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Jan. 6, 2005
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By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The final sequence happened so fast, it seemedlike no one got a really good look at how Virginia managed to win.
There was the mad scramble for a loose ball when most everyone on the courtgot a hand on it, and then T.J. Bannister had it in the left corner, drove andlaid it in with 2.6 seconds left to give Virginia a 80-79 double-overtimevictory against Western Kentucky on Wednesday night.
“I need to see the film,” Hilltoppers coach Darrin Horn said. “`I’ve gota feeling I might be disappointed that we didn’t have somebody on the floor,which we pride ourselves on, to come up with that basketball.”
Virginia’s Jason Clark was among those fighting for the ball before GaryForbes finally came up with it and got it to the point guard.
“That was great,” Clark said. “All I know is I was on the ground andpretty soon everyone was on the ground. Both teams really wanted it.”
Bannister’s basket, only his second of the game, gave the Cavaliers thevictory on a night when they were undermanned because scoring leader DevinSmith missed his second straight game with an ankle injury and J.R. Reynoldsplayed despite being sick all day with food poisoning.
Western Kentucky (10-2) led almost throughout, going to overtime whenElgrace Wilborn was called for goaltending on Clark’s tip at the buzzer.
In the first overtime, the Cavaliers blew a 5-point lead as AnthonyWinchester hit a 3-pointer with 21.5 seconds left and Courtney Lee scored on adrive down the middle with eight-tenths of a second remaining.
The Cavaliers also nearly lost the ball twice in the final sequence beforeForbes emerged, found Bannister and he made the winning play.
“Somehow we tipped it, got it and T.J. had the guts to take it and drive,”Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. The coach also praised Reynolds’ effort. Hehad 16 of his 20 points after throwing up at halftime.
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“Somehow we tipped it, got it and T.J. had the guts to take it and drive.”
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“He had the heart of a lion to do that,” Gillen said.
Reynolds and Clark, who had 16 points, tied their career highs. Clark addednine rebounds and Elton Brown had 10 points and 12 rebounds.
Western Kentucky (10-2) lost despite 30 points, 11 rebounds and four assistsfrom the 6-foot-4 Winchester and 20 points from Lee, whose two free throws with32.8 seconds left gave Western Kentucky a 79-78 lead.
Lee scored all but two of his points after halftime.
Forbes’ layup off a feed from Clark with 38.4 seconds left gave Virginia itsfirst lead of the second overtime at 77-76, but Lee made both shots when Forbesfouled him immediately after taking the inbounds pass.
Then came the final sequence, ending a wild night in which the Hilltoppersseemed destined to hand Virginia its second straight home loss. The Cavalierslost 89-70 to No. 4 Wake Forest here Sunday.
Virginia led only once in the last 38 minutes of regulation, with 1:43 left,but Wilborn’s goaltending gave Virginia another chance to win.
Virginia led by as many as five in the first overtime, but Winchester hit a3-pointer to help close the gap and Lee’s runner in the lane tied it at 74.Forbes had missed two free throws with 12.7 seconds left.
Western Kentucky led most of the first half and by as many as six in thesecond half until Virginia used a 6-0 run to pull even at 43.
The Hilltoppers immediately went on a 10-4 run, getting seven points fromCourtney Lee and a 3-pointer from Winchester to lead 53-47 and forcing theCavaliers to play catch-up again. They made it, just barely.