European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 1, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 26the stars and stripes wednesday april 1,1992college basketball notre Dame Virginia gain final technical on Utah coach helps Irish win 58-55 by the associated press new York a Rick Majerus lost his Cool and Utah lost the game. Daimon Sweet hit two free throws with 9,7 seconds left following a technical on the Utah coach helping notre Dame hold off the utes for a 58-55 Victory monday night in the semifinals of the nit at Madison Square Garden. Utah 23-11which trailed by 14 Points in the first half took its Only Lead of the game when Phil Dixon a 3-Pointer with 34 seconds remaining put the utes ahead 55-54. But on notre Dames next Possession Majerus went wild after a foul was called on Utah a Paul Aflaki for pushing Lap hons Ellis. Majerus pounded his fist and threw a clipboard on the scorers table earning him a technical from referee John Cahill Ellis then made one of two free throws and Sweet converted both technical foul shots to put the Irish 18-14 ahead 5755. Following two timeouts notre Dames Elmer Bennett was fouled on the inbound play and hit one of two free throws to make it 58-55. Utah had a final Chance to tie it but Dixon missed a 3-Pointer As time ran out sending notre Dame to its third National invitation tournament final. The Irish who lost the championship game in 1973 and 1984, will play Virginia for the title wednesday night. The Cavaliers downed Florida 62-56 monday night in the earlier semifinal. �?o1 feel bad a Majerus said of his costly outburst. A i was wrong and i Cost my team the game. It the technical was deserved. I lost  however Majerus insisted that the foul Call that triggered the technical was a bad one. Ellis Ciri bled the Ball off his foot As the foul was called and a Utah player picked it up. �?�1 thought Ellis hit the Ball off his foot and we covered it a Majerus said. A a it a a shame that the game has to be decided by that kind of Call a asked if he was mad at the officials who had called a technical on the Utah Bench earlier in the second half Majerus said a a in a not going to ask any of them on a camping trip this summer. Notre Dame coach John Macleod who used to coach the new York kicks in the Garden defended the crucial Call. A i thought he got bumped and i was looking right at the play a Macleod said. A the official had no one in front of him to Block his View and there was no hesitation in blowing the  Ellis who went scoreless for nearly 20 minutes after making four baskets in the first nine minutes of the game finished with 15 Points. Bennett also had 15 Points for notre Dame while Sweet had 13. Aflaki a 6-foot-10 senior from Tonga led Utah with 15 Points. Jimmy Soto added 14 Points for the utes. The game was a defensive struggle with notre Dame shooting 39 percent from the Field and Utah 40 percent both teams also shot poorly from the free throw line with notre Dame making 18 of 31 and Utah 12 of 19.Virginia 62, Florida 56 new York a Bryant Stith extended his College career for one More game monday night with another Aba Caliper performance. Stith had 27 Points tied his career High with 15 rebounds and led a late run that sent Virginia past Florida and into the nit championship game. A Bryant was his usual self. It really Wasny to anything extraordinary a Cavaliers coach Jeff Jones said. A a in be seen it so Many  Stith the schools career scoring Leader had 10 Points As Virginia overcame a 49-45 deficit in the final nine minutes. A during a timeout coach Jones told my teammates to isolate me in the paint a Smith said. A they did a Superb Job of getting me the bal Down  Virginia 19-13which beat Villanova Tennessee and new Mexico earlier in the tournament will face the notre Dame a a 58-55 Winner Over Utah in the other Semi Mal a on wednesday night. The Cavaliers won the nit in 1980, Ralph Sampson a freshman season. Stacey Poole had 16 Points and 10 rebounds for Florida 19-13l the gators beat Richmond Pittsburgh and Purdue to reach the semifinal game. A i just did no to do the things in be been doing All year a said Poole who shot 6-for-15 and was the gators Only player to score in double figures. Stith presented problems All Over the court in the first Over meeting Between Virginia and Florida. He had 10 rebounds in the first half including six on the offensive end As the Cavaliers held a 33-31 Lead. Florida took a 49-45 Lead on Scott stewarts 3-Pointer with 10 15 left but the gators did not score for the next 5 46. In that time Virginia rallied for a 51-49 Edge and Stith then kept the Cavaliers ahead for Good with two More baskets and five free throws. He finished nine for 23 from Field and eight for 10 from the foul line. Anthony Oliver added 15 Points for Virginia. 1 w i t Virginia a Bryant Stith 20 snatches rebound away from Florida Sandrew  action planned against laettner by Don Markus the Baltimore Sun the chairman of the Mcaa tournament championship committee said monday that no further action will be taken against Duke Center Christian laettner for an incident during saturdays Mcaa East regional final against Kentucky in Philadelphia. Laettner intentionally stepped on wildcats Reserve amino Timberlake after being fouled with 8 06 remaining in regulation. Laettner who received a technical foul As Well As a personal foul for his behaviour hit the game winning shot at the overtime Buzzer to give the defending Champion Blue devils a 104-103 Victory. A we have reviewed the videotapes of the incident and talked with the game officials and the committees representative at the site a said tournament chairman Roy Kramer the commissioner of the Southeastern conference. A after evaluating Alt the available information it is the committees opinion that the game officials made the proper Call and penalized the offending player for his unsportsmanlike  mondays ruling Means that laettner Dukes leading scorer this season and the All time leading scorer in Mcaa tournament history will be eligible to play saturday against Indiana in the second National semifinal at the metronome in Minneapolis. Cincinnati will play Michigan in the first semifinal Quot with the win ners playing monday night for the championship. A i think it is so blown out of proportion a said Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski. A it was identified for what it was a a Contact technical. Should he have done it no. Should people commit flagrant fouls no. Was it flagrant absolutely not. Its one of those things especially being that its Christian its being blown out of  said laettner a it Wasny to vicious at All. I could have stepped on him really hard. 1 Wasny to trying to Hurt  a year ago laettner was involved in an incident during the Midwest regional semifinals which led to the one game sus pension of Connecticut a Rod Sellers from this years tournament. In that instance no technical or personal foul was assessed Sellers who banged laettner a head against the floor. But so much was made of the incident on National television that the committee met on it last Spring and announced its decision before this years tournament. A it was taken care of during the game. I just wish ours was taken care of during the game a Connecticut coach Jim Calhoun said monday from Storrs conn., hours before a decision was reached. A a in a sure Christian feels bad about what happened. It Hurt his team. It almost Cost his team a Chance at a National