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CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) -Sylven Landesberg nailed a layup with 13 seconds left and sank a free throw six seconds later to seal Virginia's 77-75 victory over the University of South Florida on Wednesday night.
Down three with a 1:19 to play, USF sophomore guard Dominique Jones drove to the basket to make it 74-73 UVa with 1:11 to go. After two missed free throws by the Cavaliers, Jones drew a foul with 38 seconds remaining and nailed both free throws to put USF up 75-74.
After a Virginia timeout, Landesberg hit the go-ahead layup. After the layup Jones just missed a runner in the lane that would have put the Bulls back ahead. Then Landesberg missed his second free throw and Jones again just missed a shot in the lane that would have sent the game to overtime.
Landesberg finished with 21 points for the Cavaliers (2-0), and Jamil Tucker added 15 points and a team-high seven rebounds in the win. Tucker also went 2-for-3 from behind the arc.
Jones scored a game-high 23 for the Bulls (1-1), and Jesus Verdejo added 22 and was 4-for-7 from 3-point range as USF led for a large majority of this close knit affair. There were 19 lead changes and 14 ties. The Bulls largest lead was eight and Virginia's three.
The Bulls shot 49.2 percent from the field (32 for 65) compared to a 40.3 mark (27 of 67) for the Cavaliers, but went just 6-for-12 from the free-throw line. The Cavaliers sank 18 of their 28 free throws, including the second half that saw UVa attempt 26 free throws to USF's six.
Game Notes
? Senior guard Jesus Verdejo poured in a career-high 22 points, going 9-15 from the field and 4-7 from 3-point range. His previous career high was 20, done twice before (11/24/07 vs. East Carolina and 12/17/06 vs. Norfolk State).
? Verdejo has totaled 40 points over the last two games, the best back-to-back scoring performances of his career. His previous high was 36, done twice over a three-game stretch last season when he scored 19 points, 17 and 19 in three consecutive games. The 55 scored in those three games is the best three-game scoring total of his career and he can best that with 16 points vs. High Point.
? Verdejo also matched his career high for 3-pointers made with four for the second consecutive game. It is his third time overall with four 3-pointers in a game and the eight made the past two games is the best two-game total of his career. He made seven over two games last year vs. East Carolina and FIU.
? With his 22 points vs. UVa, Verdejo has eclipsed the 500 career point mark. He now has 515 career points.
? Verdejo is also moving up the all-time 3-point made list. He has 65 career 3-pointers, good for 14th on the all-time list.
? Sophomore Dominique Jones tallied a game-high 23 points vs. Virginia. He has now scored in double figures in 30 of his 33 career games, including both this season.
? Jones has scored 20 or more points 11 times in his career, which is one every three games played so far in his career.
? Jones led the team in assists for the second straight game with five. With his six assists vs. SMU he has more than five assists in both games this season after having only four games all of last year with five or more assists (two five assist games, a six assist game and a seven assist game).
? With 23 points at Virginia, Jones now has 567 career points, just 14 points behind Solomon Jones at 581 for 53rd all-time on the Bulls scoring list. He could potentially also move past Cal Glover at 582 and into 52nd.
? USF had two 20-point scorers against Virginia, Jones with 23 and Verdejo with 22. The Bulls had three games last year with two players scoring 20 or more points in the same game (Kentrell Gransberry 21 and Aaron Holmes 20 vs. Winston-Salem State; Gransberry 20 and Jones 24 vs. Rutgers at home; and Gransberry 23 and Jones 29 vs. Syracuse at home).
? Junior transfer Alex Rivas continues to impress despite not being 100 percent healthy due to having rods placed in both tibias in May. Against UVa, Rivas posted career highs in points (10) and rebounds (9), just missing a double-double in his second career game at the DI level. He did sprain his right ankle late in the game.
? Junior guard Chris Howard had three assists at Virginia, giving him 235 for his career to move into 15th on the all-time USF list. He is 13 behind Lewis Card (248, 1982-83) for 14th place.
? The USF rebounding by committee approach continues to work through two games. The four post-players for the Bulls: Mobolaji Ajayi, Aris Williams, Eladio Espinosa and Alex Rivas, have combined for more than 20 rebounds in both games this season. Against Virginia the group pulled down 21 boards after hauling in 22 vs. SMU.
? Williams made just his third career start and the first since early in the 2006-07 season.
? USF is now 0-1 all-time vs. Virginia. The Cavaliers travel to Tampa for a return game next season.
