Virginia Steps Out Of Conference To Host VMI Thursday Night

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Jan. 23, 2002

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. –

The Game
Virginia, ranked seventh in both the AP and USAToday/ESPN polls, stands at 13-2 overall and 4-2 in the Atlantic Coast Conference this season. The Cavaliers are coming off a 69-65 victory over Georgia Tech (Jan. 22) at Alexander Memorial Coliseum in Atlanta for their fourth consecutive victory. VMI stands at 6-11 overall and 1-6 in the Southern Conference. The Keydets are coming off a 93-91 win at Appalachian State (Jan. 21) in Boone, N.C.

The Series vs. VMI
The Cavaliers own a 98-15 advantage in the all-time series against VMI that dates back to the 1908-09 season.

Virginia has won the last 21 meetings between the two schools, the Cavaliers’ second-longest winning streak of the series. After dropping consecutive meetings in 1942 and 1943, Virginia reeled off 32 wins in a row over the Keydets from 1943-1960. That is a school record for most consecutive wins over an opponent.

Virginia’s 98 wins against VMI are by far its most over any opponent. Next is Virginia Tech, who Virginia has beaten 72 times.

VMI has not beaten Virginia since gaining a 95-75 win in Lexington, Va., on December 9, 1964. Cavalier head coach Pete Gillen was a 17-year old freshman at Fairfield University at the time.

In the most recent contest between the two schools, Virginia defeated the Keydets 89-70 (Dec. 4) in Lexington last season. UVa’s last win over VMI in University Hall was on November 21, 1999 when it defeated the Keydets 98-57.

The Cavaliers are 13-0 against the Keydets at University Hall and 49-7 in Charlottesville. The last VMI win in Charlottesville was a 75-63 triumph in the 1960-61 season (the last game in Charlottesville prior to U-Hall being built).

Virginia vs. the Southern Conference
This is Virginia’s second and final game this season against schools from the Southern Conference. The Cavaliers defeated East Tennessee State (Nov. 18) 85-62 at University Hall.

Virginia was one of the 13 original members of the “old” Southern Conference from 1922-37 and has a long and rich history of competition against the Southern Conference.

Against the 12 current members of the Southern Conference, the Cavaliers are 114-19 all-time. Most of the games were against VMI-a series Virginia leads 98-15. The Cavaliers are 2-0 vs. The Citadel and East Tennessee State, 1-0 vs. Appalachian State and the College of Charleston, and 10-4 against Davidson.

Of the Southern Conference’s current membership, Virginia has never faced Chattanooga, Furman, Georgia Southern, North Carolina-Greensboro, Western Carolina or Wofford.

There have been 40 other schools besides UVa that have been members of the Southern Conference at one time or another since 1922. These schools include many current members of the Southeastern Conference and the ACC. Virginia is 273-244 (.528) against these schools at the time they were in the Southern Conference.

Shooting Well vs. Keydets
The Cavaliers have won their last 21 games against VMI, due in part to their outstanding shooting. During this streak, stretching back more than 35 years, Virginia is shooting 51.7 percent from the field, while the Keydets shoot 37.4 percent.During their 21-game winning streak against the Keydets, the Cavaliers have not shot less than 44.2 percent from the field (38-86 in the 1972-73 season). Their highest mark is 65.9 percent (27-41) in the 1975-76 contest. That shooting performance is the eighth-best mark in school history.

In the 15 games since 1972-73, Virginia has topped 47 percent in every game, including shooting 50 percent or better 11 times. The Cavaliers had their streak of making at least half of their shots in eight-straight meetings vs. VMI stopped in the 1998-99 season. Virginia shot 47.1 percent (24-51) against the Keydets in 1998. Prior to the 47.1 percent performance in the 1998-99 season, a game during the 1982-83 season was the last time UVa failed to make 50 percent of its shots against VMI.

In the last 21 meetings against UVa, the Keydets have failed to shoot 40 percent or better 15 times, including the last five meetings. The last time VMI shot better than 50 percent in a game against Virginia was in the 1990-91 season when it connected on 51.6 percent (33-64) of its attempts from the field.

Non-Conference Regular Season Winning Streak
Virginia has won a school record 26 consecutive regular season games against non-conference opponents. The previous record for consecutive non-conference regular season victories was 22. During its current streak, UVa has won all three of its games against ranked non-ACC teams. Virginia beat fourth-ranked Tennessee 107-89 (Dec. 19) and 20th-ranked Missouri 85-72 (Jan. 20) during the 2000-01 season, and defeated 16th-ranked Georgetown 61-55 (Dec. 20) at MCI Center in Washington, D.C. The streak began with a 98-67 win against Loyola (Md.) at University Hall on December 8, 1999. The last time the Cavaliers lost to a non-conference opponent during the regular season was on December 4, 1999 when they lost 85-63 to St. John’s University at Madison Square Garden. Since joining the Atlantic Coast Conference, Virginia won 22 consecutive non-conference regular season games from November 21, 1981 to December 19, 1982. UVa began the streak with a 63-61 win over Brigham Young (Nov. 21) to start the 1981-82 season. The streak ended the next season when Virginia lost to Chaminade 77-72 (Dec. 23).

Non-Conference Teams at University Hall
Virginia is 193-28 (.873) all-time in University Hall against non-conference opponents since the building opened for the 1965-66 season. The Cavaliers have won 75 of their last 84 home games, including the last 14, against non-conference opponents dating back to the 1989-90 season.

Virginia vs. In-State Teams
This is the Cavaliers’ second of two games this season against in-state opponents. In the last 22 seasons, UVa is 95-14 (.872) against in-state opponents. Virginia has won 13 consecutive games against in-state teams, including a 69-61 win over Virginia Tech (Dec. 1) earlier this season. UVa’s most recent in-state loss was a 69-64 setback to Liberty in U-Hall in the 1997-98 season.

Last season the Cavaliers won both of their contests against in-state opponents. UVa defeated Virginia Tech 64-48 (Nov. 24) in Blacksburg and VMI 89-70 (Dec. 4) in Lexington.

In 1999-2000, Virginia was 4-0 against in-state opponents with the four victories coming against VMI 98-57 (Nov. 21) at University Hall, Hampton 102-56 (Dec. 10) at the Hampton Convocation Center, Richmond 69-65 (Dec. 21) at the Robins Center, and Virginia Tech 71-66 in overtime (Jan. 24) at the Richmond Coliseum.

In 1998-99, the Cavaliers’ were 5-0 against in-state opponents defeating Hampton, Liberty, Virginia Commonwealth, VMI and Virginia Tech. In the 1997-98 season, the Cavaliers were 5-2 against in-state foes. The two losses were the most against state teams since the 1987-88 season when UVa was 1-3 vs. state teams.

Pete Gillen is 13-2 against Virginia schools as a collegiate head coach. He is 3-0 vs. VMI, 2-0 vs. Hampton, 1-0 vs. Liberty and Richmond, 5-1 vs. Virginia Tech, and 1-1 vs. VCU.

Gillen’s Xavier team defeated Virginia Tech 85-52 in 1993-94, while his 1994-95 Providence team lost to the Hokies 91-78 in the NIT. In the 1993-94 season, Gillen’s Xavier team lost to VCU 79-76.