Canes Win Their Fifth Straight Game 65-49 Over the Hokies

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CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – Reggie Johnson scored 15 points as Miami defeated Virginia Tech 65-49 Thursday night to follow up Sunday’s win over No. 7 Duke.

The Hurricanes (15-7, 6-3 Atlantic Coast Conference) built an eight-point halftime lead and outscored Virginia Tech 10-4 in the first 4:22 of the second half. Johnson’s layup with 15:38 remaining put the Hurricanes ahead, 40-26.

The Hokies (13-11, 2-7) rallied with an 8-0 run. Dorian Finney-Smith’s layup off a Miami turnover with 7:58 remaining ended the run and put Virginia Tech within 47-42.

Trey McKinney Jones and Shane Larkin hit consecutive 3-pointers and the Hurricanes re-established a double-digit lead at 53-42 with 6:34 left.

Larkin scored 14 points and Kenny Kadji finished with 11 points for Miami, which won its fifth straight.

Erick Green led Virginia Tech with 17 points and increased his double-digit scoring streak to 25 consecutive games.

The Hurricanes ran off 10 unanswered points during a 3:34 span midway through the first half. DeQuan Jones’ baseline jumper with 8:38 remaining capped the run and gave Miami a 20-8 lead.

Virginia Tech was held scoreless for a 6:21 stretch until Finney Smith’s put-back basket with 6:06 left made it 20-10. The Hokies had eight turnovers and missed five shots during their scoring drought.

Johnson’s 3-pointer with 2:48 remaining gave the Hurricanes their largest lead of the half at 28-12.

The Hokies responded with a 10-0 run capped by Dorenzo Hudson’s 3-pointer with 23 seconds remaining. Rion Brown’s dunk off a missed shot with 3 seconds left gave the Hurricanes a 30-22 lead at halftime. .

Game Notes

– Miami’s starters were Shane Larkin, Malcolm Grant, Durand Scott, Kenny Kadji and Reggie Johnson. That lineup is now 4-0 this season.
– The Canes improve to 11-10 against the Hokies overall.
– UM is now 5-0 in its last five games.
– UM is 10-2 at home and 5-5 away from the BankUnited Center this season. In ACC play, Miami is 3-1 in Coral Gables and 3-2 on the road.
– Miami has won five straight conference games for the first time in ACC play and has won six of the last seven league games for the first time since Feb. 9-23, 2008.
– At 6-3 in the league, the Canes have matched their most wins ever midway through the ACC schedule. They started 6-2 in the ACC in 2005-06 before losing six of their final seven in the league.
– Reggie Johnson recorded four assists in the first half, just one short of his career high for a game. Johnson, for the second time in his career, made a three point shot in the game. Johnson is now 2-of-4 from distance in his career.
– Nearly half of Miami’s 30 halftime points came off the bench (14). Rion Brown had six while Trey McKinney Jones and DeQuan Brown both tallied four points.
– Tonight the Canes tied their lowest points allowed at the half with 22. The last time they only allowed 22 points was against Georgia Tech on Jan 24.
– Miami football alum and NFL Hall of Famer Michael Irvin came in to support his Cane family tonight.