Men's Basketball Squad Falls to No. 18 St. John's
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December 12, 1998
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Ron Artest scored 20 points and Tyrone Grantdominated undersized Virginia with 19 points and 16 rebounds Saturday as No. 18St. John’s cruised to a 95-68 victory over the outmanned Cavaliers.
The Red Storm (8-2) took control with a 22-7 run to close the first half andnever looked back in posting their fifth straight victory. They outreboundedVirginia 58-27, including a 31-11 edge on the offensive end.
Virginia (6-4), playing with only six scholarship players, drew even at 25on Chezley Watson’s 3-pointer with 6:34 left in the first half, then went cold.They also lost Watson after his second technical foul 2:39 later.
Getting eight points from Bootsy Thornton, who finished with 19, and scoringfrom four others, the Red Storm scored 22 of the last 29 points before halftimeto quiet the crowd and take a 47-32 lead.
Lavor Postell added 15 points and Erick Barkley had 12 for St. John’s.
The Cavaliers closed within 54-43 4:20 into the second half, but the RedStorm used runs of 7-0 and 9-2 over the next 5 1/2 minutes to pull away asVirginia coach Pete Gillen was forced to sub freely for his tiring squad.
Chris Williams, who broke Ralph Sampson’s Virginia record for freshman with34 points in the Cavaliers’ last game against Liberty, led the way again with25. Donald Hand added 11 points for Virginia, and Kris Hunter had nine.
Watson, just back from a sprained ankle, scored six points and had an assistin nine minutes before drawing the technical fouls. The first came when St.John’s Reggie Jessie stepped on Watson’s ankle and Watson punched him, thesecond when Watson argued with an official following a foul called under thebasket.
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer