Late-game mistakes and stellar Virginia Cavaliers performances sealed the Miami Hurricanes' fate in a nail-biter. Freshman star Shelton Henderson shines despite the loss.
Despite multiple opportunities, the Miami Hurricanes men's basketball squad suffered an 86–83 loss to the 14th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers on Saturday. It was a game that was decided by which team executed better down the stretch.
There were a few moments in which the Hurricanes slipped: senior forward Malik Reneau's technical foul, when he suffered a hand injury that allowed the Cavaliers to go on a run, or senior guard Tre Donaldson fouling a three-point shooter in a tied-game situation during the final seconds.
Key takeaways from the game:
- Hurricanes, Freshman phenom: There was no denying freshman forward Shelton Henderson's talents, but it was on full display on Saturday. He finished with a game-high 18 points, three rebounds, three assists, and two steals in 31 minutes. The 19-year-old scored all of his points in the paint.
Henderson didn't shy away from getting physical with the Cavaliers' bigs, which showed great resilience.
- Cavaliers; Big impact from undersized guard: The Hurricanes are known for having the length and height on the roster, but Cavaliers freshman Chance Mallory provided a spark off the bench. He finished with 12 points, six rebounds, and six assists in 21 minutes. The 5-10 guard used his quickness to draw fouls and make plays.
Mallory drew a crucial foul on Donaldson attempting a three-point shot, which gave the Cavaliers the lead and finished with a win.
- Cavaliers; Hot hand: Jacari White had been in an offensive slump heading into Saturday's matchup, but broke through it. He finished with 17 points, including five three-pointers made, five assists, two blocks, a rebound, and a steal in 27 minutes off the bench.
As the Hurricanes played zone defense, the Cavaliers relied on him to penetrate it by making shots from behind the arc, which was successful.
The contributions of White and Mallory show how important depth is for contention.
- Hurricanes; Offensive production wasn't enough: The team relies heavily on its defense to win rather than to outscore opponents. However, against the Cavaliers, the Hurricanes were very efficient from all over the floor.
Three-point shooting has been the biggest struggle all year, but they finished on 50 percent for the game.
The lack of efficient free-throw shooting has cost the Hurricanes a couple of games in ACC play, such as the Florida State Seminoles and California Golden Bears. However, against the Cavaliers, the Hurricanes finished on 94 percent shooting from the line.
Senior center Ernest Udeh Jr., who's pointed out as the weakest free-throw shooter on scouting reports, was perfect, making six out of six attempts.
However, the game came down to a critical mistake, which made the Hurricanes' rarely efficient offense meaningless.
They fall to a 21-6 record, 10-4 in ACC play. The Hurricanes are currently tied for third in the standings, alongside the North Carolina State Wolfpack, but they own the tiebreaker.
Coach Jai Lucas and the team will face the Seminoles again on Tuesday, this time at the Donald L. Tucker Civic Center. The Hurricanes should expect another hostile environment and an opportunity to bounce back.
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