GREENSBORO, N.C.
Talk about a heartbreaker. The Cavaliers' 78-72 loss to the University of North Carolina in the semifinal round of the ACC tournament was just that, especially because they gave up a 17-point second-half lead in a game they controlled.
Virginia dominated every aspect of the game but could not close out against the eventual tournament champions. Losing the game was especially hard because the Cavaliers played arguably their best game of the season only to lose in the closing seconds. What made Virginia's performance even more impressive was that the entire conference tournament was played without leading scorer LaTonya Blue. In case that didn't spell it out plain enough, let me rephrase it: Virginia took a team that will be a No. 1 seed in the upcoming NCAA tournament to the brink when Virginia's best player was injured, watching the game instead of playing it.
The Cavaliers looked like a totally different team than the one we've seen all year. Virginia hit 22 of 24 free throws for a percentage of 91.7. Considering Virginia was dead last in the ACC in team free-throwing shooting with a percentage of 63.4, Sunday's shooting was, to say the least, uncharacteristic. No, uncharacteristic doesn't even do justice to the shocking sight of seeing so many free throws hit nothing but net. The only thing more surreal would be seeing Burt Reynolds dance with a bear -- wait that's already been done, but I think you get my point. This type of free throw shooting from Virginia was unreal.
But it was real. And the Cavaliers were getting it done at places other than the free throw line. Virginia was finding ways to break the Carolina press. Granted, the Cavaliers had to call a few timeouts throughout the game to inbound the ball, but for the most part, Virginia was able to get the ball across the court against a team that averaged 14.67 steals per game. Again, did I mention that the Cavaliers were playing without one of their better ball handlers?
In a way, Blue's absence could be called a blessing in disguise because junior Tiffany Sardin stepped in for Blue both in the starting lineup and the stat sheet. Sardin tied her career high with 18 points against Florida State Saturday, and surpassed that total with 21 against the Tar Heels on Sunday. Sardin was everywhere against UNC -- she scored the first six points of the second half to help the Cavaliers build their biggest lead of the day at 17 points. If Blue returns for the NCAA tournament -- and Virginia coach Debbie Ryan says she will -- then the Cavaliers will have another scoring threat, one that could help fuel a tournament run. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Instead, I wonder what would have happened if Blue had played in the ACC tournament.
But that's a pointless question because eventually the well that the Cavaliers drank from for most of the game dried up. The Tar Heels showed why they are considered a great team and one of the favorites to win a national title. North Carolina seemed to believe it could not lose. It looked like, dare I say it, a team of destiny. I know that's a term that shouldn't be thrown around lightly, but even Ryan said that she felt this year's team was better than the 1994 UNC team that won North Carolina's only national title.
All I know is that I have seen the Tar Heels win three times this year when a normal team would have packed its bags and called it a day. Unfortunately, two of those UNC wins were heartbreaking losses for the Virginia Cavaliers.
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