The Miami Hurricanes' identity vanished against the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers' dominance. Key players faltered, leading to a decisive tournament exit.
The Miami Hurricanes men’s basketball squad fell short in the ACC Tournament semifinals after an 84–62 loss to the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers. After a sloppy offensive start from both teams, they quickly fell behind and couldn’t carve out a comeback. They were outworked in nearly every statistical category.
Key takeaways from the game:
- Hurricanes; Lost identity: The Hurricanes thrived in points in the point, crashing the glass, and causing havoc on defense. However, they were a complete shell of themselves on Friday night. The Cavaliers won the rebounding battle 38-26, with 12 coming from the offensive side, resulting in second-chance points and extra possessions. The Hurricanes fell short of points in the paint 38-32.
- Hurricanes; Underwhelming performances: All-ACC seniors Malik Reneau and Tre Donaldson both struggled offensively. As the team’s leaders, there’s only so much the rest of the roster can do when they’re not making an impact.
Donaldson finished with eight points on 37.5 percent shooting, missing both attempts from behind the arc, two assists, a rebound, a steal, two turnovers, and three personal fouls in 23 minutes. The 22-year-old wasn’t able to find a rhythm or set teammates up for opportunities to score. However, when he sat, the Hurricanes fell apart.
After Donaldson was subbed out with less than six minutes in the first half, the Cavaliers sparked a 23-6 run heading into halftime.
Reneau tied for a season-low eight points on 16.7 percent shooting, missing both three-point attempts, including six rebounds, two steals, a block, an assist, three turnovers, and two personal fouls in 31 minutes.
The 22-year-old faced several double teams, which resulted in some forced shots. Regardless, as the face of the program, Reneau fell far below expectations.
The only players on the Hurricanes to score in double figures were junior guard Tru Washington and freshman forward Shelton Henderson.
Cavaliers; X-Factor: Despite being listed at 5-10, freshman guard Chance Mallory’s impact was significant on Friday night. He finished with 12 points on 40 percent shooting, including a couple of three-pointers made, five rebounds, six assists, and a steal in 22 minutes off the bench.
The 19-year-old delivered a similar performance in the Feb. 21 regular-season matchup against the Hurricanes: 12 points on 66.7 percent shooting, six rebounds, and six assists, going seven-of-seven from the free throw line in 21 minutes.
Regardless of size, Mallory uses his quickness as an advantage to get by defenders and draw fouls. He went six-for-six from the free-throw line on Friday. He forced a turnover on Donaldson and made a three-pointer before the buzzer to end the first half.
The Hurricanes have not won an ACC Championship since the 2012-13 season, which remains a quest. They’re likely to secure a spot in the NCAA Tournament, with seedings being officially announced on Sunday, March 15.
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