The Virginia men's basketball team scored just three points in the last six and a half minutes of the first half Saturday at Clemson's Littlejohn Coliseum. The team only posted 31 team rebounds and 11 assists. Devin Smith did not play because of his nagging back injury and key players such as Gary Forbes and T.J. Bannister were plagued by foul trouble throughout the game.
Yet despite the numerous woes, the Cavaliers were once again saved by the shooting heroics of Todd Billet. The senior guard nailed a three-point shot with 16 seconds remaining in the game, then proceeded to score a lay-up off a Tigers' turnover with two seconds left to secure the 58-55 victory for Virginia. The Cavaliers (14-10, 4-9 ACC) now hold the eighth spot in the ACC while Clemson stands alone in last place.
"I knew when it left his hands that it was going to be good," freshman guard J.R. Reynolds said of Billet's game-winning three. "Todd is a clutch player for this team, and he wants to win."
The Clemson game marked Billet's second recent game-winner as he hit a three-pointer with 2.4 seconds remaining on Feb. 14 to beat then-No. 15 Georgia Tech, 82-80. Against the Tigers, he made five out of nine threes and broke out for a game-high 21 points. Freshman Bannister scored eight points, and juniors Elton Brown and Jason Clark had seven a piece.
The win at Clemson marked Virginia coach Pete Gillen's 100th career victory and ended an 18-game road conference losing streak.
Virginia, however, will look to post a less sloppy team effort against North Carolina tonight at University Hall. At Clemson, the Cavaliers were held to 29.6 percent shooting in the opening half and 12 total rebounds. The Tigers held a 28-20 lead at halftime, despite shooting just 34.4 percent from the field.
"I didn't think it was our night," Gillen said after the Clemson game. "First half, we had three or four shots go in and out. Fortunately, we hung in there and made some plays at the end."
If Virginia repeats and only scores 20 points in the first half tonight like they last Saturday, it may prove too difficult to hang around against North Carolina. The Tar Heels (16-7, 6-6 ACC) are considered a more formidable opponent than the Tigers. They are currently ranked No. 16 in the nation, and tied with Georgia Tech for fourth place in the ACC.
The two teams met earlier this season, matching up in Chapel Hill last month. Behind sophomore Rashad McCant's 25 points and a 31-9 second half run, the Tar Heels cruised to a 96-77 victory over the Cavaliers. Yet even with that loss, Virginia has beaten North Carolina in six of the last nine meetings in the series, including four straight wins in Charlottesville.
The Tar Heels come into the game in the wake of a 78-71 win over Florida State in which McCants scored 21 points, marking the 13th straight game he has hit double figures. Sophomore Raymond Felton almost posted a triple-double with 17 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. North Carolina also dominated Florida State 48-28 in rebounding, an area in which Virginia has had trouble all season.
The Cavaliers will attempt to ride their momentum from the Clemson win into tonight's game at U-Hall. Virginia can dislodge Maryland and move to seventh in the ACC if they win or if Maryland loses their next game. With postseason hopes becoming more and more tangible, the Cavaliers will attempt to upset North Carolina en route to a second consecutive conference victory.
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