Virginia Looks To Regain Winning Ways Against Clemson
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CHARLOTTESVILLEThe Virginia men’s basketball team looks to regain its winning ways on Thursday (Feb. 7) when the Cavaliers host Atlantic Coast Conference rival Clemson at John Paul Jones Arena. The game is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised by ESPN2.
The game will also be on V Pass Live Audio at virginiasports.com.
Virginia is looking to break a four-game losing streak. The Cavaliers are 11-9 overall and 1-6 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Virginia is coming off a 72-65 overtime loss at Virginia Tech on Saturday (Feb. 2). It was the Cavaliers’ second overtime loss of the season to the Hokies and their third overtime loss in the last six games.
Senior guard Sean Singletary led UVa with 26 points and five rebounds in the loss at Virginia Tech. Singletary’s 26-point effort came after he scored 23 points in an 85-75 loss at Maryland on Jan. 30. He now has had 20 or more points in a game 36 times in his career, including nine times this season.
Sophomore forward Jamil Tucker scored 10 points and had five rebounds for the Cavaliers off the bench on Saturday against Virginia Tech.
Singletary leads the Cavaliers in scoring and in assists with averages of 18.7 points and 6.3 assists a game. He ranks second in the ACC in assists and third in scoring. He is a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and is one of the top 30 candidates for both the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy. The Cousy Award is given to the nation’s top collegiate point guard, while the Wooden Award and the Naismith Trophy recognize the top collegiate basketball player.
In addition to Singletary, two other Virginia players are averaging in double figures in scoring. Junior forward/guard Mamadi Diane is averaging 12.4 points a game and senior forward Adrian Joseph is averaging 11.8 points and a team-leading 7.5 rebounds a game.
Clemson enters Thursday’s game with an overall record of 16-5 and a 4-3 record in the ACC. The Tigers are coming off a 78-56 home victory over Boston College on Saturday (Feb. 2). Clemson opened the season with 10 consecutive victories and have won four of their last six games.
The Tigers have five players averaging in double figures in scoring. Junior guard/forward K.C. Rivers leads Clemson in scoring with an average of 15.1 points a game. Sophomore center/forward Trevor Booker (11.9 ppg.), freshman guard Terrence Oglesby (11.3 ppg.), senior forward James Mays (11.1 ppg.) and senior guard Cliff Hammonds (10.5 ppg.) are also averaging in double figures in scoring for the Tigers. Booker leads the Tigers in rebounding with an average of 8.1 rebounds a game and Mays is averaging 7.1 rebounds a game. Hammonds is Clemson’s leader in assists with an average of 3.9 a game.
Clemson is averaging 81.1 points a game and allowing an average of 69.1 points a game.
Oliver Purnell is in his fifth season as head coach of the Tigers. His Clemson teams have compiled an overall record of 86-63. He is in his 20th season as a collegiate head coach and his teams have an overall record of 342-254. Clemson has participated in the National Invitation Tournament each of the last three years and was the tournament’s runner-up last season.
Virginia leads the overall series with Clemson 65-47 and the Cavaliers lead 38-15 in games played in Charlottesville. The Cavaliers have won eight of the last nine games between the two teams in Charlottesville.
Thursday’s game is the only one between the two teams during the 2007-08 regular season.