Virginia survives scare from UNC-Wilmington

The University of Virginia's men's basketball team survived a scare on Monday night from the UNC-Wilmington Seahawks. The Cavaliers needed a fifteen foot jumper by Sylven Landesberg with only 2.2 seconds remaining to escape with a 69-67 victory. With the win the Hoos extend their winning streak to eight games and can now turn their attention to Saturday's upcoming contest against Wake Forest on the road in Winston-Salem, NC. The four day break between games is likely welcomed by the Virginia team which has played three games in the span of just six days. The need for the rest was evidenced by the Cavaliers' less than stellar performance shooting from the field at just over 42% on the whole against UNC-W. Virginia also made only three of ten from three point range in the game. Their shooting woes however did not follow them to the free throw line tonight as they made an impressive twenty of twenty-four attempts for the game. That performance from the line was one of the big differences in the game as the Seahawks were only able to reach the line five times during the course of the entire game.

The winning streak that Virginia is currently enjoying has many fans of the Hoos cautiously optimistic about the prospects for the remainder of the season and even the possibility of a bid to the NCAA tournament in March. The Hoos are 3-0 in the Atlantic Coast Conference for the first time since the '94-'95 season and have the opportunity on Saturday to go 4-0 in the ACC for the first time since the '92-'93 season. The '92-'93 and '94-'95 teams were both Sweet Sixteen teams with the '94-'95 team making it to the Elite Eight before being knocked out by eventual national runner-up, Arkansas. References to those teams are not made in an effort to raise expectations for the current squad but to shed some perspective onto the success that has already been achieved by Tony Bennett and his team.

In order for the Hoos to continue to win games and raise the possibility of an invitation to the NCAA tournament, they must continue to do the little things, like making free throws, that win basketball games. Tonight's game shows just how easy it will be going forward for any one of Virginia's remaining opponents to knock them off if they do not continue to work hard at all aspects of the game. There are of course games remaining on the schedule that will not go the Cavaliers' way. One would have to be delusional to think otherwise but if the Hoos continue to work hard, give great effort as they have of late, and continue to do the little things, Virginia will take home some victories in close games that they otherwise might not. Those wins might ultimately make the difference in the Cavaliers earning a trip back to the NCAA tournament.