No. 19 Virginia pulls away from BC
January 27, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP)—By the time Sammy Zeglinski made his first3-pointer in two games, giving No. 19 Virginia a 57-46 lead over Boston Collegeon Thursday night, the Cavaliers seemed to have the game against the Eagles inhand.
Still, it was the return of Zeglinski and the long ball that drew thebiggest roars from the crowd during the game, and perhaps brought out thebiggest smiles from the players after the 66-49 victory.
“It felt good,” Zeglinski said of hopefully coming out of a slump that hadseen him go 2 for 17 from behind the arc in the previous three games. “It feltgood to have that one go down and hopefully I can just get some momentum fromthat going forward and just keep my confidence up.”
Virginia forward Mike Scott (2… AP – Jan 26, 11:08 pm EST Virginia guard Sammy Zeglinski… AP – Jan 26, 11:04 pm EST
Virginia forward Darion Atkins… AP – Jan 26, 11:02 pm EST
Boston College guard Lonnie Ja… AP – Jan 26, 10:12 pm EST
Boston College guard Jordan Da… AP – Jan 26, 10:11 pm EST
Boston College center Dennis C… AP – Jan 26, 10:11 pm EST
Boston College center Dennis C… AP – Jan 26, 10:06 pm EST
Virginia forward Mike Scott (2… AP – Jan 26, 10:06 pm EST
Boston College guard Lonnie Ja… AP – Jan 26, 10:05 pm EST
Boston College head coach Stev… AP – Jan 26, 10:03 pm EST 1 of 10 BC-UVa Gallery
The Cavaliers will need it since they won’t have center Assane Sene forabout six weeks after foot surgery, and a working outside game prevents teamsfrom focusing as much on Mike Scott.
Zeglinski hit 3-pointers 55 seconds apart in a 20-3 run late in the game andScott scored 18 points as the Cavaliers beat the Eagles for only the second timein seven tries.
Virginia (16-3, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) matched it victory total oflast season and rebounded from a home loss to Virginia Tech on Sunday night inwhich they managed just 45 points.
“Coming off the Virginia Tech game, I told our guys this is when you’ve gotto step up,” Virginia coach Tony Bennett said, looking at a box score thatshowed several players made large contributions.
Akil Mitchell, who replaced Sene in the lineup but was a non-factor againstthe Hokies, scored a career-best 10 points and added five rebounds and twoassists. Point guard Jontel Evans continued to heed Bennett’s advice to playaggressively at both ends and had 10 points, six assists and three steals.Zeglinski had four steals by halftime, and guard Malcolm Brogdon got sevenrebounds.
He, too, wanted to talk about Zeglinski, whose open looks from behind thearc always cause a stir in the crowd, which has seen that when he makes one, hecan often produce offense in a hurry.
“The crowd loved it,” Brogdon said with a wide grin. “We’re just gladhe’s out of his slump.”
Ryan Anderson had 12 points for Boston College (7-13, 2-4), which ralliedfrom a 44-36 deficit to pull even on a 3-pointer by Danny Rubin with 10:25 toplay. The Eagles hit seven 3-pointers in the game, but managed just one otherfield goal over the next 10 minutes as the Cavaliers pulled away.
“A couple of times, I thought they really played well in stretches and weanswered. I was real proud of our guards,” second-year coach Steve Donahue saidof the Eagles, who have nine freshmen, four of them starters. “Unfortunatelyin a lot of games this year, we run out of gas.
“I didn’t feel like it was a 17-point game, but that’s what happens whenyou run out of gas.”
The Eagles stayed in it as long as they did with 3-point shooting.
Virginia scored on five straight possessions early in the second half, andthe Eagles scored on only three, but all three baskets were 3-pointers—by GabeMoton, Lonnie Jackson and Matt Humphrey. When Virginia came up empty on a fewconsecutive trips, an inside basket by Jordan Daniels and a wide-open 3 by Rubinfrom the left corner tied it at 44.
That’s when it all disintegrated for the Eagles.
A driving basket by Evans and another by Brogdon gave Virginia a 48-44 lead.The Cavaliers failed to get anything out of consecutive turnovers by the Eagles,but BC then bailed out Virginia by fouling Mitchell on a fast-break layup. Hemade both free throws.
A baseline jumper by Darion Atkins, another driving bank by Evans andZeglinski’s consecutive 3-pointers made it 60-46. Two free throws by Scottcapped the burst for the Cavaliers.
Virginia trailed 15-14 until Mitchell scored inside with 8:40 left, sparkinga 17-8 run to end the half. Scott had eight points in the run, and Joe Harriscapped it with a 3-pointer, the Cavaliers’ first since early in the first halfin their previous game.
Virginia, which went 1 for 14 from behind the arc against Virginia Tech, hadmissed 16 consecutive 3s before Harris’ shot.
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