Virginia Finally Gets Tough Down Stretch

After fatigue, inexperience and bad luck cost Virginia close losses against Florida State and Maryland earlier this season, the Cavaliers played well down the stretch to beat No. 25 Clemson, 65-58, Sunday at Charlottesville, Va.

The Cavaliers, 10-8 overall and 1-5 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, won for the first time in seven games. The Tigers (12-6, 1-4) have lost five of six.

Virginia guard Donald Hand scored 27 points, five in an 11-2 run that started with 4:28 left and gave the Cavaliers a 60-55 lead.

No. 22 Oklahoma State 69, Texas Tech 55--Desmond Mason scored 24 points to lead the Cowboys (12-4, 4-1) over the Red Raiders (10-8, 2-3) in a Big 12 game at Lubbock, Texas.

WOMEN

Chamique Holdsclaw scored 32 points as No. 1 Tennessee (15-1, 1-0) earned a Southeastern Conference victory over Kentucky (11-6, 2-4) at Knoxville, Tenn. . . . Twin sisters Coco and Kelly Miller scored 26 and 18 points, respectively, to lead No. 4 Georgia (15-1, 4-1) to a 96-78 SEC victory over Auburn (13-3, 4-2) at Athens, Ga. . . . Nicole Erickson scored 17 points as No. 12 Duke (15-4, 7-0) beat North Carolina State (9-7, 3-4), 67-62, in an Atlantic Coast Conference game at Raleigh, N.C. . . . Shawnetta Stewart scored 20 points to lead No. 15 Rutgers (15-3) to a 78-62 rout of Wisconsin (8-9) at Madison, Wis. . . . Itoro Umoh had 12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for only the fourth triple-double in women’s ACC play as No. 16 Clemson (14-3, 5-3 ACC) beat Wake Forest (6-11, 2-5), 78-38, at Clemson, S.C. . . . Tiffany Travis made 13 of 18 shots and scored 31 points as No. 18 Florida (14-6, 3-2) notched a 78-66 SEC victory over South Carolina (9-7, 0-6) at Columbia, S.C. . . . Latriosh Jones was seven for seven from the field and six for six from the free-throw line, finishing with 20 points, as No. 19 Alabama (12-5, 2-3) notched a 75-59 SEC victory over Mississippi State (10-6, 2-4) at Starkville, Miss.