Story Links
February 20, 1999
UVa vs. UNC Post Game Audio
UVa Coach Pete Gillen’s postgame comments.UNC Coach Bill Guthridge’s postgame comments.Ademola Okulaja says he is confident with his 3-point shot.Ed Cota breaks down the final play.Ronald Curry on his reception by Cavs’ fans.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Ademola Okulaja’s 3-pointer with 1.4 secondsremaining gave No. 14 North Carolina a 67-66 victory over Virginia on Saturday.
The Tar Heels (21-7, 9-5), who swapped leads with Virginia 10 times in thehalf, had fallen behind 65-64 on Adam Hall’s 3-pointer with 49 seconds left. Afree throw by Chezley Watson gave the Cavaliers a 2-point edge, but when hemissed the second with 14.3 seconds left, it left the door open.
Okulaja spotted up in the right corner, took a pass from Ed Cota and nailedthe shot to clinch third place in the ACC for the Tar Heels, their 35thstraight season in the league’s top three.
Virginia (14-14, 4-11) lost despite 18 points from Hall, and big secondhalves from Donald Hand and Chris Williams, who struggled in the first gameagainst the Tar Heels this season.
Williams, 5-for-20 from the field against North Carolina at the start of thehalf, was 5-for-7 in the second half and scored 10 of his 12 points. And Hand,3-for-19 to that point, was 4-for-11 in the half, scoring 8 points during a5-minute stretch when neither team led by more than 3 points.
Okulaja and Cota led the Tar Heels with 15 points each. Okulaja added 10rebounds, and Cota had nine assists, the last coming on the game-winner.
Hand finished with 15 points and seven assists for the Cavaliers, who wereoutrebounded 44-28, including 16-8 on the offensive end.
The Cavaliers missed their first 10 shots of the game and got their firstbasket on a goaltending call with 12:25 left in the half and trailed 15-2.
It was 26-12 when the Cavaliers caught fire, scoring 10 straight and 19 of23 to take a 31-30 lead on Watson’s reverse layup with 2:10 left. A 6-footer byCota with one second left gave the Tar Heels a 35-33 halftime lead.
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer