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Nov. 4, 2000
Listen To Coach Pete Gillen’s comments after the game
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The University of Virginia men’s basketball team lost its exhibition opener Saturday (November 4) to the London Leopards, 89-88, when Leopards guard Jason Kimbrough buried a three-pointer at the buzzer. Kimbrough took a feed from Ricola Alderson on an inbounds play with two seconds remaining in the contest and drained the three.
All five starters finished the game in double figures for the Cavaliers, including sophomore center Travis Watson (Brookneal, Va./ Oak Hill Academy) who led the team in scoring with 21 points and rebounding with 13 boards for a double-double. But Watson’s effort was not enough to erase a six-minute UVa scoring drought midway through the second half that allowed the Leopards back into the game.
The Cavaliers overcame a seven-point deficit to tie the game at 79 with 2:57 remaining in the contest. Then, in the final 10 seconds, senior Donald Hand (Paterson, N.J./ Paterson Catholic) had a chance to put Virginia up by three but missed the second of two free throws. The Leopards drove the ball down the court and had a two-point shot blocked out of bounds by Watson setting the stage for Kimbrough’s late-game heroics.
The Cavaliers led at the half, 53-44, after making 18 of 39 attempts from the field (46.2 percent) and 15 of 19 attempts from the line (78.9 percent). In the second half, however, Virginia struggled from the field and the free throw line. Virginia made just 11 of the 36 shots it attempted from the field (30.6 percent) in the second stanza and was only 13 of 22 from the free throw line (59.1 percent). The Cavaliers finished the game 29 of 75 from the field (38.7 percent) and 28 of 41 from the line (68.3 percent).
Junior Chris Williams (Birmingham, Ala./ Minor) was the second-leading scorer and rebounder for the Cavaliers, chipping in 19 points and eight boards, while point guard Hand led the team in assists with four. The Leopards’ Maurice Robinson led all scorers with 22 points.
Virginia returns to action Sunday Nov. 12 against the Nantucket Nectars at 1 p.m. in University Hall.