On a day that ESPN called Super Tuesday for its excellent college basketball matchups, Virginia basketball was having a Super Tuesday of its own, although nobody expected this game to be close. Down by four points, Virginia guard Sean Singletary knocked down a three-pointer to cut the margin to only one with 8 seconds left against the No. 5 North Carolina Tar Heels. It was a Cinderella story in the making: a team that was 1-8 in the ACC was on the verge of defeating a team with two losses all year. All that was needed was one more possession.
There was just one problem.
The clock struck midnight for Cinderella.
Without a timeout, North Carolina quickly inbounded the ball before Virginia could scramble to foul any of the Tar Heels. The result was many wasted, precious seconds, and the Cavaliers were saddled with a 74-75 loss in front of a raucous crowd at the John Paul Jones Arena.
“When you play very good basketball teams, the margin of error is razor thin,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “You try the best you can, but you can’t play a perfect game. Any mistake leads to something positive on the other end, and that’s what happened a number of times.”
“When you play very good basketball teams, the margin of error is razor thin,” Virginia coach Dave Leitao said. “You try the best you can, but you can’t play a perfect game. Any mistake leads to something positive on the other end, and that’s what happened a number of times.” 
The story of the game was the clash of the titans for each team: Singletary and Tyler Hansbrough. The North Carolina big man may look awkward, and his baby hook may not be all that pretty, but he is effective. In the first half, he shot over any and all Virginia defenders, marching his way towards 17 points before halftime. Although Virginia held him scoreless for most of the second half, they could not do it when it mattered most. Hansbrough (who finished with 23 points) took the ball up and made a basket with 21 seconds left to extend the Carolina lead to 75-71, thereby dealing a severe blow to Virginia’s comeback chances.
“In my recollection of him as a freshman when we were in U-Hall, he was a lot more stationary; you could run doubles at him,” Leitao said. “Last year, he was better, more skilled, and more active. This year, he’s all over the place. You can’t really crowd him as much. He plays through double-teams, he faces up now, and becomes an offensive threat. He’s a terrific player, and much better than when we played him last year.”
Singletary was equally impressive. While the row of NBA scouts may have been looking at Hansbrough, they had to take notice of the Philadelphia’s guard ability to take over the game in the second half. Singletary scored a game-high 27 points, benefiting from his teammates’ finally stepping up and making shots. Singletary also had another lift from an unexpected source.
The rumor had been floating around for weeks. The fans were waiting. And about halfway through the first half, it happened. The Great Lithuanian returned to quite the uproar.
I do not profess to know what kind of lasting memory Lars Mikalauskas will have in Virginia lore, but I do know this. For whatever reason, Hansbrough brings out the best in Mikalauskas. He is truly the giant killer. As a freshman, the Lithuanian shocked everyone with 10 points, 5 boards, and even a rare block in a 72-68 UVA victory. More importantly, he frustrated Hansbrough and held him to 18 points in that game. He continued his strong play last year, even in a loss at Chapel Hill.
This year, coming back from a shoulder injury, Mikalauskas was a catalyst. Sure, his stat line is extremely mundane, as he posted a mere 4 points with a rebound and a foul. But what you do not see from the numbers is his drawing a charge on Hansbrough. What you don’t see is his fist pump that got the crowd in a frenzy. Coming off nearly six weeks since your last game and to be thrown in against an All-American sounds like the diet for someone who is a glutton for punishment. Still, Mikalauskas more than held his own, and it looked like he had not lost a step at all due to injury. His energy revitalized the Cavaliers who were down by 13 when he came in. Virginia was just 3-15 from the floor, but when Lars arrived, the Cavaliers went on a 7-11 shooting spree to take the lead and make this game the classic that it was.
Say what you want, but for reasons beyond my comprehension, Mikalauskas makes Virginia just that much better. He may not even have to be the giant-killer; that is, as long as his teammates believe he is.
“One of the missing pieces all year long is that the back line of our defense has been small and inexperienced,” Leitao said. “To have a bigger body like Lars (Mikalauskas) gives us a bit more presence, gives us a little bit of a lift.”
The other name worth mentioning is Jeff Jones, who may have finally woken up from a long slumber. Jones has started the last two games, and because of Carolina’s speed saw significant minutes. It worked out for the Cavaliers; Jones had 7 points, including a long awaited three-pointer which cut the deficit to 67-64 after Carolina had gone on a run to build back up its lead. Coach Leitao was constantly patting Jones’ on the head and trying to encourage him, a strategy that seems to be working. Jones appeared to be playing with a swagger which had been missing for so long.
“It’s been hard for me as an individual and for the team,” Jones said. “I just kept faith, believing in myself. Coach and my teammates believed. I knew it would come at some point. Fortunately it came today but we didn’t get the win.”
Virginia fans still remember fondly Jones’s performance against Arizona early this season, a game in which we netted 15 points. Unfortunately, the freshman guard has played just like that – a freshman – this year, with as many downs as the team itself.
“I said before my first college game that the biggest part of the college game is mental toughness,” Jones said. “You just have to work hard every single day. I mean we can [play like this] against any team.”
The win would have made Virginia’s season, but despite the improved play and effort, the Cavaliers are responsible for the school’s worst start in 40 years in the ACC at 1-9. The carriage has definitely turned into a pumpkin for last year’s ACC regular season co-champions. In all likelihood, the Cavaliers will not even make the NIT. This was their championship game of sorts, and certainly they should not be ashamed. Virginia can hang its hat on the fact that it did not turn the ball over once in the second half, but it still seems to give up critical offensive rebounds to the other team. Adrian Joseph continued to struggle defensively in the second half. The senior co-captain may be talented, but with this depleted roster, he has been forced into a position that his size wont allow him to play; he simply cannot fill the role Virginia needed someone to fill. Mamadi Diane had been struggling epically until last night, and after an air-ball three point shot, he finally seemed to get into a rhythm, turning in 9 points and 7 boards. Still, Virginia needs not just one but both of their wings to play at a high level for success. They are still that one or two plays away from turning these losses into wins.
“A loss is a loss, there’s nothing we can do about that,” sophomore Jamil Tucker, who finished with five points, said. “Now we see how we have to play, we have to play with that intensity and that heart everyday.”
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