Late Shot Pushes Virginia Past Wake Forest, 75-73
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Feb. 4, 2006
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – J.R. Reynolds made a jumper from the baseline with 3.8 seconds to play Saturday, lifting surprising Virginia past Wake Forest 75-73.
The Cavaliers (11-8, 5-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) almost didn’t make it, but Justin Gray’s running 40-footer bounced off the front of the rim at the buzzer, sending the Demon Deacons (12-10, 1-8) to their fifth straight loss and eighth in nine games.
Reynolds led Virginia with 21 points and Sean Singletary had 19 points, eight assists and six rebounds. Wake Forest arrived at University Hall as the ACC’s top rebounding team by a wide margin, but allowed 21 offensive rebounds and was beaten 46-25 on the glass.
The last offensive rebound was the biggest. Mamadi Diane got it after Adrian Joseph’s 3-pointer missed in the final minute, giving the Cavaliers the ball with the shot clock off. Singletary let the clock run down, then fed Reynolds for the shot.
Joseph added 14 points and four 3-pointers, and Jason Cain had 13 and 10 rebounds.
Gray led Wake Forest with 18 points, Trent Strickland had 17 and Eric Williams 14, but Williams and Gray were in second-half foul trouble. Williams had four rebounds.
Virginia took its first lead since the early going on a three-point play by Cain with 10:51 left, and they had the lead up to 63-57 two minutes later.
But Strickland had five points in an 8-3 burst for the Demon Deacons, pulling them to 66-65, and Wake Forest got back to even at 73 when Gray was fouled while making a 3-pointer with 2:06 left. He made the free throw to complete the four-point play.
Reynolds then missed a 3-pointer for Virginia, but Gray lost the handle for the Demon Deacons, turning it back over to the Cavaliers with a minute to play. Diane’s rebound kept it alive, and then Singletary fed Reynolds for the winning floater.
The victory snapped a two-game losing streak for Virginia.
Trailing 19-12, the Demon Deacons went on a 22-9 run sparked by Strickland’s 3-pointer. Gray scored 10 points in the run on two 3-pointers and four free throws, the last two when Virginia coach Dave Leitao drew a technical 4:13 before halftime.