Cavaliers Handle Clemson, 61-50
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Jan. 20, 2004
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By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Donte Minter scored 10 points in a span of 6?minutes in the second half Tuesday night and lifted Virginia to a 61-50 victoryover Clemson in a offensive nightmare for both teams.
J.R. Reynolds added 11 second-half points for Virginia (12-4, 2-3 AtlanticCoast Conference), which trailed 31-29 with 12:11 to play until Reynolds and Minter scored 19 of the Cavaliers next 24 points.
Clemson (8-8, 1-4) shot just 31.6 percent despite 20 offensive rebounds -they turned them into just 15 points – and had 23 turnovers.
The night was particlarly difficult for Tigers freshman point guard VernonHamilton, a Richmond native, who scored only four points on 1-for-7 shootingand had nine turnovers and no assists in 21 minutes.
Reynolds and Minter, both freshmen, finally got Virginia out of a longscoring funk when Reynolds made a 3-pointer – just the second of the game in 22tries to that point – and Minter followed with two free throws and an insidebasket, giving Virginia a 36-31 lead with 9:47 to play.
After the Tigers scored four straight, Minter hit a baseline jumper,Reynolds hit another 3 and Gary Forbes, another freshman, scored inside, givingthe Cavaliers a 43-35 lead. The Tigers scored the next eight to tie it at 43with 7:09 left, but Devin Smith answered with a 3-pointer, Minter hit two morefree throws and added another jumper and the Cavs led 50-44.
After Clemson’s Akin Akingbala hit a free throw, Reynolds made his third3-pointer in four tries and the Cavaliers’ lead was comfortable.
Besides Reynolds, the rest of the players were 4-for-43 from 3-point range.The teams made a combined 16 of 46 free throws, and Virginia shot 44.7 percentbut had 19 turnovers and was outrebounded 41-31.
The game was tied at 20 after a brutal first half in which the teams eachhad 11 turnovers and totaled just 17 field goals. Clemson had 13 offensiverebounds, but just 12 second-chance points. It shot 25 percent.
The Tigers had one stretch where they went 5:46 without a point, butVirginia scored just four in the stretch and when Sharrod Ford hit a free throwto break the Tigers’ drought, it tied the game at 7 with 10:37 left.