▁After wards , ▁Virginia ▁participated ▁in ▁a ▁tournament ▁in ▁Tokyo ▁and ▁played ▁against ▁the ▁Houston ▁C oug ars ▁and ▁Ut ah ▁U tes , ▁winning ▁both ▁games ▁despite ▁the ▁absence ▁of ▁Sam pson , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁suffering ▁from ▁an ▁int est inal ▁virus . ▁The ▁Cav ali ers ▁had ▁hoped ▁to ▁schedule ▁a ▁game ▁against ▁the ▁Hawai i ▁Rain b ows , ▁but ▁were ▁un success ful . ▁They ▁instead ▁decided ▁to ▁play ▁against ▁the ▁Sil vers words . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁the ▁contest , ▁Virginia ▁was ▁the ▁number ▁one ▁ranked ▁team ▁in ▁men ' s ▁college ▁basketball . ▁ ▁Cham ina de ' s ▁basketball ▁program ▁was ▁in ▁its ▁e ighth ▁season , ▁and ▁was ▁coming ▁off ▁a ▁record ▁of ▁ 2 8 – 3 ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 1 – 8 2 ▁season . ▁In ▁the ▁past ▁three ▁seasons , ▁the ▁Sil vers words ▁had ▁played ▁the ▁Cav ali ers ▁twice , ▁losing ▁both ▁times ▁by ▁double ▁digits . ▁E ight ▁days ▁before ▁the ▁Virginia ▁game , ▁Cham ina de ▁posted ▁its ▁first - ever ▁victory ▁against ▁Hawai i , ▁by ▁a ▁ 5 6 – 4 7 ▁margin . ▁On ▁December ▁ 2 1 , ▁the ▁Sil vers words ▁lost ▁to ▁Way land ▁Bapt ist , ▁Cham ina de ' s ▁only ▁defeat ▁in ▁ 1 1 ▁games . ▁The ▁Sil vers words ▁were ▁un rank ed ▁entering ▁the ▁game ▁against ▁Virginia . ▁ ▁Game ▁summary ▁The ▁game ▁was ▁held ▁at ▁Hon ol ulu ' s