Cavs Retire Singletary’s Number, Beat Maryland

AP Wires
Published: March 9, 2008

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va (AP) - In a span of just over 30 seconds,
Sean Singletary made sure his senior night would have a good
ending, and offered a quick and dazzling highlight film of what has
made him one of the best players Virginia has ever had.
    Singletary scored 27 points in what was likely his final home
game at Virginia and had an historic basket and spectacular pass
that helped salt away the Cavaliers’ 91-76 victory against Maryland
on Sunday night, all with his retired jersey hanging overhead.
    “He saved his best for last,“ Virginia coach Dave Leitao said.
“I’m not sure than any coach or any person could be given more by
an individual than I’ve been given in the three years that we’ve
been together, and not just a performance like that today.“
    But for a capper, though, it was pretty dynamic. He also had six
rebounds and eight assists, and stretched his double-figures
scoring streak to an ACC-high 51 games.
    Honored with three other seniors beforehand, Singletary became
the fifth 2,000-point scorer in school history with a layup that
halted the Terrapins’ final threat, then had a steal and alley-oop
pass to Mamadi Diane for a clinching exclamation mark.
    “Fortunately we had everybody knocking down shots and playing
defense and playing with a lot of energy,“ Singletary said. “It
made it sweet for me.“
    Especially in a season that hasn’t been what he expected from
the Cavaliers (15-14, 5-11 Atlantic Coast Conference), who shared
the league regular season title last year.
    “This hasn’t been the best season since I’ve been here,“ he
said. “We really haven’t been playing that well this year. This
win just made me really happy.“
    It had the opposite affect on the Terrapins (18-13, 8-8), who
lost for the fourth time in five games and are going in the wrong
direction for a team with NCAA hopes.
    Coach Gary Williams said the Terps’ options now are quite
limited.
    “We win the ACC tournament, we go to the NCAA,“ he said.
“That solves it.“
    For a change for Virginia, Singletary’s heroics didn’t go for
naught. In their best performance in months, the Cavaliers had six
players score in double figures.
    Singletary wasn’t sure the effort was a tribute to him, but was
appreciative and ever hopeful as the Cavaliers also could face a
win it all or go home ACC scenario.
    “Their actions spoke louder than anything they could have
said,“ he said of his teammates’ determination. “I think this
game give us a lot of confidence.“
    As was fitting for the occasion, Singletary was spectacular most
of the night, and the crowd rose and cheered wildly when he was
removed with 36.6 seconds to play.
    Singletary also sparked the run that gave Virginia command,
scoring on a layup with a 360-degree spin and then hitting two free
throws to begin a 13-3 burst that gave the Cavaliers a 51-44 lead
with 15:40 to go. The run ended when Singletary first threw in an
underhand layup in traffic, then fed Jamil Tucker for a 3-pointer
from the corner.
    Maryland closed to within 67-64 on Landon Milbourne’s dunk with
7:16 to play, but Laurynas Mikalauskas hit a pair of free throws
and Tucker scored, pushing the lead back to seven, and Singletary
took over shortly thereafter to ensure the victory.
    On the alley oop pass, Diane and Tucker were running
side-by-side towards the hoop, and Diane’s inside position gave him
a leg up, as though he was boxing Tucker out.
    “I wondered if I got two assists for that,“ Singletary said,
laughing.
    Greivis Vasquez led Maryland with 16 points and nine assists,
Adrian Bowie scored 15, Bambale Osby 14 and Milbourne 12.
    Tucker and Adrian Joseph added 13 each for Virginia, Diane had
12 and Mikalauskas and Calvin Baker each scored 11.
    Virginia, now assured of at least a .500 record, will play

seventh-seeded Georgia Tech in the first round of the ACC
tournament on Thursday in Charlotte, N.C. The sixth-seeded Terps
will play Boston College in the final game Thursday night.
    “We have to get tough,“ Vasquez said. “People who go through
this type of situation, if you’re not tough, you won’t go forward
in a good way.“