At 14-14 overall and 4-11 in the conference going into Sunday's game against Maryland, even a convincing win in the Cavaliers' final home game could not make things right. With fans bidding farewell to senior guard Sean Singletary and the rest of the graduating class, however, Virginia could not have gotten more from the season finale in its 91-76 victory.
With Singletary a mere 25 points shy of 2,000 coming into Sunday, a milestone reached by only four other Cavaliers and 38 players in ACC history, the senior put on one of his most superb performances of the season on his way to a 27-point effort. When the score was 80-73 in Virginia's favor and less than three minutes remained, the senior was particularly marvelous, tallying a steal, 4 points and an alley-oop assist in a 38-second flurry to seal the game, putting in points 1,998 to 2,002 in the process.
"I was aware [of reaching 2,000 points] when everybody started applauding, and saw it on the screen," Singletary said. "I wasn't really aware before the game."
Before the game, Singletary and fellow seniors Adrian Joseph, Ryan Pettinella and the injured Tunji Soroye were all honored, and Singletary's jersey was retired. Singletary responded by shooting 8 for 15 from the floor, hitting a perfect 9 for 9 from the free-throw line, and adding eight assists.
"Somebody had asked me the question, 'Do you think with all the festivities and distractions that it might throw a guy off as it sometimes does?'" coach Dave Leitao said. "I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Sean only uses that as motivation."
Far overshadowed by the emotions of Singletary's last game in John Paul Jones Arena was the importance of this game for the Terrapins (18-13, 8-8 ACC). Coming into this game at 8-7 in the conference after blowing a 20-point lead in a loss to Clemson a week earlier, Maryland desperately needed a victory as it continues to tempt the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to leave the team out of the field of 65. A loss to Virginia, which is 10th in the ACC, further damaged the Terrapins' resume because it became the only one of Virginia's opponents with a current conference record better than .500 to suffer a loss to the Cavaliers. After shooting 62.5 percent in the second half, Virginia also became the first of Maryland's opponents to make half of its field goals, as the Cavaliers shot exactly 50 percent on the night.
Leitao "just also stressed on that ... they need this game to win in order to be able to get an NCAA [berth]," Joseph said. "That was kind of a confidence boost to take that away from them."
Six Cavaliers finished in double figures in the victory, the most since Dec. 30, 2001. Joseph finished with 13 points while tying a career high with four made free throws.
"You'd like to think it was one for all, all for one mentality today," Leitao said. "This season, and all seasons, are for the seniors, and it's something that they can remember when they've got big bellies and they've got gray hair or going bald."
Junior Lars Mikalauskas also continued to impress in his seventh game back from a shoulder injury. The Lithuanian scored 11 points for a career-high fourth consecutive game in double figures and added three assists, two of which were for dunks out of the low post.
"If you look at the big games we've won, he always played a major role," Singletary said. "He's got a high basketball IQ; can't jump over a sheet of paper, but he's smart."
Singletary added that he thought Virginia was definitely missing something during its losing streak -- looking back at the Cavaliers' last seven games, that missing piece was Lars' energy and intelligence.
The win against Maryland capped a busy final stretch of Virginia's season. Before the finale, the Cavaliers played three games in a five-day span during the students' spring holiday, splitting a pair of down-to-the-wire road games in a 95-93 loss at Miami and a 76-74 win at Georgia Tech before falling to Duke at home 86-70.
Though Virginia was guaranteed the 10th seed in the ACC Tournament regardless of Sunday's outcome, the team now sits alone in the conference standings with five wins as a result of the victory, moving past Boston College and N.C. State, which each share a 4-12 record. The team now faces the first round of the ACC Tournament Thursday night at 7 at the Charlotte Bobcats Arena against seventh-seeded Georgia Tech, one of only two conference opponents Virginia has beaten on the road this season.
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