University of Virginia Library

Gerard's 20 Lead Way

Cavs Rally To Top West Virginia, 89-75

By JOHN MARKON

illustration

CD/Jim Brunetti

Wally Walker Dazzles Watren Baker For An Easy Bucket

Virginia's Cavaliers shook
off the bitter aftereffects of
their latest road trip in fine
style last night, running to a
relatively easy win over West
Virginia, 89-75, in University
Hall.

Held to a slender 38-35
halftime advantage, the
Wahoos quickly built a 59-41
lead. Comeback attempts by
the mountaineers failed to
dent the impressive Virginia
leads until late in the game.
The Cavs several times were
able to capture 21-point
advantages, the last coming at
81-60 with four minutes left.

The game got off to a
rousing start for the Wahoos
when tight defense and strong
inside play by center Gus
Gerard boosted the Cavs to a
quick 7-0 lead.

This seven-point margin
more or less held fast until late
in the half when reserve
Mountaineer guard Harold
Black ignited a WVU rally with
four quick points after the
'Hoos had grabbed an
eleven-point bulge at 35-24.

Mountaineer freshman
forward Warren Baker, who led
all WVU scorers with 29
points, took over from Black at
this point and led West
Virginia's only serious rally.
After intermission, however, all
WVU hopes were to fade
quickly.

Exploding for 51 second-half
points the Cavs wasted little
time in establishing dominance.
Leading the Virginia charge
were Gerard and forward Wally
Walker, who finished one-two
in scoring for the Cavs with 20
and 19 points, respectively.

Also coming alive in the
second period were the Wahoo
guards. After hitting on only
two of eleven before
intermission, fourth-year
captain Barry Parkhill hit six of
seven fielders down the stretch
and finished with 18 points.

Little Stevle Morris, along
with forward Bob McKeag a
surprise starter, scored only
four points but had five assists
and was instrumental in the
Wahoo turnaround. Al
Drummond also came off the
bench to contribute four
points and play his us al
brand of sticky defense.

It was two assist passes from
Morris to Gerard and a
technical foul on WVU coach
Sonny Moran that gave the
Wahoos their first big lead at
59-41 with 14:14 left. After
that, the West Virginians spent
the rest of the game waiting for
those country roads to take
'em home to their "mountain
mamas."

Rounding out the Cavalier
scoring, Jim Hobgood pumped
in 12 points, McKeag six, Andy
Boninti four and Dan Bonner
two. The Cavs shot 48 per cent
and their 89 points represents
the most given up by West
Virginia this year.

After Baker, Mountaineer
scoring had forward Scott
McDonald and guard Dave
McCardle getting 12 points
each and guard Jerome
Anderson accounting for ten.
The 'Hoos did a job with
both the explosive Black and
husky (250 lb.) WVU center
Larry Carr, limiting each of
them to but four points.

West Virginia outrebounded
the Wahoos, 46-43, but their
38 per cent shooting in the
second half did them in. On
the game the Mountaineers
shot only 44 per cent.

Baker led all rebounders
with 15 but Virginia
demonstrated balanced board
strength with Gerard grabbing
12 and Walker and McKeag
each netting seven.