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Charlottesville Celebrates Cavaliers' Victory

uva athletics

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. (AP) - A Virginia city once marred by Tiki torches, Nazi chants and deadly violence is savoring a united moment of bliss as it welcomes home the national champion University of Virginia men's basketball team.

Charlottesville was in full party mood Tuesday, a day after the Cavaliers defeated Texas Tech in the title game in Minneapolis. Supporters flocked to the school's basketball arena to welcome the team home.

The ebullient mood was a marked departure from nearly two years ago, when a white nationalist rally descended into violence and chaos and left one woman dead.

The city also has been rocked in recent years by the high-profile slayings of female students and a bogus magazine story about a gang rape at the university.

Don Rush is the News Director and Senior Producer of News and Public Affairs at Delmarva Public Media. An award-winning journalist, Don reports major local issues of the day, from sea level rise, to urban development, to the changing demographics of Delmarva.