Non-conference games late in the season usually are matchups that will prepare a team for postseason tournaments. That was not the case when Virginia (13-9, 6-5 ACC) defeated Longwood 91-56 Wednesday night. The Lancers, a team moving to Division I play, is a far cry from the competition the Cavaliers are used to playing in the ACC.
"If you step out of the league at this point, you usually have a made-for-TV game on CBS or ESPN," Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. "But we used Boston College and Stony Brook on Monday night as an example where Boston College won by twelve points. Stony Brook starts three walk-ons and [is] 4-19 and B.C. won by 12."
Now that the Cavaliers have avoided the potential trap of overlooking a weak non-conference foe, they will have to prepare to jump back into the ACC fray with a game against Florida State (15-7, 5-6 ACC) tomorrow afternoon. The game will be a rematch of an 87-82 overtime home loss for Virginia Jan. 11.
"It's real important, just like every game in our league is," Cavalier leading scorer Sean Singletary said. "We only have five games left, so we need to have the mindset to win and stay focused on those 40 minutes. We have to come out of the gate real strong against them, because they are a talented team."
A win on Saturday would be crucial for the postseason aspirations of the Cavaliers. Despite being tied with Miami for fifth in conference by virtue of the 6-5 conference mark, Virginia, along with Wake Forest and Virginia Tech, has the second fewest total wins in the ACC (13).
The Cavaliers also do not yet have a road win of note this season. Virginia is 2-7 away from University Hall on the year. Despite that record, the Cavaliers have come close to winning on the road lately. Virginia lost by two points at N.C. State Feb. 1 and led for most of the game before falling at Maryland Feb. 7.
"The routine is definitely different, but it's still whatever you can do to get focused," Singletary said of preparing for road games.
Focus is sure to be a point Leitao will stress leading up to the game. Wednesday night, the Cavaliers committed 14 turnovers -- close to their season average of 14.2 per game. Virginia has registered single-digit totals in the turnover column only three times this year. The Cavaliers have turned the ball over 312 times this season, 30 more times than their opponents. The significance of the team's season-high 23 assists against the Lancers was lessened by the fact that the turnovers were not eliminated.
"They know when we get back to the gym that I am not going to be real happy," Leitao said following Wednesday's game. "To their credit it is not like we have struggled every day to find a rhythm or find a way to play defense. We have done that. I just worry because you can't be up and down emotionally at this point in the year. We're still learning; we aren't as mature as we need to be, and I think that is why we have won a lot at home and not a lot on the road."
Virginia guard J.R. Reynolds will have to step up to help the Cavaliers win Saturday. Reynolds, Virginia's second leading scorer, has scored in double digits in 16 consecutive games. That is the sixth longest active streak in the conference. Reynolds feels that the team's focus in practice will determine whether Virginia wins or loses Saturday.
"It all starts in practice," he said. "You work hard. We have to change our attitude and focus on defense. I think once we start doing that guys will realize what it's going to take [to win]."
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