RALEIGH, N.C.-The Virginia men's basketball team brought a No. 6 ranking to Raleigh last night for an ACC match-up with unranked North Carolina State. The Cavaliers emerged whipped, 90-80, and left floating in the middle of the conference table with a 5-5 ACC record.
Perhaps the sole bright point in the first half for Virginia (16-5) was senior guard Donald Hand's three-pointer following the tip-off. A lackluster first six minutes saw the Cavaliers take a 10-8 lead. But more importantly, center Travis Watson, held out of practice this week with a hip pointer, picked up two early fouls that further limited him.
The Wolfpack (11-10, 3-6 ACC) responded with a 20-5 run over the next six and a half minutes and settled into a 28-15 lead that they never relinquished.
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"We just didn't respond with intensity and the fire," Virginia coach Pete Gillen said. "It takes fire to fight fire in the ACC and we didn't have it. We didn't come out aggressive enough offensively. We didn't start until we were 12-to-14 down. We didn't come out in the first half."
The Cavaliers shot only 7-for-21 from the field in the first half and just 3-for-10 from beyond the arc. They turned the ball over 15 times to the 'Pack's nine times.
Most telling was N.C. State's 16-3 lead on second-chance points, a physical advantage that they only continued to exploit as the Cavaliers ran into uncharacteristic foul trouble.
Virginia pulled to within 12 at the half, trailing 36-24, leaving some hope that they could repeat their come-back victory against the Wolfpack on Jan. 6.
The Cavaliers came out stronger in the second half and implemented a press defense that slowed N.C. State at first. Virginia pulled to within eight points with 16 minutes remaining, but that was as close as they got. Donald Hand, who led the Cavaliers with 29 points, contributed 21 points in the second half before he fouled out in the final seconds.
"They beat us to everything," Hand said. "We let down, and in the second half, it was too late."
However, Travis Watson's fifth foul, with 7 minutes, 58 seconds remaining, proved the end for the Cavaliers' chances. Watson, who scored 15 against Maryland, all in the second half, was halted at just five points.
The Wolfpack dictated pace and style, exploiting the vacant center and posting the ball inside to 6-foot-9 center Ron Kelley, who finished with 12 points.
"We weren't swinging the ball enough, we were pounding, looking for the dribble," Hand said. "That's not the way we do it."
The second half belonged to N.C. State forward Kenny Inge, who poured in 21 in the half and 29 for the game, including several dunks.
The Cavaliers' 35 personal fouls were nearly twice their season average, and the foul shooting edge, normally a big advantage for Virginia, went instead to N.C. State, as the 'Pack stepped to the line four more times than the Cavaliers. Virginia did win the rebounding battle 33-31, though the Wolfpack were 18-for-25 in the second half.
Virginia finished with four players in double figures: Hand (29), sophomore guard Roger Mason Jr. (12) and junior forward Adam Hall (12) and junior forward Chris Williams (10).
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