Virginia (5-3, 1-0 ACC) jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and led the Hokies by as many as 14 in the first half. Tech (4-4, 0-1 ACC) closed to within two points on two occasions in the final two minutes, but Mike Scott hit a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left following a breakaway on which Hokie forward Jeff Allen was called for an intentional foul, and Mustapha Farrakhan followed with another pair to make it 57-51 UVa. with 16.8 seconds to go.

Malcolm Delaney, who led all scorers with 26 points following his dismal 2-for-18 shooting night against Purdue in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, hit a three from NBA range to close the Hokies to within 57-54. Joe Harris and Scott both missed the front ends of one-and-ones to give Hudson a shot at sending the game into overtime, but Virginia rebounded the airball and ran out the clock.

More UVa. and Virginia Tech sports at VaSportsOnline.com.

Scott led Virginia with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and a game-high 14 rebounds. Delaney hit on 10 of his 15 field-goal attempts for Virginia Tech, which held Virginia to 21 second-half points.

Only two other players were in double figures – Tech’s Allen with 12 points and UVa.’s Harris with 10.

Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

A desperation Dorenzo Hudson three-pointer fell short, leaving a second-half comeback attempt by Virginia Tech short as Virginia knocked off its in-state rival 57-54 Sunday night.

Virginia (5-3, 1-0 ACC) jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and led the Hokies by as many as 14 in the first half. Tech (4-4, 0-1 ACC) closed to within two points on two occasions in the final two minutes, but Mike Scott hit a pair of free throws with 18 seconds left following a breakaway on which Hokie forward Jeff Allen was called for an intentional foul, and Mustapha Farrakhan followed with another pair to make it 57-51 UVa. with 16.8 seconds to go.

Malcolm Delaney, who led all scorers with 26 points following his dismal 2-for-18 shooting night against Purdue in the ACC-Big 10 Challenge, hit a three from NBA range to close the Hokies to within 57-54. Joe Harris and Scott both missed the front ends of one-and-ones to give Hudson a shot at sending the game into overtime, but Virginia rebounded the airball and ran out the clock.

Scott led Virginia with 21 points on 9-of-14 shooting from the field and a game-high 14 rebounds. Delaney hit on 10 of his 15 field-goal attempts for Virginia Tech, which held Virginia to 21 second-half points.

Only two other players were in double figures – Tech’s Allen with 12 points and UVa.’s Harris with 10.

Story by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

“I thought the essay contest and fanatic fan club Mike London created leading up to football season was a great idea,” Bennett said. “Our fans really made a difference in some of our home wins last season with their vocal support. I want to help create the best home-court advantage for our team.”

To enter the contest fans must submit an essay that answers these questions: Why are you crazy about Virginia basketball, and how do you show your Cavalier spirit?

Link to the rest of the story on VaSportsOnline.com.

“I thought the essay contest and fanatic fan club Mike London created leading up to football season was a great idea,” Bennett said. “Our fans really made a difference in some of our home wins last season with their vocal support. I want to help create the best home-court advantage for our team.”

To enter the contest fans must submit an essay that answers these questions: Why are you crazy about Virginia basketball, and how do you show your Cavalier spirit?

The submission must be 1,000 words or less. A picture of the fan in his or her best Virginia gear must also be submitted to support the essay with the entrant’s name, age, address, phone number, and e-mail address. All e-mail submissions should be sent to fanaticcavalier@virginia.edu.

Entries may also be submitted by mail to:

University of Virginia Sports Marketing and Promotions Office

Attention: Tony Bennett Fanatic Cavalier Club Essay Contest

P.O. Box 400854

Charlottesville, VA 22904

The submission deadline is Friday, Oct. 15, at 5 p.m. Late entries will not be accepted.

A committee, including Coach Bennett, will judge the submissions and determine the 25 winners. The contest winners will be announced on Friday, Oct. 29. Each winner will receive two (2) 2010-11 Virginia men’s basketball season tickets.

Each winner must make a commitment to attend every Virginia men’s basketball home game, use each ticket in his or her allotment, and not wear apparel containing the logos of other intercollegiate teams.

Members of Tony Bennett’s Fanatic Cavalier Club are expected to be role models for other fans throughout John Paul Jones Arena in showing their support for the Virginia men’s basketball team.

Season tickets awarded as prizes through the essay contest can neither be moved from this area nor can they be returned to coincide with an existing season ticket purchase.

