University of Virginia Library

On The Inside

One Loss
Is As Bad As
Another

With

"THE TEAM THAT ESTABLISHES THE
USUALLY WINS", was one of the milder comments of the
enraged Bill Gibson after Saturday's N.C. State game. He was
referring to the Pack's 68-61 triumph which many observers
found to be a robbery. But the statement came back to hunt
him Tuesday night, as the Maryland Terrapins ran away to a
12-2 lead and then played cat-and-mouse with the Cavaliers,
never allowing them to get within 10 points, on the way to a
93-74 win.

Officially, the "Hooter" thought that "the team was unable
to take advantage of situations. We had trouble with our passes
and we were a little slow." But he attributed much of the
'Hoos' lethargy to the disappointment over the State loss.
"The guys were blue Sunday and Monday. We're all trying to
crack it."

That disappointment is over a call of a technical foul on Al
Drummond, not Coach Gibson, that was made with 1:18 left
in the game, with State leading 57-55 and in possession of the
ball.

DRUMMOND WAS SPOTTED trying to reach around
Monte Towe as the 5-6 guard was still in backcourt. As the
game films later bore out, Drummond raised one hand, then
lowered it, then futilely looked toward the Cavalier bench and
raised both arms. As Al said after the game, "if they call that
every time somebody raises both hands like that, there would
be fifty or sixty technicals called a game."

The better half of the Jack Agee-George Conley officiating
team, Agee, defended his mate's call by remembering that he
had warned both captains before the game that the league's
new get-tough rule on raising of hands and goaltending would
be strictly enforced. That's still no reason for Conley, who
conferred jokingly with Tom Burleson several times during the
action, to make a discretionary call like that in a close,
emotional game. I agree with Mr. Gibson, among others, who
said, "Is the commissioner here? I hope he is. The rule is bush
and the call was bush.

THE CAVALIERS COULD HAVE WON the State game,
although they might not have if the technical was not assessed.
Mr. BP had his best game of the year, the Cavaliers managed to
keep the larger Wolfpack off the boards and big State guns
David Thompson and Tom Burleson were contained. It was an
exceptional Wahoo effort, one thing the Maryland game was
not.

Maryland shot better than Virginia (56 per cent to 48 per
cent), outrebounded the Cavaliers (53-25) and, for the time
being, out-personneled Virginia. The Terps ran eight people in
and out of the game so that in instances such as when the
Cavaliers drew within 10 (55-45), Lefty could put a refreshed
Tom McMillen, Len Elmore or John Lucas into the ball game
and run the score back up to around 20, and then take them
out again.

As good as the other Maryland players were, Elmore was
the main reason that all the Cavalier comeback efforts were
thwarted. Standing 6-9, Elmore played the basket for much of
the game, either blocking, deflecting or in any other way
influencing most of the Cavaliers' inside shots. Andy Boninti,
the Wahoo reserve who had one of his best games of the season
reflected the Cavaliers' respect for the Power Memorial
graduate, "He (Coach Gibson) said we should challenge them...
unless Elmore was in." The Coach himself had said earlier
when asked whether the Hoos thought they could take it to
the basket over Elmore. "No way."

DESPITE AN ALL-AROUND MEDIOCRE EFFORT, there
were several on the Charlottesville five who played well
Tuesday. They were Gerard, Boninti and Wally Walker, who
oach Gibson complimented for a "super game"

For the first time all year, Gerard had a good second half.
Gus' problem has been that he starts games with a few fast
buckets, continues his stalwart play until about two minutes
are left in the half when he is taken out to avoid picking up
any extra fouls. "Then," says Gus, "I have to wait about 20
minutes until play starts again and I guess my ankle stiffens
up. It usually takes me about six minutes to get untracked."
Gerard hit four of five shots from the field, three of five shots
from the line and a couple rebounds in what, until now, has
been his bad half. Nineteen points represented one of his better
efforts of the year.

Boninti, in his rather lengthy appearance (18 minutes)
did some things that his predecessors, Parkhill and Drummond,
had been unable to do earlier. Although the New
York native did have five turnovers, he ran the Cavalier
offense with reckless abandon that completely nullified the
Terrapin press. Andrew described his strategy after the game,
"We could have run on that press of theirs. We should have run
right at them and not thrown so many passes."

FREQUENTLY THE BEST PLAYER ON THE COURT
was not wearing red. Wally Walker, probably unnerved by the
full-house 14,500 people in the crowd, managed only two
points in the first half and generally looked lost. But,
obviously unaccustomed to losing, "the Wonder" took charge
in the second half and scored 21 points and had four steals and
three blocked shots. Also, for the game, he made no turnovers.

Walker's big play came on a blocked shot on which he
stuffed the ball back down the throat of Tom McMillen. I
would have preferred a grenade. As usual, McMillen played the
part of the clown without any tricks. Displaying his immensely
ungainly motions all over the court, McMillen seemed
especially proud of his new red sweatbands with the big
number 54 engraved on them. Despite my lack of respect for
Tom McMillen, he once again proved, however, that he is the
best shooting big man in the league.