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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- After four consecutive defeats,
Virginia coach Pete Gillen decided to shake up the starting lineup.
With two freshmen moving into the starting five, the Cavaliers (No. 8 ESPN/USA Today; No. 10 Associated Press) got 61 points from the other three Sunday and ended their
losing streak with an 85-71 victory over Clemson.
"It wasn't that those guys were the problem; it was the
group," Gillen said of freshman point guard Keith Jenifer and
forward J.C. Mathis, who gave up their starting spots to Jermaine
Harper and Jason Clark. "We lost four in a row. We had to get a
change."
Roger Mason Jr. scored 23 points and sparked a 15-0 second-half
run for the Cavaliers, who took control only after Clemson tied the
game with 15:10 left.
Travis Watson had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Virginia, while
Chris Williams had 18 points, 15 in the second half.
"Their three go-to guys really made the difference in the
game," Clemson coach Larry Shyatt said.
Virginia (15-6, 5-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) led almost
throughout until Jamar McKnight's 3-pointer with 15:10 left tied it
at 50. The Tigers (11-13, 2-9) then fell victim to the Cavaliers'
full-court pressure and lost their eighth in a row.
After converting two free throws, Mason stole the ball in the
backcourt and hit a quick layup to make it 56-50. Then, with the
score 58-50, Watson stole the ball and Edward Scott was called for
an intentional foul as he pulled on Watson's shorts to keep him
from the basket. Watson hit both foul shots to give Virginia a
10-point lead.
"I thought our pressure really got us going, gave us a little
energy," Gillen said.
"We just wanted to keep going at them," Mason said. "Our guys
got hyped, they turned the ball over and we got some buckets."
Both coaches agreed that a key to Virginia's run was its ability
to get the ball away from Scott, who had done an excellent job
handling the Cavaliers' pressure in the first half.
"We felt that he was the straw that stirs their drink," Gillen
said. "We wanted to keep it out of his hands."
Scott had eight assists, but only one in the second half.
McKnight had 18 points for the Tigers, whose losing streak
started right after it stunned Virginia on Jan. 8.
Clemson managed just four shots during the Cavaliers' run, which
lasted four minutes and put an end to a winning drought for
Virginia that included losses to No. 1 Duke, No. 3 Maryland, No. 22
Missouri and North Carolina State.
"This was a badly needed victory. It would have been a really
big hurdle to overcome" if we had lost, Gillen said. "They were
reeling. We were reeling."
Clemson's inside game suffered after 6-foot-10 forward Tomas
Nagys, who had scored six points, rolled his ankle on a shot midway
through the first half. He did not return.
Williams, who has been chided by Gillen for playing tentatively,
responded in the second half, going 4-for-6 from the field.
"He had a great second half. He was more aggressive and we need
him to be more aggressive," Gillen said. | 
