It may have been a symbolic final stand as Virginia coach Pete Gillen still had his players fouling while down 78-69 with 1:10 remaining in last night's game against N.C. State. Eternally optimistic, he may have been trying to show the fans at University Hall that it was never too late for a new beginning. His Cavaliers had tied the game at 40 points each three minutes into the second half, prepping Virginia fans for a marathon finish.
Yet, from that point, the home team struggled with defensive pressure and fell to the Wolfpack, 82-72.
N.C. State jumped ahead to an 8-0 lead within the first three minutes of the game but was outscored 20-12 in the next eight minutes as the Cavaliers switched from possession to motion offense.
"We tried to control the tempo early, but we couldn't make a shot -- we couldn't score," Gillen said. "We had to pick up the tempo of the game, and that worked more effectively for them."
From the 7:41 mark until the break, the teams played evenly, but the Wolfpack entered the locker room with a 36-31 lead.
In the first half, Virginia forward Jason Cain scored six of the first eight of his team's points, and guard T.J. Bannister tallied four assists on just one turnover. Cavalier point guard Sean Singletary led all Virginia scorers with eight points, three times proving his ability to drive into the paint to convert a short field goal.
The Cavaliers tied the score four times throughout the contest, but were never able to muster a lead change.
By the 15:20 mark in the second half, however, the Wolfpack pulled ahead for good, 48-40.
After halftime, the Virginia defense faltered, allowing the Wolfpack to shoot 55 percent from the field. The Cavaliers also accumulated 22 fouls between the break and the buzzer to put N.C. State on the free throw line 34 times.
Cain notched a stellar performance in 21 minutes of play, knocking down a career-high 13 points and grabbing eight rebounds.
For the Wolfpack, forward Julius Hodge attempted just five field goals but made 11-of-15 free throws to amass 17 points. When Hodge could not get an open shot, center Jordan Collins and point guard Tony Bethel stepped into the scoring role. Each totaled 16 points with just four combined turnovers.
With the loss, the Cavaliers fell to 3-9 when trailing at halftime and 13-13 overall (4-11 ACC).
Following the game, the rumble of conversation anticipated that last night's matchup may have been Gillen's final coaching appearance at Virginia.
"We'll see," Gillen said when approached with that prospect. "Time will tell. We still have one more game left and the ACC tournament."
Singletary, who fouled out late in the second half with a team-high 17 points, was quick to cut into the speculation.
"I don't really take a liking to that," he said in defense of his coach. "He's doing his best, and you can't blame any of the losses on him because he's not out there playing. He's preparing us well, but we're not going out there and getting it done."
Nearing the end of the third-toughest schedule in the nation, the debate on Gillen's future continues to escalate.
His final arguments will be made at Florida State this weekend and in next week's ACC tournament, with an ultimate decision undoubtedly imminent this offseason.
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