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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -- Virginia has won a school-record 23
consecutive regular-season games against nonconference opponents, but
coach Pete Gillen wasn't too happy after the fifth-ranked
Cavaliers' latest, a 75-54 victory over Charleston Southern on
Monday night.
"We did an excellent job in the first half, especially
defensively, holding them to only 20 points," Gillen said. "In
the second half, we lost concentration, they beat us on the boards
and they shot 51.7 percent."
Virginia (6-0) shot just 36 percent in the second half, cooling
off from a 15-for-32 performance in the first half.
"We were up 20 points, but you have to put people away and keep
them away," Gillen said.
Travis Watson scored 16 points for Virginia and Chris Williams
added 12.
The Buccaneers (3-5), who shot just 35.5 percent from the field,
never threatened after the first five minutes.
It was the first meeting between the schools, as well as
Virginia's final tuneup before Thursday night's game with No. 16
Georgetown at MCI Center in Washington.
Gene Granger led Charleston Southern with 13 points, while
reserve Chris Warzynski had eight points and 10 rebounds.
Virginia capitalized on a sloppy start by Charleston Southern,
which was 7-of-33 from the field in the first half.
The Cavaliers converted 11 turnovers into 15 points and the
Buccaneers scored no points off turnovers as Virginia took a 45-20
halftime lead.
The Buccaneers outrebounded Virginia 41-40 but the Cavaliers had
22 second-chance points to seven for Charleston Southern.
Poor free throw shooting continued to plague the Cavaliers, who
went just 20-of-34 from the line. Virginia had made 65.4 percent of
its foul shots entering the game.
"We experienced an excellent basketball team in the first half,
very talented and playing so well together," Charleston Southern
coach Jim Platt said.
Charleston Southern cut the lead under 20 points just once in
the second half during a messy stretch for Virginia that allowed
the Buccaneers to reach 51-32 with 13:10 left. But Virginia
freshman Jermaine Harper hit a 3-pointer from the corner on the
ensuing play and the Cavaliers weren't threatened after that.
"I thought our kids played an excellent basketball half in the
second half, and certainly we have to learn to do that over an
extended period of time if we are going to have a chance against
this level of competition," Platt said.
It was the first of six consecutive road games for Charleston
Southern, including two more against ACC teams.
Freshman guard Adam Hall, who had nine points and nine rebounds,
said Virginia has more work to do to live up to its lofty ranking.
"In the first half, we executed. In the second half, we eased
off a little," he said. "The effort has to be a lot higher. The
emotion has to be higher than it was tonight."
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