
Thank God for the ACC ref.
(Fair is affiliated with the
Eastern Collegiate Athletic
Conference). Fair is atrocious
and incredibly bad. He almost
upset a damn good ballclub all
by himself."

All of Gibson's
fourth-yearmen played well.
McCandlish added 13
rebounds to his outstanding
shooting, DeWitt netted five
of eight field attempts and
five of six from the line for
15, Miller was a perfect five
for five at the foul line for
nine points, and Rash did his
usual job of ball hawking the
opposition's guards into the
varnish on the floor.

Gibson spoke well of his
departing heroes and added,
"I hate the thought of not
seeing them again."

Virginia's mentor, who
became the winningest coach
in Virginia history for a single
season with last night
conquest, indicated that,
"Parkhill didn't look bad at
forward. We might stay with
him."

Bill Sulkowski 6-8 Pitt
center, notched 21 points to
lead the Panthers despite his
four point average. Sulkowski
popped away from ten feet
and out as McCandlish had
him covered like a rug inside.
Scottie managed to block
three Pitt shots, including one
on Sulkowski, and generally
intimidated the inside game,
hence the wandering outside.

illustration

Photo by Bob Humphreys

Frank DeWitt Leaps High For Shot In Last Night's Game

Streak At End Gave Cavaliers 84-74 Victory Over Pittsburgh