Jekiri's Seventh Double-Double Aids 76-52 Win

Miami7652Virginia Tech

PLAYER OF THE GAME
Tonye Jekiri | Jr. | C Jekiri had a monster game on the boards, pulling down 15 rebounds to compliment his 15 points en route to his seventh double-double of the year.

CORAL GABLES, Fla. (AP) – The only time Miami coach Jim Larrañaga could recall taking off his suit jacket during a game was about 20 years ago, back when he was at Bowling Green.

That is, until Wednesday night.

Larrañaga’s first technical foul in years worked wonders.

Sheldon McClellan scored 21 points, Tonye Jekiri finished with 15 points and 15 rebounds and Miami shook off a slow start to easily beat Virginia Tech 76-52 to help improve its NCAA tournament resume.

”It definitely boosted us when Coach took his jacket off,” McClellan said. ”Seemed he got a little hot.”

So did his team.

Angel Rodriguez added 11 points for the Hurricanes (17-9, 7-6 Atlantic Coast Conference), who went on a 17-4 run to open the second half, then put the game away with an 18-5 spurt after Larrañaga got upset with a couple of calls that coincided with Virginia Tech seeming poised to get back into the contest.

”Anybody who has observed me on the sideline knows that my message to the team is that I want to stay cool, calm and collected, because I want them to be cool, calm and collected on the court,” Larrañaga said.

Adam Smith scored 15 for Virginia Tech (10-16, 2-11), which made its first three shots – then missed 23 of its next 30. Devin Wilson and Justin Bibbs each finished with 11 for the Hokies.

Virginia Tech coach Buzz Williams also got hit with a second-half technical, his coming not long before Larranaga’s. The difference was, his didn’t lead to any real spark.

”We posed no resistance in the second half whatsoever,” Williams said.

Nor did they on the backboards, where the Hokies were outrebounded 40-19 – barely exceeding Jekiri’s total.

”He was dominant,” Williams said. ”He almost had as many rebounds as we did.”

After Virginia Tech scored six straight – coinciding with when Larrañaga got his technical, then removed his jacket and implored the crowd to get louder by waving his arms, as did McClellan – the Hurricanes put the game away.

McClellan made a 3-pointer from the corner near the Miami bench, Rodriguez added a layup and before long the Hurricanes were leading 64-41.

Just like that, trailing for 10 minutes in the first half seemed long forgotten.

”From that 12-minute mark on, and I told the team afterward, I saw the team that we could be,” Larrañaga said.

Noteworthy

* The Hurricanes won their second ACC game in a row, which ties their largest ACC win streak this season. This is the third time this season the Hurricanes have won two ACC games in a row.

* Miami opened the game with Tonye Jekiri, Sheldon McClellan, James Palmer, Davon Reed, and Angel Rodriguez on the floor. This is the second time this season the Canes have started a game with this starting five.  The Hurricanes used this starting lineup in their last game at Boston College.

* The Hurricanes first field goal came at the 17:57 mark of the first half thanks to a layup from redshirt junior Sheldon McClellan.

* Miami took its first lead at the 9:29 mark of the first half thanks to an and-one layup by Reed.

* The first half saw three lead changes and one tie. The Hurricanes led the last 21:24 of the game and the entire second half.

* The Hurricanes closed out the remaining 12:32 of the first half on a 22-13 run to take the lead 29-26 into halftime.

* The Hurricanes outrebounded the Hokies 40-19. The Hurricanes are now 9-1 this season when they outrebound their opponents.

* The Hurricanes also outscored the Hokies 34-14 in the paint.

* The Hurricanes opened the second half with a 17-4 run to open up a 16-point lead with 14:03 to go in the game.

* Miami’s largest lead of the game was 28 points with 3:41 remaining in the second half. 

* The Hurricanes scored 75+ for the 10^th time this season. The Canes are now 8-1 when scoring 75+ points 

* With the win over Virginia Tech, Miami now leads the all-time series to 15-12.

* The Hurricanes improve their home record against the Hokies to 8-4.

* Tonye Jekiri recorded his second-consecutive double-double as he posted 15 points and 15 rebounds. Jekiri’s double-double is his seventh on the year. The Hurricanes are 5-2 this season when Jekiri records a double-double.

* Tonye Jekiri tied a career high scoring 15 points. This is the 10^th time this season Jekiri has scored in double figures. Jekiri also pulled down 15rebounds, which marks the 15th time this season he has totaled 10-or-more rebounds this season.

* Redshirt junior Sheldon McClellan finished with a game high 21 points. This is the sixth time in ACC play that McClellan scored 15+ points. The Hurricanes are 4-2 in ACC play when McClellan finishes with 15+ points.

* Angel Rodriguez recorded 4 assists during the game. Rodriguez has tallied multiple assists in 12 of 13 ACC games this season.

* Chris Stowell and Mike Fernandez logged their first ACC minutes this season.

* With the win, head coach Jim Larrañaga improved to 553-379 overall record in his 31st season as a head coach.

* He is 83-45 in his fourth season at the University of Miami, with a 38-27 mark in ACC play.

* Miami is now 14-4 all-time when Jekiri gets 10 or more rebounds

* The Hurricanes are now 13-0 when Sheldon McClellan shoots 50 percent or better.

* The Hurricanes shot 51 percent from the field. The Hurricanes are now 7-0 this season when shooting 50% or better from the field.