Williams Leads UVa To Smooth Victories

Story Links

Jan. 21, 2002

Senior forward Chris Williams scored 24 points in Virginia’s 91-74 win over Florida State Sunday afternoon.

“I thought Chris was superb tonight. [Williams scored] 24 points, 7 rebounds. He was great,” said head coach Pete Gillen. “He did a good job helping us. He is a senior, so it’s his last time around the block.”

Since being held scoreless in Virginia’s loss to Clemson on January 8, “The Big Smooth” has scored 54 points in three consecutive UVa victories. Following the Clemson loss, Gillen called for the Cavaliers’ veterans to provide leadership and support, and Williams embraced his coach’s challenge.

“That was probably the worst game of my career,” Williams said. “It was just a wake-up call. I really don’t want to have another game like that.”

Virginia’s next test is a trip to Atlanta to face Georgia Tech Tuesday night. Williams has never won a game at Alexander Memorial Coliseum and the Cavs were 0-3 against the Yellow Jackets last season. However, the senior isn’t the only UVa player who understands the importance of Tuesday’s match-up.

“I didn’t need to stress it to [the freshmen players],” the tri-captain remarked. “They kind of just talked about it themselves, going 0-3 against them last year.”

Tuesday’s game begins at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN2 and the Virginia Sports Radio Network.