The Miami basketball team lost their sixth straight game in a 62-51 defeat at Virginia on Monday night. Virginia finished the first half with a 14-2 run to take a 41-30 halftime lead. Miami never got closer than eight in the second half. Miami was unable to generate much offense in the second half shooting 29.6 percent.
Miami matched the Cavaliers defense in the second half holding Virginia to 32.1 percent. The Hurricanes rode their starters with the bench playing only 12 minutes. Miami had good balance offensively with three players in double figures led by Kameron McGusty with 14 points and five rebounds.
Anthony Walker nearly had a second straight double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds. Elijah Olaniyi scored 12 and Isaiah Wong finished with 10 points as Virginia held the ACC’s third-leading scorer to 3-13 from the floor. Wong added seven rebounds. Sam Hauser led Virginia with 18 and Trey Murphy had 12.
Miami drops to 7-16 overall and 3-15 in the ACC. The Hurricanes are last in the ACC behind Boston College who is 4-13 overall and 2-9 in the conference. Miami and BC play on Friday night at the Watsco Center in the final regular-season game. Friday’s game will determine seeding in the ACC Tournament.
The loser between the Eagles and Hurricanes will finish in last place in the conference. BC crushed Miami 84-62 in Chestnut Hill in January. Miami was unable to defend BC on three-point attempts with the Eagles making a ridiculous 18-35 beyond the arc. Miami held Virginia to eight of 22 on three-point attempts.
Wong entered Monday night’s game third in the ACC averaging 17.77 points per game. Eleventh in the ACC in field goal percentage and fifth in free throw percentage, Wong has an excellent case to be named All-ACC in 2020-21. During a very difficult Miami basketball season, Wong has been the Hurricanes best player.
Miami head coach Jim Larranaga needs one victory to reach 100 ACC wins. Larranaga would become the 14th coach to reach the century mark. Larranaga spent seven seasons early in his career as an assistant at Virginia under Terry Holland. The Cavaliers played in the 1981 Final Four as part of the Ralph Sampson era.