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Dec. 30, 2000
By MIKE RECHT
Associated Press Writer
HANOVER, N.H. – Another win for No. 8 Virginia, another impressedcoach.
The Cavaliers completed their non-conference season unbeaten with a 102-56victory over Dartmouth on Saturday.
“They’ve definitely got a fan here,” Dartmouth coach Dave Faucher said.”They’re as athletic as any team in the nation.
“You watch them. They’re going to make a run (in the NCAA tournament).”
The Cavaliers (10-0) can take their first step Tuesday when they open theirAtlantic Coast Conference season against No. 4 Wake Forest.
The Cavaliers, a preseason pick to finish in the middle of the ACC, havesurprised their own coach.
“I never thought we’d be 10-0,” Pete Gillen said. “Wake Forest andVirginia being a big game is unusual.”
Dartmouth (2-8) was no match for the Cavaliers, who led 50-25 at halftime.The only suspense then was whether Virginia would hit the 100-point mark forthe third time this season and it did when Josh Hare hit a 3-pointer, his onlybasket, with .5 seconds left.
Roger Mason finished with 17 points, Travis Watson had 13, Donald Hand 11and reserve Maurice Young 10 as Gillen used nine players for at least 14minutes. Watson also had nine rebounds and Williams and Stephane Dondon grabbedseven each as the Cavaliers outrebounded Dartmouth 46-24.
Greg Buth led Dartmouth with 16 points and Charles Harris had 11.
Although the Cavaliers had no size advantage, they were much quicker thanDartmouth, and used that advantage for 18 steals and forced 24 turnovers asthey pressured the Big Green all over the court.
Most of their points came from drives to the basket or close-in shots thatalso forced Dartmouth to foul. Virginia shot 40 free throws, hitting 31, whileDartmouth was only 7-of-14.
“We’re not big and strong, but we’re very quick,” Gillen said. “We triedto make them rush.
“The key was our defense. Our defensive intensity was pretty good.”
Gillen’s only concern was overconfidence, one of the reasons he wrote”Respect” on the blackboard for his team to see before the game.
“Every day I pick up the newspapers and read where the underdog can win,”he said. “North Carolina came up here two years ago and it was a real war.”
But not this time.
Dartmouth’s only lead came on the opening basket, a 3-pointer by Harris. Thelast tie was at 5 on a basket by Buth. But Hand and Williams scored for a 9-5lead and Virginia was on its way.
Hall’s dunk and two baskets by Watson and two by Williams from close in madeit 19-11.
The largest first-half lead was 25 points when Hand hit a 3 at the buzzer.
The biggest leads were 86-39 and 88-41 as Virginia made sure none of itsfirst 10 opponents came closer than 16 points.
One sidelight was the matchup between Virginia’s Keith Friel and his brotherGreg of Dartmouth, one of the reasons Virginia made its first trip to NewHampshire. Keith managed only five points on 1-for-10 shooting while Greg hadthree points on 1-for-7 shooting.