Existing 2010-11 Virginia men’s basketball season ticket holders chosen as winners may either: 1) receive the tickets in the Tony Bennett Fanatic Cavalier Club section for the 2010-11 season and keep the seats they purchased for the 2010-11 season or 2) receive the tickets in the Tony Bennett Fanatic Cavalier Club section for the 2010-11 season, return the season tickets they purchased for the 2010-11 season to the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office, and receive a credit towards the purchase of 2011-12 season tickets.

There is no guarantee that season tickets returned to the Virginia Athletics Ticket Office will be available to be purchased in that location in the future. Fans may only win season tickets as part of the club for one season.
 
 

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

The Cavaliers are also scheduled to participate in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational (Nov. 22-24) and play at Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Link to story on VaSportsOnline.com.

The Cavaliers are also scheduled to participate in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational (Nov. 22-24) and play at Minnesota in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.

Among the teams scheduled to visit UVa’s John Paul Jones Arena during the 2010-11 season in addition to Iowa State, LSU and Oregon are ACC opponents Boston College, Clemson, 2010 NCAA champion Duke, Georgia Tech, Maryland, North Carolina, NC State and Virginia Tech. The Cavaliers also host non-conference opponents Howard, Norfolk State, Radford, Seattle, USC Upstate and William & Mary.

Virginia has compiled an overall record of 49-22 in four seasons playing at home in the John Paul Jones Arena.

UVa’s 2010-11 road schedule features the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational, games at Minnesota and Stanford, and eight games against ACC opponents. The Cavaliers are scheduled to play ACC games at Boston College, Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.

Virginia plays Washington in the EA SPORTS Maui Invitational on Nov. 22. Other teams participating in the tournament include Chaminade, Connecticut, Kentucky, Michigan State, Oklahoma and Wichita State. Remaining school Booster Tickets, which are good for entry to all three games in which a particular school participates, can be purchased via the tournament website at mauiinvitational.com only (no phone calls).

The Cavaliers open the season against William & Mary at the John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 12.

Virginia will play at least 11 games against teams that participated in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and at least five games against teams that participated in the 2010 National Invitation Tournament.
 
 

Edited by Chris Graham. Chris can be reached at freepress2@ntelos.net.

it’s been a while since the ACC has been a relevant factor on the national-championship scene. Virginia Tech seems poised to make some noise to that end in 2010.

“That’s our goal. I think if you’re in the hunt enough times, one of these days, it’s going to work out. That’s our plan. There’s no denying that that’s our goal at Virginia Tech. That’s our plan,” said Tech coach Frank Beamer, once again the preseason favorite to win the Atlantic Coast Conference and a solid #6 in the preseason USA Today coaches poll.

Beamer’s Hokies have been in the hunt off and on for the last decade, starting with the 1999 team that went 11-0 in the regular season and took a lead into the fourth quarter of an eventual 46-29 national-title game loss to Florida State.

Link to story on TheNewDominion.com.

“I make the joke that I’ve spoken to the Boys Club, the Girls Club, the Rotary Club, the Hair Club for Men, I’ve done all those things, from Rhode Island to Florida. But that’s necessary, I think, when there’s change,” said Mike London, the new football coach at the University of Virginia, fresh off a pair of playoff runs at I-AA Richmond.

From those playoff runs, including the 2008 I-AA national title, London inherits from his former mentor, Al Groh, a team picked by the writers at the 2010 ACC Football Kickoff to finish dead last in the six-team ACC Coastal, with the general consensus among the cognoscenti that UVa. might be fortunate to win three games in 2010.

“I don’t think I need to use that as a motivating factor for our team. We are what people think we are,” London said at the Kickoff. “All I’m worried about is what we think about ourselves and how we do on the field. So far what I think about my players – my thoughts are positive thoughts about where we are, what we’re doing. The season starts pretty soon, and we’ll talk again, I would assume, after the season is over.”

Link to story on TheNewDominion.com.

The problem with trying to use the 3-4 in college, as former Virginia coach Al Groh found out, comes in recruiting players to fit the scheme.

“I like the 3-4. I think it is a great defense, but it is a little harder to recruit to because of the size of the guys that you’ve got to get,” said Anthony Poindexter, a former All-America at safety and holdover from the Groh regime now on staff with new UVa. coach Mike London.

Link to story on TheNewDominion.com.