University of Virginia Library

On The Inside

Homesickness
Cured For 'Hoos

From Doug Doughty

ANNAPOLIS, MD.–IT WAS FAMILY NIGHT for the
Wahoos Tuesday at Navy's Halsey Indoor Stadium. No less
than five of the players' parents came to see their sons play
and one couple, the Bonners, traveled from Pittsburgh to see
sons Dan and Tom, a Naval Academy plebe, play on the same
court.

Such a treat must have helped as the Cavaliers shook off all
signs of out-of-conference rustiness to demolish the Middies,
67-51. Proving that homesickness has been the key to all their
problems, the Cavaliers toyed with the home team, leading by
as much as 23 points, and generally had quite a night for
themselves.

HOMESICKNESS, OF COURSE, had nothing to do with
the big win, but the Navy triumph was somewhat atypical.
Cavalier teams have never been at their very best on
out-of-conference floors but for much of Tuesday night's
contest Virginia looked unbeatable.

Some minor changes might have helped, but probably some
serious soul-searching after the semester break loss to Clemson
has been the cause of the improvement in the Wahoos. The
Cavaliers know that they can "get up" for a North Carolina, a
State or a Maryland but it hasn't been until now, as pre-game
locker room talk of six to eight wins in a row indicated, that
the team has felt that it will beat anybody.

THOSE MINOR CHANGES THAT TOOK PLACE were in
the form of a new starting lineup. Lineup changes as a general
rule have a good affect. The player made to sit down feels that
he has to bust his behind every time he gets in to win back his
starting job. The new starter feels he must confirm the coach's
confidence in him.

"I just wanted to play a solid game and not make
mistakes" said guard Andrew Boninti after the game, but his
nervousness was evident as he was the first Cavalier starter to
be announced. "Sure, I felt nervous, it was my first start of the
year." Boninti, applying the sticken of experience to his hand,
found 50 minutes of playing time in the last two games
advantageous as he turned the ball over only twice against
the Middies, after only two miscues against the
second-ranked Wolfpack. He scored five points, enough to
keep the starting position through Saturday's Wake game,
unless Coach Bill Gibson recalls fondly Drdmmond's
Oscar-winning performance on the Deacons' Tony Byers in
December.

BONINTI'S PARENTS WEREN'T THERE and neither
were Gus Gerard's. It's a good thing, too. The way Gus has
been playing lately, they might have shown up five minutes
late and not been able to see him play. Research yesterday
afternoon turned up the little-known statistic that Gus Gerard
leads the ACC in fouls per game with 3.78, just ahead of
Duke's Kevin Billerman (3.77) and Clemson's Jeff Reisinger
(3.7 ). The Gerards might have seen Gus do something they
can see him do just as well at home.

In the long run, it's too had they couldn't have seen him
play. Gus was devastating against the Middies. He hit seven of
nine from the field, had two of three from the line and
found time to clutch six rebounds. They don't keep statistics
for blocked shots but the Daily Progress Sports Editor Bob
Craig and I both counted eight for the 6-7 sophomore from
Uniontown, Pa.

"DID YOU FEEL YOU CONTROLLED THE GAME"
Gus was asked after the game.

"No", but "I felt that if I got the ball I could score."
Gerard likes to talk and for the first time in a long while,
"They just don't let me play" was replaced by something
good. Gerard made mincemeat of Middie center Bob Burns,
harassing him into a 2-14 shooting night, enough to send the
Corps into such desperation as to send in 6-5 hatchetman Skip
Wiegand, the worst basketball player on the floor Tuesday
night.

GUS ASKED TO COME OUT DURING THE FIRST
HALF, an apparent act of selflessness, but it turned out later
that the sidelight to his super night at Halsey was an upset
stomach. That and Wally Walker's dislocated finger wee
enough to give trainer Joe Gieck the busiest night of all.

Walker, who joined Gerard, Bonner and Spencer Graham as
shot blockers for the Wahoos, but he was the only one that
had to pay for it. With about five minutes left, after 20 points
and 11 rebounds, Walker soard high to deflect a Tom Pruss
jumper. The ball veered far from the basket, as did Walker's
finger from its socket. A cry of anguish, a look of dismay and
Walker was off to the bench, where Gieck popped the errant
digit back into place. It's all in a day's work for the Cavaliers'
fine trainer.