University of Virginia Library

Four Wins, National Ranking;
That Was The Week That Was

By Randy Wert
Cavalier Daily Staff Writer

Exams and sunny vacations were
on the minds of most students
during the past three weeks. But
back in University Hall, the Cavalier
courtsters were busy winning
themselves national ranking. After
four sensational home victories
within the short span of eight days,
the cage performers squeezed in
exams and embarked on a tiring
road trip into the deep-south,
emerging as the victim of Clemson
and South Carolina.

January 9 was the beginning of
"The Week That Was" with a 66-56
win over Clemson in the new
scourge of the ACC, U-Hall. In a
basically sloppy game. Scott
McCandlish led the Cavaliers with
21 points and 11 rebounds as the
spunky Tigers kept fighting back.

Two days later. Frank McGuire's
USC Gamecocks visited
Charlottesville only to be denied
victory, 50-49. Playing a flawless
ball-control game, Virginia came
back from a halftime deficit and
battled to a five point lead at one
point, but it took Barry Parkhill's
now-famous fall away jumper with
six seconds remaining to put the
Cavaliers ahead for good. Bill
Gerry's 24 points plus 20 from
both Tim Rash and Jim Hobgood
and Parkhill's 13 assists propelled
Virginia over hot shooting Wake
Forest in Game Number Three of
"The Week." Although the final
was 86-81, the game was tight
throughout and several Deacon
rallies had to be choked off.

The fourth consecutive win
came against Georgia Tech and
All-Star Rich Yunkus, who, as is
every visiting name player, was held
under his average. Parkhill was
Virginia's high man with 20 while
Gerry, McCandlish, and Frank
Dewitt were all in double figures.
Sizzling shooting kept Tech ahead
much of the game, but in the end,
Virginia prevailed, 89-84.

Falling upon hard times in
South Carolina, Clemson's
vindictive Tigers ambushed the
Cavaliers 45-44 in a slowdown
contest. Possibly a bit rusty after
exams, and shooting a paltry 33%
from the field, Virginia had a
chance to pull it out but Gerry's
last gasp layup was blocked with
seconds remaining. South Carolina
had not played since their U-Hall
defeat and, as Coach Bill Gibson so
accurately said before the contest,
"That's 19 days of waiting,
thinking and preparation." 92-70
was the final as Parkhill's 23 points
could not offset USC's tenacious
full court press.