Tigers Continue to Struggle against ACC Competition

January 17, 1999

By HANK KURZ Jr. AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) – Donald Hand scored five of his 27 points in an 11-2 burst that started with 4:28 left Sunday, and Virginia kept No. 25 Clemson’s slide going with a 65-58 victory over the Tigers.

The Tigers (12-6, 1-4 Atlantic Coast) have now lost five of their last six. They also helped end Virginia’s six-game ACC losing streak dating to last season, when the Cavaliers ended an eight-game skid against Clemson.

Virginia (10-8, 1-5) trailed 53-49 after Andrius Jurkunas’ layup with 4:55 left, but scored 11 of the next 13 points. Hand’s three-point play started the run, and his free throws with 1:27 left made it 60-55.

Hand and starting backcourt mate Chezley Watson, who had nine points, combined to outscore the Tigers’ starting guards 36-2. Terrell McIntrye, averaging 24.3 points in his last three games, was 1-for-9 and scored 2 points.

Hand was 6-for-10 from 3-point territory and added six assists.

Clemson missed 14 of its final 15 shots and finished 22-for-57 from the field for 38.6 percent. Virginia was 21-for-46 for 45.7 percent, with nine 3s.

The victory, just Virginia’s second in its last 16 ACC games overall, was its first against a ranked team since it beat No. 16 Maryland on March 2, 1997.

Jurkunas led Clemson with 16 points and Harold Jamison and Vincent Whitt had 13 apiece. Jamison also grabbed 16 rebounds, seven offensive.

With Hand hitting five 3-pointers and scoring 17 points, Virginia led 33-29 at halftime and got a lift from Williams on the defensive end.

Jamison, who already had three huge dunks, was on his way up for another when Williams blocked the shot from behind, bringing a roar from the crowd as Tigers coach Larry Shyatt charged off the bench to protest the non-call.

Shyatt was whistled for a technical foul, Hand made both shots and Williams followed 20 seconds later with a driving layup to make it 33-28.

Virginia’s starting backcourt outscored Clemson’s 24-0 in the half.