Less than one week after a razor-thin win over Ohio State, No. 14 Virginia found itself in another game that would come down to mere possessions. A physical Miami program, in the midst of a hot streak, came to John Paul Jones Arena and took Coach Ryan Odom’s squad to the wire — the two teams finding themselves in a one-possession affair with less than 60 seconds on the clock.
Again, the Cavaliers (24-3, 12-2 ACC) made the right plays in the final minute to leave with a win. On a day already steeped in consequence, with a pre-tip-off ceremony dedicating the JPJ hardwood to legendary coach Tony Bennett, a series of clutch baskets, free throws and defensive stands iced a tight 86-83 victory over the surging Hurricanes (21-6, 10-4 ACC).
“I thought our guys did their best,” Odom said postgame. “We wanted to get more stops, certainly. We wanted to rebound better … I thought all the guys stopped up — they did a really nice job.”
Miami, with four wins in its last five games and a style of play Odom characterized as “downhill,” was quick to establish its offense in the first half. Drawing fouls and attacking the rim with force, the Hurricanes’ star frontcourt collapsed Virginia’s defense and opened up their guards for easier shots.
A 19-4 Miami run through seven minutes of play early in the first half created the first and last double-digit lead of the game, as graduate guard Jacari White, junior guard Sam Lewis and freshman forward Thijs De Ridder spearheaded a Cavaliers run that retook the lead for Virginia with just two minutes left in the first half.
That lead, like most in the game, would not last long, as the Hurricanes closed out the half on an 8-0 run through the last 90 seconds. Miami notched a pair of three-pointers from junior guard Tru Washington and a fastbreak layup from freshman forward Timo Malovec, securing a 44-39 advantage heading into the break.
“We didn’t end the half great,” Odom said. “But we came out of halftime and re-established some positive play.”
An 11-3 run to start the second half returned the lead to the Cavaliers, who played strong defense throughout the game against a team that was hitting its jumpshots at a higher clip than usual. Throwing double teams at senior forward Malik Reneau — who averages nearly 20 points per game — forced turnovers and ate up the shot clock as Virginia attempted to seize control of the game.
“They’re really tough to deal with, and they’re even better in person than when you watch them on film,” Odom said. “They have big bodies, and you have to deal with that. And I think our guys, for the most part, stood up strong.”
A series of short runs later, and the two programs found themselves in a one-possession game with three minutes of play remaining. A layup from graduate guard Dallin Hall made it a one-point lead for the Cavaliers at 80-79, before a stepback three in transition by White made it four.
“In times like that, you can't really think about ‘What if I miss?’” White said. “So I just went for it and you [saw] the result.”
Miami’s frontcourt responded in kind, tying the game at 83-83 with seven seconds on the clock with a pair of layups from Reneau and senior center Ernest Udeh Jr. Freshman guard Chance Mallory — a key difference-maker for Virginia in the second half with six rebounds, three assists and nine points — then drew a foul on a three-point shot attempt, and proceeded to make all three of his free throws.
A high-risk fullcourt inbound later, and the Hurricanes had 3.2 seconds on the clock to make a three-point shot and tie the game. As Miami hunted for the right shot, a slower pass was intercepted by De Ridder, sealing the three-point win for the Cavaliers.
Outrebounded 30-23 in the game with only three offensive boards in the first half and one in the second, Virginia was forced to play with speed and finesse. Playing without graduate forward Devin Tillis, De Ridder played 36 minutes — during which he only committed one personal foul — as the Cavaliers had to limit physicality against a Hurricanes lineup that forced early fouls and did not miss a single free throw in the second half.
Offensively, White’s 5-8 shooting from three-point range, strong transition play and 88.9 percent free-throw shooting on the day pushed Virginia over the edge. That, accompanied by a handful of defensive stands exemplified by four second-half blocks by freshman forward Johann Grünloh, allowed the Cavaliers to avoid an upset at the hands of a hot Miami squad, beefing up their resume ahead of a difficult final stretch.
With only four games left in the regular season — three of which are at home — Virginia has responded to its loss to now-No. 16 North Carolina with an eight-game winning streak that required a handful of late-game stands. The first of those matchups will come Tuesday, as the Cavaliers will return to JPJ for a 7 p.m. rematch against NC State. After falling to Virginia 76-61 in January, the Wolfpack (19-8, 10-4 ACC) have gone on to beat both SMU and the Tar Heels (21-6, 9-5 ACC), but have also dropped games to Georgia Tech, Miami and Louisville.
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