Canes lose defensive struggle

CORAL GABLES — For 40 minutes, Virginia did what Virginia does defensively. And then, the Cavaliers won it at the free-throw line with 8.3 seconds remaining due to foul shots that resulted from a Miami Hurricanes miscommunication.

No. 22 Virginia, the defending national champions, played its pack-line defense — which ranks No. 2 nationally in opponents’ field-goal percentage and tops in scoring defense — to grind out a 46-44 win over UM at Watsco Center on Wednesday night.

The Cavaliers (22-7, 14-5 ACC) won their seventh straight as they were aided by the ill-advised foul late and Miami (14-15, 6-13) missing its leading scorer, Chris Lykes, down the stretch.

Sophomore guard Kihei Clark’s two free throws in the waning moments were the difference after he was fouled by UM guard Harlond Beverly with the score tied.

With Lykes sidelined, senior DJ Vasiljevic drove to the basket on the Hurricanes’ final possession, but his driving layup attempt rolled off and bounced over to Beverly without enough time to get a decent shot off at the buzzer.

Hurricanes coach Jim Larrañaga said after the game what led to Beverly fouling Clark was Larrañaga yelling to officials that he felt there was a foul earlier and the freshman taking it as instruction to foul.

“I thought Sam Waardenburg got the offensive rebound and got fouled inside, and I was yelling to the referee, ‘He got fouled! Foul!’” Larrañaga said. “And Harlond thought I meant for him to foul as he was listening to me. So, didn’t get a chance to actually defend them in the last possession.”

Said Beverly: “I just heard him yell, ‘Foul,’ and I saw there was a little bit of time on the clock, so I tried to make a play on the ball. … It was my fault because I should’ve been more aware of our foul situation. That was 100 percent on me.”