COLLEGE BASKETBALL ROUNDUP : It Takes Time, but Virginia Gets ACC Win

Don’t look for Virginia Coach Terry Holland to get too excited about the Cavaliers’ 81-79 Atlantic Coast Conference victory over No. 11 Georgia Tech in overtime Sunday at Charlottesville, Va.

“You hate to be winless in the league, but we can only enjoy this for about 30 minutes before we have to get ready for Virginia Tech and a four-game road trip,” Holland said.

Virginia’s Kenny Turner, who had not scored since the first half, made a 10-foot jump shot with six seconds left for the winning basket.

Sophomore forward Bryant Stith had a career-high 30 points for the Cavaliers, who recorded their first ACC win after four losses.

Virginia, which led by as many as 13 points in the first half, found itself down, 66-65, with Georgia Tech’s Karl Brown at the free-throw line for a one-and-one with 14 seconds remaining in regulation.

Brown made the first foul shot to make it 67-65, but missed his second shot. Brian Oliver made a 16-foot shot for Virginia with one second left to send the game into overtime. It was Oliver’s only basket of the second half.

A four-point play by John Crotty, who was fouled by Brown as he made a three-point basket, and a pair of free throws by Stith put Virginia ahead, 75-71, with 2:35 left in overtime.

Georgia Tech’s Dennis Scott made two three-point shots in the last 1:01, the second with 29 seconds remaining, to make the score 79-79 before Turner made the game-winner.

Freshman point guard Kenny Anderson of the Yellow Jackets missed a 20-footer just before the final buzzer.

No. 25 Alabama 70, No. 13 LSU 55--James Sanders scored 21 points and helped hold Chris Jackson, the Southeastern Conference’s leading scorer, far below his average as the Crimson Tide upset the Tigers at Tuscaloosa, Ala.

Sanders and Keith Askins combined to hold Jackson, who was averaging 28.3 points, to only 11 before he fouled out with just over a minute left.

The victory left Alabama, LSU and Tennessee in a three-way tie for the SEC lead with 4-2 records.

LSU (11-3) closed to four points early in the second half. Then, with Alabama (13-4) leading, 44-39, Sanders made two baskets, one a three-point shot, David Benoit added a basket and Alabama was led, 51-41, with 11:20 left. The Tigers trailed, 59-51, with five minutes left after two baskets by Shaquille O’Neal, but Sanders and Melvin Cheatum scored to extend the lead for Alabama.

Vermont 64, Dartmouth 55--Matt Johnson and Rahim Huland El each made four free throws in the final minute to clinch the win at Burlington, Vt.

Kevin Roberson recorded an unusual triple-double for the Catamounts (7-8). He scored 20 points, had 17 rebounds and blocked 11 shots.

James Blackwell led Dartmouth (8-6) with 18 points.

Hawaii 74, New Mexico 71--Chris Gaines scored 24 points, including nine in the final 10 minutes, as the Rainbows beat the Lobos in a Western Athletic Conference game Saturday night at Honolulu.

Hawaii (15-4, 4-2 in the WAC) took its first lead of the game at 59-57 when Gaines made an 18-foot jump shot with 9:46 left. The Rainbows never trailed the rest of the way.

Luc Longley scored 26 points for New Mexico (9-9, 1-5).