Canes Come Up Short at No. 3 UVA, 56-46
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Squaring off against third-ranked Virginia Saturday afternoon at John Paul Jones Arena, the University of Miami men’s basketball team posted one of its best defensive efforts of the season, but it was not enough to take down the Cavaliers in a 56-46 defeat.
The Hurricanes (9-12, 1-8 ACC) were led offensively by Chris Lykes (16 points), while the sophomore guard was joined in double figures by redshirt sophomore forward Sam Waardenburg (10 points) and redshirt senior Zach Johnson (10 points). Senior center Ebuka Izundu finished just shy of a double-double, closing out the afternoon with eight points and a game-high 11 rebounds. As a unit, Miami only turned the ball over a season-tying low seven times, while forcing Virginia to cough the ball up 14 times.
In a defensive clash, the Canes limited the Cavaliers to 42.3 percent (22-of-52) shooting from the field and 35.3 percent (6-of-17) from beyond the arc, while Miami shot 17-of-50 (34 percent) overall and just 4-of-21 (19.0 percent) from 3-point territory. The Cavaliers took advantage on the glass, out-rebounding Miami, 42-24.
Virginia (20-1, 8-1) was led by a trio in double figures, including De’Andre Hunter (14 points), Mamadi Diakite (11 points) and Kyle Guy (10 points).
With Miami trailing by five following the opening 5:46 of action, Waardenburg led the Canes on a personal 7-0 run over the next 3:06 of play, as Miami jumped in front, 11-9. However, Virginia countered with a 9-0 run of its own before entering the locker room maintaining a seven-point lead, 28-21, a lead it would not look back on.
The Hurricanes will return to action on Wednesday when they welcome Notre Dame to the Watsco Center at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast live on ESPN2.
Game Notes
• Miami scored a season low in points (previous low was 53 at Syracuse).
• Miami’s 21 points in the first half marked its fewest in any half this season and its fewest since a 16-point first half last season against Virginia.
• The Canes matched a season low with seven turnovers (also seven at Penn).
• Miami tied a season low with four made 3-pointers (also four at Florida State on Jan. 9).
• Chris Lykes scored 16 points, reaching double figures for the 18th time in 21 games this season, including 16 games of 16 or more points.
• Sam Waardenburg scored 10 points, reaching double figures for the fifth time this season. In the last three games – all against ranked teams – he is averaging 10.7 ppg.
• Waardenburg played 36 minutes, his most ever in an ACC game and one off his career high, set earlier this season at Penn.
• Ebuka Izundu pulled down 11 rebounds, reaching double figures for the eighth time this season.
• Izundu played in his 100th career game.
• Zach Johnson scored 10 points and has tallied 1,624 career points (1,344 at Florida Gulf Coast, 280 at Miami).
• Johnson played a season-high 39 minutes.
• DJ Vasiljevic failed to hit a 3-pointer, snapping his streak of games with at least one 3-pointer at 33 straight contests, which was the longest current streak among ACC players.
• Vasiljevic’s streak was third longest in program history and two games shy of matching the school record.
• His streak is tied for the 20th longest in ACC history with Duke’s Jon Scheyer (2010) and Trajan Langdon (1998-99) and Wake Forest’s Randolph Childress (1994-95).
