Weathering the storm
Cavaliers snap three-game skid by beating depleted Canes
Though No. 21 Virginia didn’t get the emphatic bounceback offensive performance it might’ve hoped to have on Senior Night against the ACC’s lastplace team, a 62-51 win Monday against Miami still brought an end to the Cavaliers’ three-game skid.
Sam Hauser’s 18 points helped U.Va. remain in second place in the ACC and clinch one of the top four spots in the final standings, which means the Cavaliers will have a double bye in next week’s league tournament. U.Va. (16-6, 12-4 ACC) shot just 40.4% from the floor, including 32.1% in the second half, but it limited Miami to 38.5% shooting for the game.
“My message (after the game) was, ‘We’ll see you Wednesday. We’ve got to get better. Let’s keep working’” said U.Va. coach Tony Bennett, adding there are still bigger goals in play than just the double bye for the Cavaliers, who are a half-game behind Florida State. “We talked about Miami
being depleted, but those guys are gifted off the dribble at creating shots . ... It was never fully in control, and I thought Sam was really good and he did some big stuff for us.”
While Jay Huff had an off night on the offensive end in his final home game, making just 2 of 10 field-goal attempts to go along with seven rebounds, Hauser was sharp throughout the evening. Hauser, a Marquette transfer, wrapped up his lone season in John Paul Jones Arena by scoring seven points in the final 11
½ minutes to keep Miami (7-16, 3-15) at arm’s length.
Hauser was U.Va.’s only starter to make more than 33.3% of his shots. He finished 7 of 13, scoring from long range — 4 of 9 on 3-pointers — and with his back to the basket off the dribble and catching and shooting in the second half.
Trey Murphy had 12 points for U.Va., but he made only 3 of 9 shots from the floor.
U.Va., which has shot under 39% in its last two games (37% last Wednesday in a 68-61 home loss against North Carolina State), outscored Miami 20-2 in points off the bench. U.Va.’s Justin McKoy had an ACC career-best eight points off the bench, plus six rebounds.
Trailing 28-27 with under four minutes left in the first half, U.Va. went on a 12-0 run, fueled by a pair of 3-pointers by Hauser. U.Va. used the scoring binge to take a 41-30 advantage and never trailed again after the run.
Miami, which was led by Kameron McGusty’s 14 points, got most of its scoring on drives to the basket. Both teams scored 26 points in the paint.
“I think I needed to (take control) in certain situations,” Hauser said. “I also think we were getting really good shots during a couple of our droughts — the start of the second half comes to mind. I think we got about five or six really good looks. They just didn’t fall . ... We’ve just got to stick to what we’re doing. They’re going to fall eventually. That’s kind of what happened tonight.”