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Cavaliers Top High Point, 79-64
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Nov. 30, 2003
By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Donte Minter scored 13 points and Derrick Byars12 to lead a balanced offense and Virginia pulled away from High Point afterhalftime Sunday, beating the Panthers 79-64.
The Cavaliers (3-0), in their final tuneup before hosting Minnesota in theACC-Big Ten Challenge on Dec. 3, also got 10 points each from freshman GaryForbes, Elton Brown and Devin Smith against the Big South school.
The Panthers (1-3) pulled to 46-40 on Danny Gathings’ driving basket with15:51 left, briefly quieting a sparse University Hall crowd.
Byars answered with a driving hoop and Virginia followed a jumper by ZioneWhite with seven consecutive points to build its lead to 55-42.
Brown scored on the inside, freshman J.R. Reynolds hit a 3-pointer andMinter, another freshman, made two free throws in the burst, which grew into a23-10 run and allowed the Cavaliers to clear the bench.
High Point also eliminated itself by going 9:02 without a field goal, andtrailed 69-50 when White’s 3-pointer fell with 5:31 remaining.
White led High Point with 16 points, Gathings had 15 and 10 rebounds andJerry Echenique also scored 15. The Panthers shot 31.3 percent.
The smaller Panthers, who also gave Clemson a battle before losing 88-81 onNov. 24, did most of their scoring inside, constantly whipping the ball aroundand into the paint for easy baskets against weak defense.
In the second half, though, the Cavaliers’ resistence stiffened, and HighPoint made only eight field goals in 37 second-half attempts.